?Chapter 661:


    Carole, secretly pleased with the shift in focus, found it was still not enough. She reached for a contact she had never called before.


    “Hello? Who’s this?” came the response, a woman’s voice, irritated and tinged with sadness.


    “Miss Gordon, are you aware of the buzz online? Do you dislike Ellie?” Carole said, her toneced with cunning. “With everything happening, don’t you think Ellie deserves to face more trouble? Shouldn’t some information be shared with the public?”


    Meanwhile, Darrell, lost in his sorrow, was in his room when he heard a knock at the door. He opened it, hoping it was Carole, only to find Baylee standing there instead.


    “Surprised to see me, Darrell?” Baylee noticed the fleeting joy on his face quickly fade.


    “Did you think it was Carole?” she asked.


    Darrell’s expression hardened. “I have nothing to say to you. That incident wasn’t my doing.”


    “Was it Carole, then?” Baylee asked, dropping Carole’s name.


    Darrell’s reaction was immediate—shock shed across his face, as if he wondered, “How did you find out?” Yet, he remained silent.


    “Darrell, think about the consequences you’re willing to face and those you’re not. Ellie let you off because she knew you weren’t the mastermind. I didn’t approach you directly because there was no point. And Kaiden? He’s ignored you because you’re not on his radar. But what about your family?”


    Darrell’s body tensed. “What are you getting at?”


    “You know exactly what I’m saying,” Baylee replied. “You go to great lengths to protect Carole, but do you think she’d do the same for you?”


    “I have no idea what you mean!” Darrell retorted.


    Both Baylee and Darrell knew Carole was likely behind it all, but the proof remained elusive.


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    “Is this the path you’ve chosen?” Baylee nced at him briefly, her tone uninterested.


    “Maybe your parents should have considered a n B,” she added, her words dripping with a sense of resignation.


    It seemed the Vargas family was bound to fail with Darrell in charge. Baylee wasn’t optimistic about getting through to him.


    Carole had been unusually calm today, leaving no clues behind and even setting up a fall guy from the beginning. Even if they proved Carole’s involvement, it wouldn’t undo the damage to Ellie’s reputation.


    Baylee’s reason for confronting Darrell was clear but crucial. In the best case, Darrell would call out Carole for his family’s sake. In the worst case, he would stop putting Carole on a pedestal, which would at least make things easier for Ellie.


    As for the Vargas family’s innocence? If they were ready to take the fall, they had to y the part.


    Kaiden contacted Jerome to ensure that all photos, topics, andments were erased. By evening, the online chatter had quieted down. But then, a video surfaced.


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