Chapter 342

Percival was insufferably arrogant and self-righteous. For someone like him, admitting he was wrong was worse than death itself. Aubree simply loved making those she despised, no matter how mad they were, bow their heads, apologize, and beg her for forgiveness.

Aubree’s lips curved into a smile, poised in quiet anticipation.

Despite Percival’s overwhelming pride, he knew that if he refused to apologize in front of so many people, his reputation would be irreparably damaged.

Reluctantly, his face dark with suppressed anger, Percival apologized, “I’m sorry to have wronged you.”

A kaleidoscope of expressions flashed across Carmen’s face. What a spectacle. Now that Percival had apologized, that was tantamount to admitting the whole thing was her fabrication.

She could already picture the internet exploding with hate once today’s incident went public.

Carmen dug her nails into her palm. She thought, ‘If I apologize to Aubree now, maybe I can still salvage something. She just got lucky this time. Who would’ve thought she could paint like that after not touching a brush for over a year?’

Just as Carmen was about to reluctantly apologize, Aubree glanced at her. “Spare me your apology. I’ve heard enough empty words from you. My lawyer’s letter is already prepared for you.”

Bowen perfectly exemplified what it meant to be in sync with his girlfriend. “Turner Group’s legal department is ready to file a lawsuit at any time, Miss Wilson. I wonder if Wilson Group’s legal team is good at handling lawsuits?”

Carmen was stunned. ‘Why isn’t Aubree demanding an apology from me?’ she thought.

If Aubree knew what Carmen was thinking, she’d surely scoff. Carmen’s apology wasn’t worth a thing.

Who in Rithol City didn’t know Turner Group had the most formidable legal team? Their reputation wasn’t just for show.

Just Caesar alone would be more than enough to give them a real headache.

Carmen’s face drained of all color, turning utterly ashen. Since the situation was firmly in her control, Aubree couldn’t be bothered to waste another minute there. Her phone had been buzzing repeatedly, but she hadn’t checked the caller ID.

Aubree got into Bowen’s car and left the art exhibition. After some hesitation, Irvin decided to stay behind. “Don’t worry, Carmen. I’ll help you. I trust you. Just because she paints well doesn’t mean she’s a good person.”

Daxton quickly stepped forward to console Carmen. “The priority now is handling the press outside.”

Fortunately, they had an ace up their sleeve. All the reporters on site were handpicked by them, ensuring they could completely control the narrative.

Reminded by Daxton, Carmen snapped back to reality and managed a smile at Irvin. “Thank you, Irvin, but I’m afraid I’m in no state to entertain you right now.”

With things having escalated to this point, the art exhibition had to be called off.

The venue was swiftly cleared of all non-essential personnel. Ronald was utterly drained. “Daxton, take care of this mess.”

As someone in the entertainment industry, Trevor quickly suggested, “Mr. Xaver, would you be willing to cover for Carmen?”

To put it nicely, Percival was a master; to be blunt, he had nothing but an empty reputation. He took Carmen as his student and even helped her frame Aubree, not just because he genuinely admired Carmen’s talent, but also because he wanted to curry favor with the Wilson family.

“If you take responsibility for today’s incident, the Wilson family will make sure you’re handsomely rewarded,” Trevor said. “As a renowned master in the art world, we can simply claim it as a misunderstanding, driven by your admiration for Carmen’s talent. The damage to your reputation will be minimal.”

Percival’s face darkened as he weighed the pros and cons. Carmen’s talent was truly exceptional, and with the powerful Wilson family backing her, she was bound to achieve fame. As her mentor, he stood to benefit from her success.

Carmen must be protected at all costs, and if the matter were handled just as Trevor suggested, the damage to his reputation probably wouldn’t be too severe.

“Fine,” Percival finally nodded.

Trevor turned to Daxton and said, “We need to get ahead of this and control the narrative. As for what to say, leave that to my studio’s PR team.”