Chapter 42 The Photo
Lucky Draw
Even though Professor Edward was a foreigner, he could tell something was off.
He nodded briefly at Chandler, then said it was getting late, asked Shawn to settle the bill, and quietly led the others out.
Wendy, who clearly hadn’t had enough of the drama, didn’t want to leave just yet. But with Professor Edward personally asking them to go, she didn’t dare argue.
Once they were gone, Ginny walked back to the table without a word. Her face unreadable, she grabbed her coat and bag, ready to leave.
Chandler reached out to stop her, but the second she noticed, Melody recoiled and let her body sag slightly, like she wasn’t feeling well.
Concern flashing in his eyes, Chandler immediately turned his attention to Melody, his whole focus switching without a second thought.
At the bar’s entrance, Ginny paused. She looked back at him, her lips curling in quiet irony.
See? This is what forcing it gets you.
Ginny, you chose this path yourself. Whatever’s happening
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now… You deserve it.
Lucky Draw Lucky
But not for much longer. Once the divorce is finalized, once you’ve left the country, everything can start over again.
No more being tied down by people or things from the past.
“Here they come, here they come!”
A tabloid photographer hiding nearby whispered as Chandler helped Melody out of the bar. He followed discreetly.
When Chandler leaned into the car to buckle her seatbelt, the photographer raised his camera and fired off shot after shot.
“Don’t go, Chandler,” Melody murmured. “I don’t want to be alone in the hospital.”
After helping her into bed, Chandler went to the bathroom to wet a towel and carefully wiped her hands and face. But she wasn’t easy to calm tonight. He had planned to wait until she fell asleep, then head out to find Ginny.
But Melody didn’t fall asleep until past 1 a.m.
By then, Ginny had surely gone to bed.
Chandler hadn’t rested well in days. Exhausted, he threw on a coat and lay down on the couch, closing his eyes.
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Chapter 42 The Photo
He was jolted awake the next morning by a phone call.
“Sir, bad news. You’re trending online.”
Lucky Draw
Chandler ended the call and pulled up X. Clicking the link, he saw the headlines.
[Melody Wheeler Spotted with Mystery Boyfriend Late at Night]
[Sweet Kiss Caught on Camera–Melody Wheeler and An Unknown Man?]
Sheila read the headlines through clenched teeth, then glanced anxiously at Ginny.
“Thank god she’s not into celebrity gossip. If she saw this, she’d be crushed.”
She and Shawn were still whispering complaints when Wendy approached Ginny, phone in hand.
“What do you
want?”
Ginny didn’t see what they could possibly have to talk about. Nothing good had ever come from their conversations.
Sure enough, her phone buzzed just seconds later.
She tapped the link in the group chat, and as the page loaded, the color drained from her already pale face.
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Chapter 42 The Photo
Lucky Draw
Wendy stood there, fighting to keep the glee out of her voice. “Ginny, you don’t look so good. Don’t be mad, okay? I mean, it could just be the angle. Maybe your husband wasn’t really kissing Melody…”
Sheila had done everything to avoid this, but she’d forgotten to guard against Wendy. By the time she saw the group message and rushed over, it was already too late.
She tossed her notebook at Wendy, forcing her to take a step
back.
Then she moved to stand protectively in front of Ginny and said, warning clear in her voice, “Professor Edward said he doesn’t want division in the lab. If you pull another stunt like this, I’ll tell him everything you’ve done.”
Wendy still had dreams of graduating from this lab and getting promoted someday. She didn’t want to get kicked out over something like this. And besides, she’d already seen what she wanted to see.
So when Sheila stood her ground, Wendy backed off.
“Ginny, don’t believe her,” Sheila said, trying to console her. “I looked at that picture–clearly forced perspective. Definitely not a kiss.”
Shawn nodded solemnly beside her, agreeing with every word,
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even if comforting people wasn’t exactly his strength.
Lucky Draw
The article had hit Ginny hard at first, but thanks to the two of them, the tightness in her chest slowly eased.
“Thank you.”
Thank you for standing by me at my lowest point.
Meanwhile, far away, Chandler’s grandfather had just stepped off a plane and checked his phone, only to feel like the sky had fallen.
Without a second thought for where he was, Josh Pierce called Chandler’s driver.
The moment Will picked up, Josh launched into a tirade.
“What the hell is going on with that photo?!”
Will was baffled. He hadn’t even been there last night. He’d seen the news this morning and had meant to ask his boss what happened—but Chandler had hung up before he got the chance.
And anyway, Chandler was his employer. How could a lowly driver question his boss about personal matters?
He still wanted to keep his job.
What he didn’t expect was that Josh would be arriving so soon.
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This was bad. Really bad.
Lucky Draw
Will quickly called Chandler to give him a heads–up, only to find the line busy.
Turns out, Josh had already chewed out Chandler’s father, Cameron Pierce, who now had Chandler on the phone.
“I’m giving you thirty minutes. Get back to the estate.”
A pause.
“And bring your wife with you.”
B
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