Chapter 209

"What's the matter?"

Evelyn felt uneasy under her colleague's intense stare. Julian's expression sent chills down her spine.

"See for yourself!" At a loss for words, Julian shoved his laptop toward Evelyn.

Still confused, she took the device and scanned the screen.

Her coworker leaned in closer, eyes glued to the display.

By now, every young adult in the country must have seen the viral news.

The headline alone proved Lillian Prescott's celebrity status.

"Shocking! Married Man Spotted Leaving Lillian Prescott's Mansion After Midnight Affair!"

Just reading the headline made Evelyn's hands tremble.

She clicked through to the article, which featured a screenshot of a newly created Twitter account. The first post? A marriage certificate photo!

The account belonged to none other than Maxwell Lockwood.

Evelyn's full name, birthdate, and photo were clearly visible on the document.

Her colleague immediately pulled out her phone and searched for the verified Twitter account mentioned in the article.

"Your husband owns that downtown bar, right Evelyn?" The question hung in the air.

Evelyn didn't respond. Her vision blurred as she devoured every word of the scandalous piece.

The thousand-word article painted a clear picture: last night, rising star Lillian Prescott had been driven home by Maxwell Lockwood.

Normally, a civilian like Maxwell wouldn't warrant paparazzi attention - except when caught with a famous actress after dark.

Another colleague burst into the office, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Evelyn! You're trending with Lillian Prescott!"

The woman beside Evelyn hesitated before asking, "You do know who Lillian Prescott is, right? Should I... fill you in?"

Evelyn nodded absently, her delicate brows furrowing deeper with each passing second.

The office fell silent. No one wanted to accidentally make things worse.

While celebrity gossip often contained exaggerations, there was usually some truth at its core.

Evelyn scrolled through the comments section.

Top comment from Lillian's fans: "Mr. Lockwood is clearly just a friend! I've studied micro-expressions - nothing inappropriate happened. Relax, everyone!"

This had thousands of upvotes, as if it were gospel truth.

Another comment pleaded: "Can we leave these civilians alone? If they know Lillian, they must be decent people."

Then came the trolls: "Face it - your precious Lillian got lonely and brought home some eye candy. The video speaks for itself!"

"Is this guy her sugar daddy?"

Some showed sympathy: "Ms. Sinclair is the real victim here. Her private life exposed, her marriage humiliated..."

"Posting their marriage certificate wasn't protective - it sacrificed her privacy to clear Lillian's name. Where do his loyalties really lie?"

A bombshell comment revealed: "Wake up, people! This 'bar owner' is actually Dominic Blackwood's cousin! He served prison time five years ago!"

"Typical celebrity - drawn to bad boys. Poor Ms. Sinclair..."

Evelyn slammed the laptop shut.

Julian quickly retrieved his device before it suffered further damage.

The office divided into two camps: Evelyn, the betrayed wife, and everyone else watching the drama unfold.

Evelyn pulled out her phone and dialed Maxwell - an unusual move for her. The line was busy.

Meanwhile, her phone buzzed incessantly with messages from curious colleagues and acquaintances. Only Olivia and Abigail seemed genuinely concerned.

Giving up on the call, she texted Maxwell: [Delete our marriage certificate immediately! You've violated my privacy!]

Across town...

Sophia Montgomery was leaving when Victoria grabbed her wrist. "Where are you going? Don't you have money for your mother?"

Sophia glared at the woman before tossing two twenties by the door. "That's all I have! Maybe sell this place and move back to the countryside!"

Victoria pocketed the cash, muttering about it not being enough, and retreated inside.

Sophia stood fuming for several minutes before storming out.

She'd seen the headlines.

'Evelyn married to Maxwell Lockwood? The man she slept with? How dare she!'

While waiting for her ride, she fired off a text to Maxwell: [We need to meet. Or you'll regret it!]

His icy reply came quickly: [Have you lost your mind?]

[Not at all. Evelyn's my sister. I know all her dirty little secrets. Unless you want me sharing them with the press... or creating my own Twitter account?] Sophia threatened.