Chapter 24

Cynthia flashed a bright smile. “It really doesn’t matter who interviews him.”

“It does matter! Your work has been recognized, and even Mr. Bennett insists on you. You need to go now,” Freddie said.

Cynthia remained still, her smile warm but firm. “Since Lilian is already on her way, I won’t go. I trust she’ll handle it. We’re all here to do our jobs, and I’m not going to sweat the small stuff.”

Freddie knew better than anyone that Cynthia was not easily swayed. When she said she wouldn’t sweat the small stuff, it usually meant she was standing her ground. Even after he mentioned that Jonathan specifically wanted her, she still refused to budge. It was clear she wouldn’t change her mind until she felt she was treated fairly.

“How about this? I’ll have Lilian come back and apologize,” Freddie suggested, watching Cynthia’s reaction carefully.

Cynthia didn’t respond, but her silence told him he was on the right track. He quickly called Lilian, asking her to return to the studio and get Cynthia.

Lilian understood what he really meant, and she had no other choice—she had underestimated Jonathan’s seriousness. She hurried back to the station.

Freddie’s voice was filled with frustration. “Lilian, what happened? Mr. Bennett clearly agreed to let Cynthia have the interview. Why did you say it was you?”

“I’m sorry,” Lilian replied, her voice trembling and tears welling in her eyes. “I spoke with Mr. Bennett for a long time yesterday, and he didn’t outright refuse my request. I thought he was okay with it. It was a misunderstanding.”

Freddie frowned. “You need to apologize to Cynthia.”

Biting her lip, Lilian approached Cynthia’s desk. “Cynthia, I’m really sorry. This was a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to take your interview. You need to hurry to BJ. Everyone is waiting for you.”

Cynthia looked up, a mix of amusement and scrutiny in her eyes. “Lilian, do you think a misunderstanding can fix everything?”

Back when Lilian was involved with Filip during summer camp, she had played the “misunderstanding” card. When she found out she was pregnant, she claimed it was just a misunderstanding again. And now, here came another so-called misunderstanding.

Lilian’s eyes sparkled with unshed tears, her big eyes looking innocent and pleading. “What do you want me to do? I’ll follow your lead.”

Cynthia remembered how she had once been fooled by those same innocent eyes. She had cared for Lilian and fought for her, even taking a knife wound that still left a scar on her shoulder. The more love she had invested, the more frustrating this felt.

Now, Cynthia wanted to address something that had been bothering her. “Lilian, come with me.”

Cynthia stepped into an empty conference room, and Lilian followed. Cynthia shut the door firmly to block out the gossiping eyes and whispers.

As soon as they were inside, Lilian took Cynthia’s hands in hers and pleaded, “Cynthia, please forgive me just this once. If I cause us to lose this exclusive interview, I won’t be able to stay here anymore.” Alison had already boasted about this with BCB. If they missed the chance to interview Jonathan, it wouldn’t just embarrass Lilian; it would also reflect badly on Alison.

Cynthia pulled her hands away. “Lilian, I need to ask you something, and I want you to be honest.”

Lilian looked at Cynthia with wide, innocent eyes.

“Did you tell Filip about what happened that summer during our freshman year?” Cynthia asked.

Lilian’s gaze shifted nervously for a moment.

Cynthia connected the dots from the past and was sure Lilian had told Filip to stir up trouble. But whether it was all part of Lilian’s plan, she wasn’t completely sure.

Lilian had a feeling yesterday that Cynthia would confront her today. She had rehearsed her response in her mind. “I’m so sorry, Cynthia. I didn’t mean for it to slip out. Can you please forgive me?”

Cynthia wasn’t taken aback at all. She scoffed, “Lilian, stop playing games with me. Seriously.”

Lilian fell silent, tears streaming down her face—a sight that would tug at anyone’s heart. “Cynthia, I don’t expect you to forgive me. You can blame me all you want; I’ve been carrying this guilt for years. If I hurt you, just take it out on me. Maybe it’ll make me feel a bit better.”

With that, Lilian grabbed Cynthia’s hand to slap her own face. Cynthia pulled her hands away, but Lilian didn’t stop. She slapped herself harder until red handprints marked her cheeks.

Cynthia’s frustration boiled over, and she grabbed Lilian’s wrist. “Did you set me up for this? Did you plan all of it?”

Fear flickered in Lilian’s eyes. “No! I admit I let it slip to Filip, but that’s all. I swear I didn’t have anything to do with this.”

“How did you know that?”

“You were talking in your sleep. You were mumbling all night.”

Cynthia searched Lilian’s eyes for any hint of deceit, but all she found was sincerity.

“I’ll get to the bottom of this. If I find out you’re involved, you won’t get off easily,” Cynthia smirked.

With that, Cynthia stood up and strode out of the conference room. As she opened the door, a crowd of gossipers gasped at the sight of Lilian standing inside, her cheeks marked with red handprints.

Vivian chimed in, “Cynthia, that’s way too much! You really hit Lilian?”

Lilian rushed out. “No! Cynthia didn’t hit me. I just bumped into something myself.”

“What did you bump into that could leave those marks? Cynthia, all Lilian did was accidentally take your interview, but you went and laid into her like this.”

Vivian turned to Lilian, egging her on. “Lilian, you could sue her for assault.”

Cynthia raised an eyebrow, replying coolly, “I didn’t hit her. She was trying to apologize and ended up slapping herself. I couldn’t stop her.”

“Cynthia, nobody is going to believe you. You’re just a wretch in disguise. Who knows what tricks you pulled to get Mr. Bennett’s interview? At least Lilian has a clean record,” Vivian sneered.

Cynthia wasn’t in the mood to argue. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Vivian’s furious face, quickly sending it to one of her contacts.

“What are you doing, Cynthia?” Vivian shouted, fuming.

Cynthia smiled brightly. “Just wanted to let Mrs. Leach see if you’re the girl with the single eyelid she’s been looking for.” Instantly, Vivian froze.

With a satisfied smirk, Cynthia walked away, her mind made up. I gave you a break once, and you’re still acting up. Do you really think I’m easy to push around?

Freddie finally convinced Cynthia to head over to the BJ Building. When they arrived, Claude was waiting at the entrance. “Ms. Jones, Mr. Bennett wants to see you in his office first.”

Cynthia followed Claude into the private elevator that led to the CEO’s office. When they stepped out, she found herself in a room that looked more like a bedroom than a workplace. Suddenly, it made sense to her; those closed doors she saw last time led to Jonathan’s personal lounge, which could easily be mistaken for a cozy living area.

Right now, Jonathan was lounging on the couch, smiling. “You just sneak off after sleeping with me. How can you be this irresponsible?”