Chapter 567

In the office, Lawrence stared at his phone, his gaze fixed on the trending topics: images of Winnie and Rock, captured in intimate moments at the mall-embracing, caressing each other's faces, Winnie's cheeks flushed with color, her eyes brimming with concealed joy.

They appeared like a couple engulfed in love, openly displaying their affection without reservation.

It wasn't a staged photoshoot; rather, a candid snapshot of genuine happiness.

She looked far too naturally content.

With a tight grip on the phone, Lawrence's tall frame suddenly stood up, knees colliding with the table with a deep, resonating sound.

Hearing the chilling impact, Jeremy knew he was too late, his eyebrows subtly lifting as he entered the room.

His gaze immediately fell upon the frosty-eyed man, rigidly standing at the desk.

Beyond him, the expanse of blue sky visible through the large windows failed to soften his brooding presence, casting Lawrence in an even more somber light.

Without thinking, Jeremy blurted out, "Maybe it's just a stunt pulled by Triton Jewelry for publicity, creating a buzz with Winnie."

"Do you believe that?"

Lawrence tossed the phone aside and slumped back into his chair, his heavy frame making a muffled thump.

His voice was bone-chilling.

In Jeremy's mind, whether he believed it was irrelevant; the real question was if Lawrence did.

However, Lawrence's gaze was intimidating.

He now harbored hatred for Winnie due to a recent miscarriage.

Yet, that didn't mean he had let go of her.

Winnie belonged to him; this possessive mindset was etched deep within his bones.

Jeremy watched him, a look of indecision and self-torment painted across his face. He moved his lips again, "Mr. Rodriguez, I can't imagine Winnie shifting her affections so quickly, no matter how hard she tries to argue with you. Whatever's going on between her and Rock, it's not real."

"Then bring her to me, I want to ask her myself," Lawrence commanded, his eyes piercing.

His Adam's apple bobbed, a mix of cold fury and loss of control.

Jeremy lowered his voice, matching the intensity in Lawrence's eyes. "Are you sure you want me to do that? Let's not even talk about whether I can bring her. Winnie is unlikely to give you the answers you're looking for. Right now, you two are like lava and an iceberg, it's best not to touch."

Jeremy spoke the brutal truth about his and Winnie's harsh reality, leaving Lawrence with a gut-wrenching sorrow.

Watching her ignite one scandal after another, he wondered what came next.

He clicked his expensive pen, attempting to distract himself, unwilling to continue ruining office documents. "Those photos plastered all over the internet are an eyesore. Make them disappear."

Jeremy knew that every image of Rock hugging Winnie was a dagger to his eyes.

"It's either a setup or someone's framing Winnie. Just look at these online comments. They're bitterly polarized. Some mock you for unrequited love, while others hurl insults at Winnie, calling her shameless, accusing her of meddling in your engagement with Ishara. There are those questioning if Rock is a male mistress, which is damn satisfying to see."

As Jeremy rambled on, the icy edge in Lawrence's gaze softened slightly.

But it hadn't been ten minutes since Jeremy had instructed Bryan to engage their PR resources when Winnie suddenly released a statement.

At the mall.

It was Nelson who quickly realized something was amiss. He found Winnie. "Ms. Winnie, we have a problem. You and Mr. Rock are trending."

Winnie stepped back from the counter, glanced at the trending photos. She and Rock had been demonstrating jewelry to customers when they were sneakily photographed from every sly angle imaginable. Rock's arms around her, his fingers playfully lifting her hair, pinching her earlobe. To anyone, the images screamed intimacy.

Nelson said, "Your information's been dug up, somehow linking you to Lawrence. Netizens pulled up that just days ago Lawrence publicly announced his intentions to marry you. And now, here you are, cozy with Mr. Rock in public, looking quite close.

"At first, the comments were calm, most of them playfully mocking that Lawrence got a taste of his own medicine because you had moved on. Yet somehow, the tide turned and before long, the pointed remarks were aimed at you, accusing you of wrecking Lawrence's relationship. On Triton's newly launched official account, there was a volley of insults calling you a mistress CEO, and some were saying, 'Jewels known by deception? We won't be buying.' Those kinds of comments.

"There were also comments derogatorily calling Mr. Rock a pretty boy, and it wouldn't be surprising if those were instigated by publicists from the Rodriguez family."

Winnie furrowed her brows as she looked through the company's official social media feed.

At that moment, Rock came over. "Who could be so intent on secretly photographing us? The direction of the online discourse is clearly being manipulated in the shadows. Winnie, let's wrap up today's event ahead of schedule. The crowd here hasn't caught wind of the trending searches yet, so they won't react. For any jewelry sold, if trouble arises, we'll handle refunds privately. We can't let today's showcase get hijacked by social media."

Winnie nodded and instructed Nelson, "Let's have the sales associates wind things down gradually after the customers make their purchases."

However, their plans for a swift departure were thwarted as a multitude of reporters descended upon the mall entrance, obstructing their path to escape.

"Miss Blanchet, you're Winnie, right?" one reporter asked.

"What is your relationship with Mr. Rodriguez here?"

"What about your connection to Lawrence from the Rodriguez family conglomerate? He was engaged to your sister first, wasn't it you who made him break it off to marry you?"

"If you've seduced Lawrence, does that make Mr. Rodriguez here your kept man? As a jewelry company CEO, do you think your colorful personal life will affect your business? Do you admit to being the other woman, stepping into the relationship between your sister and Lawrence?"

The reporters were relentless, their provocative questions amplified by their microphones, putting Winnie in an embarrassing spot. Inside the mall, several female customers who had bought jewelry were looking over, surprised by the uproar.

Incited, Winnie's temper ignited. This sort of slanderous provocation, who could be the mastermind behind it other than Ishara. A cold glint flickered in Winnie's eyes as she swiftly deduced Ishara's motive, surmising her intentions with near certainty.

She was being pressured, and the end game was clear. It all led back to Lawrence.

Somehow, she couldn't help but wonder if among the reporters, there were any publicists from Lawrence's side, deliberately here to smear her and Rock.

"Winnie!" Rock rushed over, shielding her with his body in a protective manner.

His broad frame stood between her and the journalists, his voice hushed, "It doesn't matter what they say about me. Don't respond to any part about me. Less said, less wrong. But, the rumors about you seducing Lawrence need to be cleared up. If not, that label won't easily peel off, and it could harm Triton's business."

Rock had long suspected that Ishara was intentionally causing trouble for Winnie. He knew the photo was Ishara's doing.

Winnie recognized his manufactured anguish. Knowing her directness, there was no doubt she'd address the reporters head-on, refusing to let him be smeared with accusations of being a kept man.

Rock, with a relaxed smile playing at the corners of his mouth, suggested, "Why not set the record straight in front of these reporters? Salvaging your reputation should be your priority."

Sure enough, Winnie nodded. She stepped halfway out from behind him, her gaze piercing as she locked eyes with the glaring camera flashes, and raised her voice, "I won't take offense at the harsh words of you journalists. Who hired you as paid posters? You know it yourselves. Regarding seducing Lawrence? Baseless."