Chapter 274

"Uncle Lee, I'm abroad right now and can't handle things personally. I deeply appreciate what you've done for me." Isabella Winslow's voice dripped with calculated sweetness through the phone.

Hugo Lee narrowed his eyes, fingers tapping the desk. "You flatter me, Miss Winslow. This old man only has so much use left."

"Don't be modest." She gave a light laugh. "There's another small favor I'd like to ask. Compensation won't be an issue."

The rustling of papers sounded from the other end.

"Evelyn Sinclair?" Hugo feigned ignorance.

"You always understand me." Isabella's tone turned icy. "Help me with this, and Melissa's situation will be taken care of."

Hugo's breath hitched audibly.

"You know who backs me." Her words carried a veiled threat. "This trivial matter only requires a single word from you."

......

That night, Evelyn's interview video exploded across the internet.

The hashtag #EvelynSinclairsDivineBeauty rocketed to the top of trending lists at staggering speed.

[Her looks put every celebrity to shame]

[Isabella looks like a maid next to her]

[Only a blind man would choose anyone over her]

Amid the flood of praise, several jarring comments stood out:

[That's clearly a plastic surgery face]

[Professional homewrecker]

Kingsley Group's conference room. Ethan Miller cautiously presented his phone. "Lord Alex, your wife is trending."

Alexander Kingsley's gaze darkened as he scanned the screen. "Why are these pests still crawling around?"

Ethan's back stiffened.

"Comments three, five, and seven." Alexander tapped the display with elegant fingers. "Must I teach you how to dispose of garbage?"

"I'll handle it immediately." Beads of sweat formed on Ethan's forehead.

"Wait." Alexander stopped him. "Screenshot every compliment about her."

Ethan paused. "...Understood."

......

The next morning at Horizon Media's executive meeting.

Vincent Sullivan slid a proposal toward Hugo. "Evelyn's metrics are outstanding. I recommend launching a personal column for her."

Hugo responded with a cold laugh, slamming down a stack of documents. "Outstanding? Look at these negative search results!"

The room fell silent.

"Her approval ratio is dangerously low." Hugo rapped the table. "Who takes responsibility if she crashes after we invest resources?"

Vincent frowned while reviewing the data, his expression growing grave.

News spread through the company like wildfire.

"Evelyn, look at this!" Iris Cooper stomped in frustration, shoving her phone forward.

A coordinated smear campaign had erupted across platforms, all using the code name "Journalism's Little Rain" to depict Evelyn's alleged sexual exploits.

The most outrageous claim stated:

[At sixteen, Little Rain already knew to unbutton her blouse to the third button in teachers' offices]