Chapter 82

Yet,Lainey had forgotten that the Internet had a long memory.

After a few days of cheering and hype, Enigma's fans finally cooled off and started piecing the whole mess together.

That was when it hit them that Lainey had played a huge part in their blunder.

If it weren't for her vague, misleading words, they would never have mistaken her for Enigma in the first place.

Once that realization settled in, the fans didn't even need to sayit aloud. One by one, they slid into private group chats, ready to launch a counterattack.

This time, they wanted revenge.

"Anyone got dirt on Lainey Todd? Let's dig everything up."

"Didn't she brag about being a Gilbert? Please. The Gilberts aren't even relevant in Elepdon."

"Forget that. What about her number and address?Who can leak them?" Within thirty minutes, her phone number, home address, and even her usual hangouts, the cafés, malls,and everything in between,were plastered online for anyone to see.

Not long after, Nolan threw fuel on the fire by publicly cutting ties between the Todd and the Gilbert families,making it clear that his loyalty stood firmly with Enigma.

On the other side, Lainey was relaxing with a face mask on, casually watching a drama.

Suddenly, her phone lit up with a message from an unknown number. "Bitch, thief. Just die already."

Right after that, her phone went haywire, buzzing nonstop as the flood of messages turned into a full-blown onslaught.

"Ah!" Lainey shrieked, clutching her ears before hurling the phone against the wall.

How could people be so vile?

They had leaked her personal number as if she were the villain.

It wasn't her fault they jumped to conclusions!

She had never once confirmed she was Enigma. Why should she be punished for their stupidity?

Damn it all! They deserved every curse she could think of.

But the blow that shook her the hardest was Nolan's public declaration. By siding with Eleanor, he ended all cooperation with the Gilbert family and divested the Todd Group.

Lainey was freaking out. What was she supposed to do now?

Jonny would be livid.

And right on cue, the door opened, and there he was.

His stare was sharp enough to cut and heavy enough to crush her.

Lainey's legs turned to water. She wanted to run to him,to explain, but her body wouldn't move.

All she managed was a shaky whisper. "Jonny..."

Jonny walked up to her, step by step, and then slapped her hard across the face. "You worthless woman! Why don't you just die? Plagiarism was bad enough,but now the whole thing's out of control. Do you see what you've done? We and the Gilbert family are finished because of you. Divorce! I want you out!" Divorce?

The word stabbed her like a knife. She couldn't afford that, not now, not ever.

Tears streamed down as she clung to his wrist in desperation. "I only did it for you, for this family! Tell me,what did I do so wrong?"

But Jonny's patience was gone.

With another vicious slap, he knocked her to the floor and barked at the maids, "Lock her in her room. She doesn't step out unless I say so."

Lainey kicked and fought weakly, but the maids easily dragged her away.

Jonny tugged at his tie in frustration, regret washing over him.

How could he have been so blind? Eleanor. The woman he had dismissed as plain and docile had been Enigma all along-the genius designer the entire industry revered.

And him?

He had chosen Lainey instead, a woman who turned out to be nothing but a shallow pretender.

If Eleanor were still with him, if he hadn't signed those divorce papers... he wouldn't just be her ex-husband -he would be the husband of Enigma.

The Todd Group would never have been pushed to the edge of bankruptcy.

They wouldn't be mocked and toyed with by Nolan,who invested one day and pulled out the next.

No,he couldn't let it end this way.

He had to get Eleanor back, no matter what it took.

She had loved him for three years; those feelings couldn't have been fake. If he humbled himself, if he begged,surely she would forgive him.

With trembling fingers, he pulled up Eleanor's number and hit dial.

But every time, the same cold recording answered,"The number you've dialed is no longer in service."

After trying again and again, he finally sank onto the sofa,hollow and stunned.

Of course.

With Nolan by her side now, why would she ever look back?

But no matter what it took, Eleanor had to be his again. If persuasion failed, he wasn't above taking a darker path.

But for now, he had no move to play.