Chapter 757:
“Why would I be?” Ainsley replied with a mask of innocence, her eyes swiftly catching sight of the faint traces of blood at Fiona’s wrist. She hurried over, grasping Fiona’s hand with a show of concern. “Oh dear, Fiona, what happened to your wrist? Even if Deandre no longer backs your career, that’s no reason to harm yourself.”
Fiona yanked her hand away, and Kyla immediately stepped in front of her protectively. Her expression hardened, her eyes like ice as she fixed them on Ainsley. “Weren’t you the one drowning in scandals not long ago? Thrown out of Evergreen Media Works, your name dragged through the mud. How did you suddenly manage a comeback? Did you latch onto another wealthy patron?”
Ainsley pressed a hand to her chest. “Please don’t say that,” she said. “I volunteer in poor neighborhoods, and lately I joined an animal rescue drive. I am trying to make amends. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what I did.”
Kyla curled one corner of her mouth, a quiet challenge. “Is that so? No amount of thinking will fix this.”
She looked at the gown the assistant held. “You hurt people you should not have. You still act as if nothing happened.”
“And who did I hurt?” Ainsley asked, her voice sharp. “Even after all my charity, you still refuse to forgive me?”
Kyla kept Rylie’s name out of her reply, but pride brightened her eyes. She felt no fear toward Rylie now.
Ainsley’s assistant stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Fiona, that was my fault. I pushed to protect the dress. I know you did not mean harm. I am sorry. Please do not blame Ainsley.”
Kyla really wanted to slap the assistant, who was acting pitiful to gain sympathy, but the sound of new footsteps cut through the tension. Zander grabbed Kyla by the arm and said, “This is not the place for a fight. The makeup team is waiting, and we are short on time.”
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Kyla could not pull free. She read his warning in the set of his jaw and smoothed her expression. “Go help Fiona. I will come with you.”
With Zander at Fiona’s side, they moved forward. Kyla trailed them, glancing back at the smug assistant and at Ainsley. She laughed, low and cold. “You are foolish. You do not see the mess you keep making.”
Ainsley lifted a small, pale smile. “I am only trying to do what is right.”
When they turned into a quieter corner, her smile fell. She spoke to her assistant in a soft voice. “Go to the surveillance room. Offer a small sum and ask the guards to erase the footage.”
The assistant blinked and asked, “Why would we do that?”
Ainsley gave a thin, hard smile. “Because I learned my lesson. We cannot leave proof, especially since you did shove Fiona, did you not?”
The assistant fumbled an explanation. “I only wanted to stand up for you.”
“Then do it properly,” Ainsley said steadily. “Handle this. My PR team will sort the fallout.”
They walked back into the lounge, not knowing a man in the fire escape had caught every word of their plan. A cold smile tugged at his lips. He thought that his girlfriend had a way of drawing trouble to herself.
Since he had heard it all, he could not simply stand by. He chose to step in and fix things.
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