บท 10: End the game.
By evening, the news of the infamous artist and the renowned judge's scandal exploded across every media outlet. The situation had escalated to fever pitch. Maria's company scrambled to hold a public relations event to address the swirling rumors, but the damage was already done. Simon, the judge embroiled in the controversy, held his own press conference, which aired on every news channel.
As cameras flashed and reporters jockeyed for position, Simon addressed the media with a feigned air of innocence. "If you all know me, then you should be aware of my reputation. I am happily married with three children, almost the age of Maria. I was not aware that the building was a restricted antique government property. Ms. Maria should know this, as she was the one who held a meeting over that place. She called me to show her designs in private and tried to bribe me. When I refused, she insisted that at least I should drink with her as compensation for not favoring her at the awards function. I sat for a moment, and after the drink, I felt dizzy and lost my consciousness. I don't remember the aftermath."
With that, he ended the press conference, leaving a storm of questions in his wake. The fallout was severe. Simon found himself on the verge of disqualification from his post as judge for the esteemed annual award show. Desperate to clear his name, he realized he had no choice but to sabotage Maria.
As news of Maria's alleged seduction surfaced, her reputation crumbled in an instant. She was eliminated from consideration faster than anyone could react, and she was nowhere to be found. Frantic, Maria called Cain repeatedly, desperate to justify the allegations that threatened to destroy her. She scoured his social media, her heart racing when she saw a post that read: "I am currently not in Asheville." But Cain was in City S when the incident occurred, and the post further stated that he had no connection to the scandal.
Maria trembled with disbelief. "Why would Cain do this?" she muttered, shaking her head vigorously. "This can't be true. He was right with me! We had meals together!" Panic surged within her as an idea struck. She had to return to the scene and find evidence to clear her name. But her assistant quickly dismissed her, fear etched on his face.
"Maria, the media and paparazzi are searching for you! One wrong move, and you'll be in even deeper trouble. We need to handle this carefully," he urged.
Faced with this dead end, Maria felt herself spiraling into madness. With no evidence on her side, she was trapped.
Meanwhile, Claire stood by the poolside, a coffee in hand, her thoughts clouded by Cain's words. She faced a choice: to give him another chance or to make him pay for what he did. She felt a deep sense of betrayal but couldn't shake the love she still harbored for him. What had begun as a desire for revenge now felt muddled. She loved him but equally despised him. After a moment of internal conflict, she resolved to see how things played out—after all, she had nothing to lose.
Just as Claire immersed herself in thought, a maid named Linda dashed toward her, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Claire! Come quickly!" she urged, dragging Claire along to the hallway.
"Sit down and watch the TV!" Linda exclaimed, excitement bubbling over.
As Claire took her seat on the couch, her gaze fell on the screen, and chaos greeted her. Linda flipped through channels, but every single one repeated the same headlines about Maria's downfall. Claire felt a wave of disbelief wash over her. Emotions surged within her—confusion, anger, and a strange sense of satisfaction mixed together. She was dumbfounded to see Maria being publicly insulted.
For a fleeting moment, Claire wondered if Cain had orchestrated this to avenge her, but she quickly dismissed the thought. "He would never do something so cruel to Maria, would he?" she said, bitterness creeping into her voice. "Why would Cain sacrifice Maria just to avenge me?"
Before she could voice her thoughts further, Linda showed her a post where Cain explicitly denied accompanying Maria to the event. There was not a single post from Cain to defend her.
Claire's jaw dropped, the air leaving her lungs as she processed the turn of events. A knot tightened in her stomach as the reality sunk in. Just when she thought she was grasping the situation, her phone rang, displaying Cain's name on the screen.
With trembling hands, she hesitated, caught between fury and longing. What did he want? The temptation to pick up gnawed at her, yet she was terrified of what he might say. Would he try to explain? Would he deny everything?
"Just answer it," Linda urged, her eyes wide with anticipation.
With a heavy heart, Claire swiped to answer. "Hello?" she breathed, her voice steadier than she felt.
"Claire," Cain's voice was low and strained, the familiarity sending shivers down her spine. "I Miss you…"
"Wha–? Cain?" She interrupted, her emotions boiling over.
There was a pause, and Claire could hear the sound of his breathing on the other end. "I said I miss you, Claire. I'll book a ticket for you right now. Pack your important stuff and come to S City."
This confused Claire to the core; what is he even thinking?
As she was about to say something, Cain exclaimed, "AH! There you go, flight booked; be in the airport within half an hour, and Mike will come to pick you up."
"But Cain, I just saw the news about Maria. Aren't you going to help her?"
"Huh? Claire you know what as a top ranking businessman, I could deal with anything but a women's mind, I support her you get angry, i do not get involved in her matter you question me. Ah Claire, Claire! It's high time we focused on us. So now for time being, let's do that about Maria. She's a grownup; she'll have her way to handle things."
Without waiting for a response, he hung up, her heart pounding in her chest. The weight of confusion threatened to crush her, and she felt lost in a storm of emotions.
As she sat in silence, staring blankly at the screen, she couldn't shake the feeling that Cain was doing this. "They say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but when Cain did revenge, it burned you alive inside and out."
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