Tilda raised an eyebrow. "Really? You think letting it go is the best idea?"

Corrine's tone took on a mischievous lilt. "Precisely. My new single drops next week, and honestly? This little scandal couldn't have come at a better time."

Tilda smirked, impressed by Corrine's ability to turn anything into an opportunity. "Okay, but what if it backfires? What if people associate your name with this and refuse to support you? Cancel culture is real, you know."

Corrine laughed. "Hey, it's the entertainment industry, Tilda. You should know better as a screenwriter. People Love a good story, and they'll follow whichever way the wind blows. Give it time-I'll spin this into something great."

Tilda listened to Corrine's confident words, a knowing smile tugging at her lips.

"Alright," she said. "If you need any help, just let me know." "WiLL do," Corrine replied casually.

After hanging up, Tilda dialed Lyndon's number to let him know there was no need to suppress the trending topic.

Lyndon paused, clearly surprised. "Wait, so we're not stopping it? It's just... gonna go viral?"

"Yep," she said nonchalantly. "Corrine's confident she can turn it into something positive."

There was a brief silence on Lyndon's end before he spoke. "Tilda, this could spiral out of control. The more it spreads, the more it affects both of us."

Tilda pursed her lips. "Oh? Are you scared?"

"Scared?" He laughed, though it lacked conviction. "What do I have to be scared of?"

She raised an eyebrow, her tone growing pointed. "I don't know. Maybe the fact that people might dig into your personal life and unearth your past?"

Lyndon hesitated. "All I did was help Rita out a bit. You make it sound like I have some kind of skeleton-filled closet."

Tilda smirked. "So, just helping her out isn't a big deal to you?"

"Of course not. Does that really count as something negative?"

"Doesn't it?" she shot back. Lyndon sighed. "Fine. If you say it is, then sure, it is."

For some reason, his response irritated Tilda, and her tone sharpened. "What's that supposed to mean? So, you don't actually agree?"

Lyndon fell quiet for a moment before breaking the silence with a light chuckle. "You were in the debate club, weren't you?"

Tilda blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. "Are you calling me sharp-tongued?"

Lyndon chuckled, his tone light. "Sharp-tongued? No. I'd say you're blunt.”

Tilda arched an eyebrow but didn't reply. Instead, she smirked to herself.

Blunt. Sharp-tongued. Different words, same meaning. Lyndon had just chosen the softer version.

After a beat, Lyndon's voice came through the phone again, softer this time.