?Chapter 207:


    Ste skimmed down to the bottom of the page, her gaze catching the flood of onlinements.


    “Didn’t I see this woman at a nightclub once? She was charging five grand a night. Not exactly cheap.”


    “If I were her husband, I’d lock her up and toss the key!”


    “William Briggs, interested in her? That’s utterly absurd. She’s delusional. William Briggs is not running a charity, let alone a recycling center.”


    The online bacsh came from every direction—men and women alike, piling on with barely a voice questioning the rumors’ truth.


    In the story the media spun, the men’s roles were scrubbed clean, leaving Ste alone as the viin in the spotlight.


    It didn’t take her long to guess who’d orchestrated the smear campaign. Only one person stood to benefit from twisting the narrative so viciously—Haley. No one else came to mind.


    Her phone buzzed again with another call from Sharon. “Stel, did you see what’s going on? What are you going to do about it? The story’s everywhere now. Even if you don’t care about your own reputation, think about your job—and your boss. I heard Haley’s holding a press conference this afternoon to drag this out even further.”


    Ste blinked, momentarily thrown. Haley had the nerve to call a press conference? Was she really so fearless—or just reckless?


    Apparently,st time hadn’t taught her anything.


    “If Haley wants to go onstage and make things up, let her,” Ste said, a slow, dangerous smile curving her lips. “I’m actually curious to see what kind of story she’ll spin this time. But you’re right, Sharon. I shouldn’t just sit back and let her drag my name through the mud. Trust me—I know exactly how to deal with her. Don’t worry about me.”


    Sharon said, “What do you need? I’ll help you.”


    Ste said, “No, it’s fine. I’ll handle it myself. I have to get to work now—we’ll talkter, okay?”


    After ending the call, Ste made her way to the director’s office. “Mr. Hoffman, I’d like to request some time off this afternoon,” she said as she pushed open the door. “There’s something personal I need to take care of—”


    Find your next story at g?lnσν????s．??o??


    But the moment she stepped in, she froze. William was already inside, seated across from Paul.


    Realizing she’d interrupted, Ste quickly apologized. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know you were in a meeting. I’lle backter.”


    She backed out of the room, and only a few minutester, William stepped out.


    Ste waited a moment before re-entering and exined her leave request.


    Given the way things had exploded online, Paul clearly already knew what she was dealing with. He didn’t hesitate. “Go ahead and take the time, Sylvia. Just be careful with how you handle it—this involves your future. If there’s anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask. Your identity is legitimate. Don’t let anyone shake your confidence.” His calm support hit Ste harder than she expected. Her throat tightened a little.


    .


    .


    .