Chapter 21
In Northriver, Jonah was furiously scolding his secretary. “I already told you to have PR delete the negative comments. Why is there still so much online hate and gossip about Pearl?”
The secretary responded cautiously, “Mr. Lawrence, the more we delete, the more upset the people become. They’re saying Ms. Hamilton is guilty and trying to manipulate public opinion behind the scenes.”
Jonah’s fists clenched so tightly that they nearly cracked. “Then, I’ll clear it up myself! I’ll tell everyone that Pearl and I were legally married!”
“Mr. Lawrence, if you do that, I’m afraid it might damage both yours and Ms. Shaw’s public image.
“So be it…”
Jonah rubbed his forehead. He dared not imagine how heartbroken Pearl had to be, watching all the malicious rumors spread online.
“Arrange a trip for me to Geona, Nyora, now!”
At a time like this, he had to find a way to be by Pearl’s side.
Before the secretary could respond, his personal assistant burst in through the door, forgetting to even knock.
“Mr. Lawrence! We found it!” the assistant announced breathlessly. “We found out who released the photos and who’s been secretly stirring up public outrage all this while!”
Jonah grabbed the stack of documents from him. After one glance, he immediately slammed the stack of papers on the desk with a fit of rage.
Cecelia Shaw! It was Cecelia all along!
Jonah had never imagined there would come a day when he’d confront Cecelia on a rooftop. The wind roared around them.
Cecelia stood there in a loose sweater, beaming with joy when she saw him. “Jonah, you finally remembered to come see me! I set up a little picnic table here. Let’s watch the fireworks together tonight, okay?”
Jonah’s face was cold, and he subtly dodged when Cecelia tried to get close.
“If I hadn’t come today, would you have continued cyberbullying Pearl?” Jonah’s gaze turned dark and murderous.
Cecelia’s expression turned to one of disbelief. She tried to force herself to stay calm. “Jonah… What are you talking about? I don’t understand…”
“Take a good look!” Jonah threw the stack of papers in her face.
Every post, every rumor, all of them traced back to her IP address.
“Jonah… I… I only posted a couple of photos. I didn’t expect the Internet to blow it out of proportion.”
Even while begging for mercy, Cecelia’s tone still carried a sense of entitlement and self–righteousness.
“If you won’t admit what you’ve done, then don’t blame me for going public with the truth.”
With that, he turned to leave.
However, Cecelia suddenly grabbed him from behind. “Jonah! You can’t do this! Being an influencer is my livelihood. If you clear Pearl’s name, then I will become the one labeled a homewrecker!”
“Se, you do know how brutal online hate can be, huh?” Jonah’s voice turned icy. “Then, why did you employ this kind of tactic to hurt Pearl?”
“Jonah! I was wrong! Please don’t expose me. Pearl is in Nyora now. None of the online rumors will affect her! But being an influencer is my career. If you expose me publicly, I’ll lose everything!”
Jonah looked at Cecelia as if he no longer recognized her.
The Cecelia in his memories was rational and carefree, but the one standing before him now was dripping with malice.
He furrowed his brows and said, “All you talk about is your career. Does Pearl’s career mean nothing? Tomorrow, I’ll utilize every resource my company has and hold a press conference to clear Pearl’s name personally.”
His voice was firm, leaving no room for negotiation.
Realizing he meant it, Cecelia gritted her teeth. Then, she ran to the edge of the rooftop and stepped over the railing. “Jonah Lawrence! On the day you welcomed me back to Ethria, you said you’d protect me!”
Her voice cracked with desperation, and Jonah finally stopped walking.
Cecelia thought her dramatic gesture had worked. She smiled, fully ready to leap into his arms.
However, Jonah’s next words froze her blood cold.
“you shouldn’t have hurt Pearl. Because you did, whatever feelings I once had for you are now completely gone.”
“Jonah! Are you serious?” Tears streamed down her face. She raised her voice and threatened, “If you really go public with this, I’ll jump! I swear!”
