Chapter 179

Katelyn's scandal dominated the social media platforms, and it was all anyone in Shoildon could talk about.

Of course, Danica had come across the posts as well.

As she scrolled through the articles, her eyes widened,and a sudden wave of self-mockery washed over her.

Could this really be who Katelyn was?

Had she been foolish enough to fall for someone like that?

The realization struck Danica hard-she had misjudged Katelyn completely, and shame burned in her chest.

The more she thought about it, the more she doubted everything Katelyn had ever told her. Even her claim about being Evelyn now seemed suspicious.

As she recalled the bitter arguments she'd had with Verena because of Katelyn, guilt pressed heavily on her.

Danica admitted to herself that she had been reckless,too quick to latch onto empty words, too willing to be swayed by Katelyn's confidence. Now regret gnawed at her. She understood she had wrongly accused Verena, guided only by Katelyn's lies.

And she wondered just how deeply Verena must have been hurt back then.

Resolving to make it right, Danica told herself that once Verena returned, she would find the courage to apologize and ask for forgiveness. Otherwise, the weight of guilt would stay with her forever.

In the meantime, the backlash surrounding Katelyn kept growing louder, and when Kaia realized there was no indication of it dying down, unease crept over her.It felt as though she were standing right in the middle of a raging storm, unable to find shelter.

How could she not worry?

To her, Evelyn had never been just an idol. In a moment when Kaia had no direction in life, Evelyn's guidance had pushed her toward medicine,giving her a purpose and a dream to chase.

To Kaia, calling Evelyn her source of strength wasn't an exaggeration at all.

So when people started dragging Evelyn's name through the mud, Kaia refused to stay silent.

Not willing to watch her idol be insulted, she opened her laptop, switched to an alternate account, and slipped into a popular forum.

Her fingers tapped quickly across the keyboard as she wrote a post. "This whole mess just keeps getting better. Who would have thought Shoildon's high society could be tangled up in so much drama? First,everyone learned that Verena, the wife of the Bennett family's eldest son, was having an affair with an older man abroad. Then, almost immediately after,all the gossip about Katelyn's personal life exploded.At this point, whether those stories about Katelyn are true doesn't even matter anymore. It's obvious she's being pushed forward as the perfect scapegoat. In just a matter of hours, the attention shifted completely from Verena to Katelyn, leaving Verena untouched. That alone makes it seem very likely that the rumors about Verena are real."

The thread blew up almost instantly.

The first reply read, "This actually makes sense.Everyone's focus really has shifted. And honestly, the timing of the breaking of Katelyn's scandals is way too convenient."

Another user chimed in, "I agree. The original poster nailed it. Katelyn isn't even a celebrity, yet her so-called scandals came out one after another. It's obvious someone wanted to bury the story of Bennett Group CEO's wife." A third response followed. "The bigger question is who's pulling the strings-the Bennett family or Tobin Fairclough."

And then someone else added, "Does it even matter who? What's obvious is Verena has serious backing,and Katelyn ended up as the fall guy. Poor girl got dragged into something way over her head."

Bobby had only been half-paying attention to the drama, scrolling casually. But when he stumbled onto that thread, fury surged through him.

Snatching up his phone, he sent an angry comment."So now you're saying it doesn't matter whether Katelyn's stories are true? How does it not matter?What a joke. What do you want us to believe-that she's clean? Are you one of her paid trolls? Spare me and get lost!"

Kaia responded indifferently, "I'm just a random bystander throwing out guesses. Why are you so worked up? Unless Verena paid you to defend her?"

Back when Kaia followed Katelyn's scheme to drug Isaac, she slipped home right afterward, wanting to avoid any suspicion.

At her own home, she wasn't nearly as guarded as she had been at Seraphina Villas, leaving her bedroom door slightly open. Carrying a tray of fruit, Laura walked upstairs and nudged the door wider before setting the plate on a nearby table.

Her eyes caught Kaia's frantic typing, and curiosity made her glance at the glowing screen.

When she saw the forum post Kaia had written, Laura touched her shoulder lightly and said in a low, worried voice, "Why are you meddling in this? Isaac barely stopped pressing our family, and now you're poking the fire again. If this gets out and he decides to retaliate, our business will pay the price. Your dad won't forgive you for that."

Kaia barely reacted, her fingers still flying across the keyboard.

Laura studied her carefully but saw no hint of regret in her expression.

It was obvious Kaia still held deep resentment toward Verena.

By then, the rumor about Verena having an affair had spread like wildfire. Alec, when he heard it, only muttered a curse, called her a disgrace,and moved on.His attitude was detached, treating it as a nuisance that embarrassed him rather than a crisis worth addressing. Laura herself didn't make much of a fuss either,choosing instead to observe quietly while the drama grew.

What she failed to realize was how much Verena's past actions had scarred Kaia, leaving bitterness that lingered long after.

Still protective of Kaia, Laura softened her voice and said, "Verena's scandal is already big enough. The Bennett family won't let it slide, and neither will Isaac.You don't have to waste your energy trying to make her look worse."

When Kaia jumped in to defend Katelyn, Laura cut in coldly. "Katelyn's family has nothing to do with our business. Let them fight their own battles-we're better off just watching from the side."

The truth that Katelyn was Kaia's idol never crossed Laura's mind, and Kaia saw no reason to explain,choosing instead to keep scrolling through the comments.

Laura took Kaia's silence as agreement. Her eyes skimmed the posts about Verena, and a bitter laugh escaped her. "How did I end up having a daughter with no shame? If I'd known she'd turn out this way,I should've left her behind the day she was born. Then I wouldn't have to deal with her disobedience now." Kaia wasn't the only one who resented Verena. Laura's dislike was just as fierce.

She still remembered how, when she had humbled herself enough to ask Verena to come back home,Verena had treated her with nothing but cold distance.

That memory only made Laura's hatred sharper.

A mocking smile tugged at her lips as she added, "So she saved Barrie. And what of it? A scandal like this will bury her. Even if there were ten Barries, they wouldn't be enough to clear her name."

At that, Kaia's mouth curved in faint agreement.

Together, mother and daughter stared at the computer screen, their faces alight with expectation,as though they were waiting for Verena's downfall to unfold right before them.

Two days later in Clokron, Verena carried on with her daily checkups for Maxton. The rest over the last few days had worked wonders; the man looked far stronger than when he had first opened his eyes.His fatigue had faded, and even though his gaze was still clouded, it shone with renewed vitality.