Chapter 190

Shermaine pressed her lips and thought, "Fine, I’ll let it go this time."

But just as Shermaine was taking a shower, a paparazzi’s explosive report catapulted her to the top of the trending list.

The headline screamed for attention: "[Mr. York Cuckolded! Jean Heiress Caught with Admirer at Fondue Paradise!]"

Instantly, it rocketed to the top of hot searches.

On the other end, Bradley was on a video call, reporting to Joshua.

"That paparazzo really has some nerve! Just to make headlines, he even dared to write about Mr. York–and the story is downright explosive! Cuckolded? Seriously? Come on, Mr. York finally made it official with her. This should be a joyous occasion for everyone. They’re just stirring up nonsense," Bradley thought.

The paparazzi’s article went viral, with hundreds of comments pouring in every minute. The photos, taken from tricky angles, easily misled viewers and sparked misunderstandings.

[Holy shit, is this for real? The Jean heiress actually cuckolded Mr. York?]

[And with Trance? Oh my, he’s my idol!]

[This heiress is something else–always surrounded by big shots. She’s definitely not your average girl!]

[First time getting tea on Mr. York, and it’s this wild? Somehow feels so satisfying, LOL!]

[What a juicy scandal. Wonder how Mr. York feels seeing himself get so cuckolded.]

[Mr. York, look at the fiancée you picked. Who knows how many more ‘green hats‘ she’s given you?]

[Gotta hand it to Marcus–he’s got guts writing about Mr. York. I bet this’ll get buried in half an hour, though.]

Joshua couldn’t care less about people saying he’d been cheated on–he knew exactly what had happened. But when it came to those badmouthing Shermaine, his eyes darkened with fury.

"If I could reach through the screen," he thought coldly, "I’d make sure those keyboard warriors never type another word."

Dark fury swirled in Joshua’s eyes as Bradley cautiously asked, "Mr. York, should we take down the trending topic immediately?"

"Keep the buzz under control, but don’t scrub it entirely," Joshua commanded. "By any means necessary, make that paparazzo issue a public retraction himself. Also, trace the source of these photos and find out who leaked them."

"Understood, Mr. York."

As the mastermind behind it all, Natalie lounged on a chaise longue, sipping her tonic soup with a smirk as she relished the gossip about the couple.

Downstairs, Joten took surveillance footage from a man in a baseball cap. The man pocketed the cash and chuckled slyly, "Hey bro, if you’ve got more jobs like this, keep the orders coming."

"Anyone catch us on camera?" Jason asked.

"Relax, I’ve been doing this for years–never slipped up once," the man reassured Jason.

Jason just grunted in acknowledgment. Once the man left, he snapped the footage in half and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. Earlier, when he’d come out the side door, he’d spotted Bradley, Joshua’s secretary–which meant Joshua was there too.

"I have to clean up my mother’s mess thoroughly. If they catch wind of it, things could get ugly," Jason thought.

Fresh out of the shower, Shermaine was already aware of online gossip accusing her of cheating on Joshua. When she checked online, she noticed the trending topic had been suppressed but not removed–clearly, Joshua was already handling it.

"Since he’s already dealing with it, there’s no need for me to get involved," Shermaine thought. What really intrigued her was who took those photos and caused such a stir.

As soon as the computer booted up, Joshua approached with a glass of warm milk. "Why are you on your computer this late?" he asked.

"Checking Fondue Paradise’s surveillance footage from tonight," she replied, accepting the milk.

"The surveillance footage from tonight was stolen," Joshua said. Now there was no proof left of the three of them having dinner together.

Hearing this, Shermaine arched a brow. "Well, isn’t that interesting," she mused. "They’ve covered their tracks well. But in a public place like that–even without the footage, there are always other ways to find traces."

Sipping her milk, she let out a teasing “oh” and, with a hint of mockery, asked, "So, how are you going to respond to those online rumors about me cuckolding you?"

Joshua gazed at her, idly playing with her fingers. "Tomorrow, I’ll join you and Trance for that Mount Longty hike."