?Chapter 194:


    Sadie paused, touched by By’s earnestness but wary. “I’m sorry, I don’t take students.”


    By, a bit taken aback, quickly recovered. “I’ll keep striving!”


    Suddenly, photographers swarmed, their cameras shing, capturing the exchange. Once the media had moved on, Sadie declined the staff’s invitation to linger and exited the bustling venue by herself.


    As she stepped outside, a cool evening breeze hinted at theing autumn, prompting her to wrap her coat more snugly around herself. Having not seen Alex for several days, she contemted calling him but then hesitated, wondering if he might be too busy, and ultimately decided not to.


    Fatigue crept up on her as she massaged her temples. Pulling out her phone, she nced at the time. It was already time to fetch Averi from school.


    At the entrance of the kindergarten, the air buzzed with the lively chatter of children.


    Upon seeing Sadie, Averi dashed towards her with glee, leaping into her embrace. “Mom!”


    Sadie crouched down, picked Averi up, and kissed his cheek gently. “How was your day at kindergarten?”


    Averi swelled with pride and responded, “Fantastic! My teacher told me my drawing has improved!” Sadie’s face lit up with a tender smile.


    Together, they strolled back to their home, hand in hand. After they finished eating, Sadie spent some time ying games with Averi before reading him a bedtime story. Listening to Sadie’s calming voice, Averi slowly drifted off to sleep. She gently tucked him in and left a kiss on his forehead. After turning off the light, she quietly left the room.


    The night had deepened, and silence nketed the world beyond the window. The sharp ring of the phone abruptly woke Sadie the following morning. Her phone on the nightstand showed “Tina” on the disy.


    She wiped her sleepy eyes and picked up.


    Fresh updates now on g?lnσνe??s


    “Sadie, are you aware of thetest headlines?”


    “What headlines?”


    “About you and By! Photos of you receiving her gift have surfaced, sparking rumors online that you favored her unfairly!” Alertness reced Sadie’s sleepiness in an instant.


    A gift from By? usations of favoritism?


    She leapt out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor, and strode to the window to yank back the curtains. The bright morning sun was piercing, yet it paled inparison to the turmoil brewing within her.


    A heavy feeling settled in Sadie’s chest as she realized the implications. “I’m on it now.”


    Ending the call, Sadie quickly grabbed her phone to check the headlines. The hashtag #SadieHudson&ByQuimby dominated the trending topics.


    She clicked on the link, and her screen filled with articles and the incriminating photo of her receiving the gift from By. The photo was taken from a maniptive angle, implying a secretive exchange. Thement section was a turmoil of spection and condemnation.


    “I knew it looked too perfect! How else could By’s design have stood out so much?”


    “What did Sadie get for this? She’s too audacious!”


    “I thought Sadie was above this, but she’s just like any otherpromised designer!”


    Sadie browsed thements with a sinking heart and a hardening expression. She exited the news app and dialed her assistant.


    “Pierre, we need to get to the bottom of this. Find the source of those photos. Someone’s orchestrating this chaos.”


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