Chapter 283

 283:
The crowd fell silent. A murmur broke through the hush. “Linsey? The designer accused of plagiarizing Kylee’s dress?”
At the mention of her name, Coen’s expression shifted. Reality clicked into place.
His demeanor changed in an instant. He quickly moved to a quieter corner, lowering his voice. “Linsey, why are you calling me right now? Are you trying to drag me into this online mess too?”
Coen had always appeared friendly when around Linsey.
Yet now, his tone was sharply disdainful.
Linsey felt a chill as she sensed the change in his demeanor.
Confronting him, she said, “Coen, you promised to manage the online rumors. I gave you all the proof—why haven’t you cleared my name? You’ve just let the slandering continue!”
Coen had braced for this confrontation.
But he wasn’t about to confess. Wearing a smile, he feigned confusion. “Linsey, I don’t know what you’re getting at. Your plagiarism issue—how is that related to me?”
Stunned by his response, Linsey momentarily faltered.
She quickly recovered and responded, “Coen, what are you saying? You assured me you’d help. You even told me to rest at home these past days.”
Coen erupted into scornful laughter. “Linsey, it’s astounding how naive you are. Did you actually think I’d help someone like you? That landing Anthea’s order would elevate your standing here?”
Linsey was taken aback. “That wasn’t my intention at all.”
Before she could elaborate, Coen cut her off with a cold interjection. “Let’s be clear, Linsey—you’re fired. Tarnished by a plagiarism scandal, finding another respectable job will be a challenge. It’s best you stay out of trouble.”
Fresh updates available at ɢ@lnσνeℓs․com
At that moment, the full extent of Coen’s betrayal hit Linsey.
Her fists clenched, and she demanded, “Why did you lie to me?”
Coen laughed, a hint of mockery in his tone. “You’re asking me this? You’ve compromised our company’s reputation. Not taking further action against you is already more than fair—you should feel grateful.”
He paused, then chuckled once more. “Face it, Linsey. You’ve upset the wrong people. It’s best you walk away now while you still can, unless you want things to escalate.”
With that, he hung up abruptly.
Reflecting on Linsey’s predicament, Coen felt no sympathy for her.
To him, betraying Linsey was merely a step toward his own success.
Promotions and raises were now vividly within his reach.
Humming to himself, Coen headed back to the private room, eager to celebrate the night away. Unbeknownst to him, the moment he decided to betray Linsey, his own fate had been sealed.
On the other side, Linsey gritted her teeth in frustration as Coen disconnected the call.
She should have known better. Coen was never trustworthy.
The evidence she had handed over to him was probably destroyed by now.
Yet, she refused to give in to despair.
No matter the obstacles, she was certain of one thing—Collin was on her side.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Linsey attempted to call Collin but received no response.
.
.
.