Chapter 28
Chapter 28
“Xavier, is Egbert your rival?” Danielle asked casually.
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“He wishes!” Xavier scoffed. “He’s just a petty jerk who’s always trying to compete with me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he leaked those photos. He’s probably trying to stir things up because my movie’s about to drop.” His expression darkened as he blamed Egbert for ruining their shopping trip.
Danielle calmly pulled out her phone and sent a message: [Send me all the dirt on Egbert from the entertainment industry.]
Emery, on the other end, quickly took action and responded: [I’ve sent Egbert’s file to your email. His personal life is a mess.]
[Okay.] Danielle glanced through the email and smirked. If Egbert wanted to play dirty, she’d make sure he regretted it.
Not long after, Twitter exploded with scandalous headlines-[Egbert’s Secret Marriage Revealed], [Egbert’s Multiple Affairs During Marriage], [Egbert Caught Kissing a Man Abroad], and [Egbert Exploited Rookie Actresses].
The posts were shared by the infamous hacker Knight.
[Whoa, what did Egbert do to tick off Knight? This is brutal!]
[I can’t believe it. He always acted so classy, and now this, huh?]
[Cheating, exploiting rookies, and hitting on both men and women? Oh my!]
The same fans who once defended Egbert now turned against him, their outrage taking over the comments.
*****
Meanwhile, in Egbert’s office, chaos erupted. “Who leaked this? Get those posts down now!” Egbert roared, throwing anything within reach as his manager and assistant stood frozen, too scared to speak.
“We can’t take them down,” his assistant finally stammered, drenched in nervous sweat.
“What do you mean you can’t?” Egbert’s bloodshot eyes bored into him, his fury boiling over.
If they couldn’t remove this, he’d be ruined. He couldn’t imagine who would go to such lengths to destroy him.
“The posts came from hacker Knight,” the assistant explained hesitantly. “Even the platforms can’t remove them. No one messes with Knight.”
“When did I ever offend a hacker?” Egbert muttered, pacing furiously. “Contact him now. I’ll pay whatever he wants. And find some big news to bury this!” He tried to reassure himself that everything would be fine.
*****
Meanwhile, Xavier noticed the trending scandals about Egbert. “Danielle, did you see this? Karma’s got Egbert good. Whoever Knight is, they’re my hero,” Xavier said with a grin, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Danielle didn’t respond, keeping her expression neutral
Feeling playful, Xavier snapped a photo of Danielle from behind and posted it online. [Day off, shopping with my sister. Didn’t expect to trend.]
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Chapter 28
Fans erupted in excitement, and their comments kept popping up below the post.
[Even from the back, Xavier’s sister is gorgeous!]
I saw Xavier at the mall today and got his autograph–his sisters even more beautiful in person!]
[I wish I had a beautiful sister like her.]
[Xavier posted! Can’t wait for his new movie!]
[Always supporting Xavier!]
Satisfied, Xavier didn’t bother checking his phone after posting. He already knew how his fans would react.
Ramona, seeing the post, immediately mobilized the PR team to share highlights of Xavier’s awards and career achievements, effectively steering the conversation in his favor.
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The shift in public opinion was swift. As fans showered Xavier with love, they redirected their anger at Egbert, flooding his Twitter with insults.
Egbert, already reeling from the scandals, hit his breaking point
And just like that, Xavier’s critics flipped their tone. One moment they were tearing him down; the next, they were singing his praises. Such was the internet’s fickle nature.
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[Danielle, dinner tonight?] David’stared at the text he’d just sent.
Danielle replied curtly: [Maybe another time.]
“Danielle, let’s head home,” Xavier said with a smile.
“Okay,” Danielle answered.
David’s response was almost immediate. [But I really want to have dinner with you.]
Danielle hesitated, then typed back: [Alright then.]
David replied quickly: [Great. I’ll pick you up later.]
Danielle simply responded: [Okay.]
Meanwhile, Xavier glanced at her. Remembering her driving earlier, he decided he wouldn’t let her take the wheel again. “Danielle, I’ll drive us home.”
“Sure,” she agreed without hesitation.
At the Darling family home, Sienna said politely, “Mr. and Mrs. Darling, I heard Joseph’s sister has been found. Joseph and I have been meaning to visit, but this is the first chance we’ve had
“You didn’t need to bring anything. It’s lovely to have you here,” Vivian replied warmly.
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Joseph sat quietly nearby, lost in his thoughts.
Audrey came down the stairs, her face lighting up when she saw Sienna. “Sienna, you’re here!”
“We heard Danielle was back, so we thought we’d stop by. We just haven’t seen her yet,” Sienna explained, her tone measured.
“Danielle went out with Xavier this morning,” Joseph said flatly.
“Yes, they left pretty early Audrey added. As if on cue, the front door opened, and Xavier and Danielle walked in, chatting and laughing.
“Danielle, you’re back. Are you tired?” Vivian asked, pulling her daughter into a gentle embrace.
“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Howard, who had been quiet until then, smiled warmly at her.
“Did you have a good time shopping?” Joseph asked, his eyes filled with affection as he looked at Danielle.
Sienna caught Joseph’s expression and narrowed her eyes at Danielle, her face darkening with jealousy.
“I’m not tired or hungry. It was a nice day,” Danielle replied with a soft smile.
Xavier spread his arms dramatically. “What about me? No love for your favorite son, huh? Aren’t you all worried about me?” “You dragged Danielle out all day. And you want us to care about you now, huh?” Howard said flatly to Xavier.
Vivian turned to Danielle. “Danielle, this is Sienna, Joseph’s girlfriend,” she said, gesturing to the woman sitting on the sofa.
Danielle turned her gaze to Sienna, taking in her appearance. Sienna had soft, wavy flaxen hair and a polished demeanor. Her eyes appeared kind, but there was an unmistakable sharpness behind them.
“Danielle, it’s so nice to meet you. I’m Sienna, Joseph’s girlfriend. Welcome home,” Sienna said, her tone sweet but slightly pointed, emphasizing her connection to Joseph.
Danielle had met plenty of women who hid their true nature behind a polished exterior. It didn’t take much for er to see through Sienna’s facade, but she was surprised that Sienna was Joseph’s type.
She raised an eyebrow slightly and responded nonchalantly, “Hello.”
Without sparing her another glance, Danielle walked past Sienna and sat at the far end of the sofa.
Sienna clenched her fists subtly. Danielle’s indifference made her feel small, as though she were being mocked just by Danielle’s presence.
“Danielle, do you not like Sienna? She’s really nice once you get to know her,” Audrey chimed in, her voice dripping with false sweetness.
Danielle turned to Audrey, her brow furrowing as if Audrey had just said something incredibly stupid.
“Audrey, watch your mouth,” Xavier said coldly, his expression darkening. “Danielle just needs time to adjust. Don’t make things up.”
“I wasn’t trying to cause trouble,” Audrey said softly, lowering her gaze like a scolded child. “I just wanted Danielle and Sienna to get along. I meant well.” Her voice quivered, as though she were the victim.
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U8 Tờ Thu, Jan 16
Chapter 29
