Bianca recalled that day vividly, the accidental kiss with Dave, all because of Michael…
Dave had mentioned Michael as a significant figure.
Recognition spread among the guests, sending a chill down their spines.
“Michael Hayes, head of the Hayes family in Blosa.”
“What’s he doing here?”
The Hayes family held the highest position in Blosa’s financial hierarchy, leading the five most influential groups. They had a longstanding alliance with the Evans family, the foremost clan among Edenfield’s four dominant families. Together, the Hayes and Evans families were the twin pillars of the regional business community, overseeing commerce in both the north and south.
In contrast, the Evans family was known for their privacy. They rarely appeared in public or engaged with the media, remaining visible only within elite political and business circles.
Nevertheless, the Evans family had a reputation for their legendary business achievements.
The Phoenix Alliance Group, led by the youngest and most intimidating Evans grandson, had notably risen to prominence in Edenfield’s corporate scene.
In contrast to the discreet Evans family, the Hayes family was highly visible in the public eye. They often appeared in news and magazines, attending upscale business events and major auctions.
Michael’s presence sparked unease among the businesspeople present. They feared that any mistake or wrong word could upset the head of the Hayes family, potentially jeopardizing their careers.
As Michael walked past Sophia, his amber eyes gleamed with a captivating and mysterious intensity.
Michael glanced at Sophia, but she looked away, her face drained of color.
Turning away from Sophia, Michael moved towards the crowd, his voice cold as he spoke, “Five years ago, the sofas at Champs Le Bar didn’t have gold trim. But after last year’s renovation, all the sofas were redone with this gold-trimmed pattern.”
His revelation sparked a lively discussion among those gathered.
The sofa patterns at Champs Le Bar had largely escaped notice. If Bianca hadn’t pointed it out, the subtle change in design might have gone unnoticed.
Now reminded of Michael, people have started to reconsider the details they had overlooked.
But was it accurate that all the sofas at Champs Le Bar now had the gold-trimmed pattern? Were there truly no exceptions?
In response to the murmurs of doubt, Michael’s lips slightly curved as he said, “Luckily, the general manager of the bar is here with me today.”
At his words, a man in a suit stepped forward from the crowd. With all eyes previously on Sophia, no one had noticed the bar’s manager was also present.
The bar manager approached Michael, nodding respectfully before addressing the crowd.
“After we redecorated Champs Le Bar a year ago, we replaced all our sofa patterns with the new gold-trimmed design, without exception. We take pride in our thorough and meticulous approach, ensuring no detail goes overlooked. Therefore, I can confirm that this nude photo was taken within the past year.”
Upon hearing this, the crowd erupted into discussion.
They recalled that Sophia had been married for five years.
The pattern on the sofa in the photo was only a year old, not matching the one from Sophia’s pre-wedding nude photo that had caused a stir. This revelation led to an intriguing conclusion.
With a knowing smile, Bianca spoke up to clarify for everyone. “The manager of Champs Le Bar just confirmed that this photo is no older than a year. Additionally, Gabriel has been closely monitoring Sophia’s every move over the past year. All her actions are recorded by surveillance equipment. The police now have access to these recordings, which will help establish the truth. So the woman in this photo isn’t Sophia, but someone who looks very similar to her, especially in the lower part of her face. As for the mole, if you closely examine Sophia’s previous videos and photos, you’ll see that such a mole can be created with makeup.”
Having clarified this, Bianca shifted her focus to Zoey. With a gentle yet questioning smile, she asked, “Miss Carter, you’ve attacked Sophia with a recording and now a nude photo. Why are you so determined to damage her reputation? What’s your real motive?”
The party guests, sharp members of the celebrity circle, quickly connected the dots after Bianca’s explanation.
Zoey had been tight-lipped from the start, which only fueled their curiosity. The sudden appearance of Sophia’s nude photo on Twitter seemed too coincidental, almost orchestrated.
As they thought about the bet between Zoey and Bianca, some began to suspect Zoey might be the mastermind behind it all.
Zoey’s guilt was clear.
She had indeed fabricated the photo. While Gabriel was in custody, he had mentioned to his lawyer about having nude photos of Sophia, which were now seized by the police, making the real photos inaccessible.
This gave Zoey an idea. If she knew exactly what the photos looked like, she could make a realistic fake.
Since the photos were said to be five years old, even Sophia might not notice the difference.
But despite her careful planning, Zoey’s plan fell apart unexpectedly. She had told her lawyer to gather all the details about the photos, but she missed an important one – the pattern on the sofas at Champs Le Bar had changed.
Zoey felt sweat forming on her forehead, her purple evening gown now damp and sticking uncomfortably to her skin.
Feeling the weight of everyone’s doubtful stares, Zoey quickly regained her composure.
The leaked nude photo and recording had been shared by others, and she claimed no direct involvement. Even if people suspected her, they lacked solid evidence without a confession.
With determination, Zoey forced herself to stay calm. “Bianca, I’ve been misled too. Given the strong resemblance between the person in the photo and Sophia, it’s understandable everyone was confused. I’m not the only one who made this mistake. It seems someone is intentionally trying to smear Sophia’s reputation and block her from joining Phoenix Entertainment. They must have sent me these fake materials about Sophia. I suspect it’s the work of our rivals.”
After saying this, Zoey approached Sophia with an apologetic tone. “I’m sorry, Sophia. I misjudged the situation.”
At that moment, Vincent joined them, placing a reassuring hand on Sophia’s shoulder. He then turned to Zoey, his expression stern. “Zoey, you say you were misled, yet Bianca, a newcomer in the industry, identified the issue with the photo. As the director at Phoenix Entertainment, shouldn’t you be able to tell right from wrong? Not only did you fail to spot the mistake, but you also misled others. That’s hardly fitting behavior for a top agent, is it?”
Zoey’s face turned red with embarrassment upon hearing Vincent’s words. It was clear he was mocking her lack of professional judgment.
Yet, at that moment, Zoey knew better than to argue. She acknowledged her mistake of being too eager for quick success, which had led to her downfall.