Chapter 359

 359:
At that moment, Linsey stared at Collin in astonishment. She reached out hesitantly, touching his arm gently. In a hushed voice, she questioned him, “Collin, is everything here genuine?”
He surely wouldn’t resort to displaying counterfeit items just to impress her old classmates, would he?
Collin’s eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement as he listened to her concerns. “Absolutely. You needn’t worry—I’ll ensure no one embarrasses or torments you ever again.”
Linsey was even more puzzled. “Have you uncovered something?”
It made sense now why Collin had arrived so punctually tonight, bearing numerous gifts.
As Linsey’s demeanor shifted with realization, Collin quizzically lifted an eyebrow and softly asked, “Why the confusion? You did invite me to your reunion, didn’t you?”
Her mind reeled in confusion. “What? I’m not following. When did I invite you?” Given Collin’s mobility challenges, she had never expected him to make such an effort for a mere reunion. It was just a normal gathering of former college classmates.
Collin’s brow furrowed as he immediately detected something amiss. His tone lowered. “You sent me a text an hour ago.”
“A text?” Linsey was shocked. “I haven’t glanced at my phone all evening.” Laughing off her bewilderment, Linsey retrieved her phone and joked, “Surely I didn’t text you while asleep?”
She scrolled through her device and then showed Collin the screen. “Look. There’s nothing. No texts.”
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Collin’s face grew stern. Silently, he took out his phone and displayed the message.
It read, “I’m in trouble! Come quickly!”
Listed below were the address and private room details for the Freyview Grand Hotel.
Linsey was completely taken aback. She checked Collin’s phone and then her own once more.
“No way. I swear, I didn’t send that,” Linsey said. Collin’s voice was calm yet assertive. “I came here quickly because of that message. I needed to ensure you were okay.”
It was clear now—this had been orchestrated by someone.
Linsey pieced everything together and quickly suspected Beth.
Turning to Beth, Linsey confronted her, her tone icy. “Beth, why would you do this?”
Beth, caught off guard, winced. Her expression betrayed her panic. “What do you mean? I haven’t done anything! Linsey, don’t be so cocky!”
Murmurs began to circulate among the onlookers.
“Linsey, what’s happening?”
With a frosty demeanor, Linsey rose to her feet, her voice tinged with scorn. “Cocky? Look who’s causing trouble tonight. Beth, using my phone to send fraudulent messages takes real nerve.”
Beth’s face drained of color as her voice climbed in a frantic pitch. “What absurdity is this? I don’t know what you’re talking about! You can’t just blame me without any evidence! Perhaps your phone sent the message by itself. What does this have to do with me?”
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