Chapter 282

 282:
He had told Jude to call Cynthia as a test. He hadn’t expected to hear Kylee on the other end of the line.
So she was the one pulling all the strings.
Collin watched as Jude disappeared into the distance, his steps steady but unhurried. Collin’s assistant approached, his voice low. “Mr. Riley, should we have someone follow him? I’m worried he might use the chaos to slip away.”
“No need,” said Collin, his tone even.
Jude wouldn’t dare cross him, not with what he had on him.
The assistant gave a slight nod but didn’t leave right away.
After a moment, Collin asked, “How’s Linsey?” His voice was firm, but a trace of concern slipped through.
After everything she had been through, she must be shaken.
Just thinking about it made his chest tighten.
He wondered how she was coping with it.
“Mrs. Riley returned safely to Vista Villa,” the assistant reported. “But she’s worried about you. She’s called several times already.”
Collin’s expression darkened in an instant. His brows drew together, urgency sparking in his eyes. “Why wasn’t I told sooner?” His voice was sharp as he turned to face his assistant. “Turn the car around. We’re going back.”
“Yes, sir.” The assistant signaled the driver immediately.
The assistant barely registered the movement. His boss’s mind was already at Vista Villa. Nothing mattered more than Linsey.
From now on, anything involving her had to be reported first. No exceptions.
As soon as Linsey stepped into Vista Villa, she grabbed her phone and logged into Twitter to check the latest updates.
s live now at ɢⱯ𝓵𝓷σ𝓿𝓮𝓵𝓼.cоm
Her stomach dropped. CR Corporation hadn’t issued a single statement to clarify the situation.
Worse, her old account was gone.
Without an official response, the plagiarism scandal had only grown worse, spreading like wildfire.
Linsey stared at the screen, frozen. She never imagined things would spiral out of control like this.
Taking a steadying breath, she dialed Coen’s number.
It rang endlessly before he finally picked up.
Loud background noise spilled through the receiver—music blaring, people laughing, the unmistakable clamor of a bar.
“Who’s this?” Coen’s voice was thick with alcohol. “Can’t you tell I’m busy? Whatever it is, talk to me tomorrow.”
“It’s me,” she said.
He didn’t recognize her right away.
But the people around him did.
“Oh? Sounds like a lady,” someone teased. “Coen, you always say you’re single, but looks like you’ve been holding out on us! Why don’t you bring her over and introduce her?”
Coen frowned, waving them off. “Come on, quit messing around. I know too many socialites to keep track of every woman I meet.” The crowd erupted in laughter.
“Careful, Coen, you don’t want to hurt the lady’s feelings!” someone chimed in.
Linsey hadn’t expected him to be surrounded by people, but she didn’t care. Her voice stayed cold and firm. “Coen, it’s me. Linsey.”
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