Jerrold recoiled, visibly repulsed, and gently removed her hands.

"Boohoo... How can you dislike me? My heart is broken."

"Aunt Effie, you're a lady. Maintain some decorum." Jerrold added with solemnity, “Of course, a boy should maintain his reserve. Only my mommy can kiss me."

Effie burst into laughter, finding Jerrold's demeanor akin to that of an adult. She teasingly pinched his cheek. "You're simply devoted to your mother."

Observing their playful banter, Lilah smiled. “How's your shooting progressing?" she inquired of Effie.

“Everything's going smoothly. I've realized one important thing during filming."

"What is it?"

Effie's eyes sparkled with admiration. “A Fond Dream is truly a genius. How could the writer craft such a magnificent script? I've read it repeatedly and never tire of it. Every time I finish, I discover something new. Oh! An erudite man in literature is undeniably appealing."

Lilah interrupted, "Wait! How do you know A Fond Dream is a man?"

“Everyone says so." Effie shared her convictions earnestly. "Most of the gifted scriptwriters are men. Despite my reluctance to admit it, men's ideas tend to be broader than women's. Moreover, A Fond Dream's script is so impeccable that everyone assumes the writer is a man."

"What if the writer were a woman?"

“Then, she'd be my goddess. If only I could get her autograph,”

Effie sighed wistfully. "Unfortunately, A Fond Dream prefers to stay low-key."

Lilah smiled, pleasantly surprised by Effie's admiration. She hadn't expected Effie to become her fan.

Engaging in a brief conversation, Effie suddenly glanced at her phone, swearing under her breath, “Damn it! They're shameless.”

"What's wrong?" Lilah inquired, curious if Tess had caused trouble again.

Passing her phone to Lilah, Effie exclaimed, “Someone claimed Laura is pregnant with Gerard's baby. How ridiculous! How could netizens believe such nonsense? I'm speechless."

Lilah hadn't expected Laura to bring the matter to Twitter trends.

She also discerned that the Harris family refused to yield when faced with the Rhodes family's threat, prompting them to expose it to the public as a countermeasure.

Lilah frankly discussed Laura's prior conversation with Effie.

Effie's annoyance was palpable; she wished she could confront Laura face-to-face.

“She's trying to coerce my brother into marriage with the baby? She's in for a rude awakening. I won't allow it." Effie was incensed.

“Thinking our family can be undermined by mere rumors, huh?"

Lilah scrolled through the comments, her eyes darkening with anger as she noticed the majority of netizens cursing Gerard as a scumbag.