Chapter 66

Pearl hung up the phone, not giving Bianca a second thought. To her, Bianca was just a pawn in her game against Isabella.

As for Bianca betraying her, Pearl was pretty sure Bianca wouldn't dare.

Bianca had always played the sweet, thoughtful girl, even while dealing with her illness. But working with her, Pearl saw just how nasty Bianca could be. If things went south, Bianca would be in just as much trouble, and her goody-two-shoes act in front of John would be toast.

'So, one should never create a persona for oneself. Once it collapses, others will find it hard to accept.' Pearl thought, a smirk forming as she picked up her phone.

"What did Ms. Brown say?" asked the guy across the table, eyeing Pearl with curiosity.

This guy was Tom Harris, a senior exec brought in by Michael from overseas.

"Nothing much, just a yappy Chihuahua. I tossed her a bone, and now she won't leave me alone. Gotta thank Mr. Harris for that," Pearl said with a grin, throwing some shade at Bianca.

Tom had been the one to expose Isabella's plagiarism of Bianca's work. He had a lot of clout in this new company.

Tom swirled his glass of red wine, his eyes on Pearl.

"Thanks for the dinner invite, Ms. Brown. But the wine here isn't that great. I have some much better wine at my place. Would you like to come over for a glass?" Tom smiled, but Pearl saw right through him.

'Does this creep really think he can get into my bed?' Pearl thought, keeping her smile sweet.

"Before you get too cozy, Mr. Harris, I've got some questions. Don't you know about Isabella and Mason? Aren't you worried about ticking Mason off?" Pearl asked, curious.

Tom shook his head, smiling. "Sure, Isabella's got Mason, but what else? Bianca's got John, the heir, and you. Smart folks know where to place their bets."

Pearl sipped her wine, amused. Tom had no clue the "Chihuahua" she mentioned was Bianca.

Tom took a sip too, his face getting a bit more serious. "Isabella might be tight with Mason, but Mason doesn't control me."

"Why's that?" Pearl asked, intrigued.

Tom leaned in, whispering, "There was bad blood between Mason and our CEO's dad. Our CEO's new company was established entirely without the influence of the Williams Family, so if Mason wants to help Isabella to command our CEO, it's very likely that our CEO won't be willing to assist."

Tom looked pleased with himself as he leaned closer, catching a whiff of Pearl's perfume.

Pearl smiled and subtly shifted away from Tom, trying to ignore his sweaty, oily face that was making her feel queasy.

"Got it. Thanks for the info," she said, raising her glass and clinking it with his.

Tom kept trying to get closer, but Pearl skillfully dodged him each time. He didn't seem to mind, though.

'Even though my boss turned her down, Pearl's got this irresistible charm. If I can win her over, her family's backing will skyrocket my position in the company,' Tom thought, already plotting his next moves.

Meanwhile, online comments were overwhelmingly in Bianca's favor. Almost everyone was slamming Isabella for plagiarism.

Even though Bianca told John the organizers might have misunderstood, she didn't clear things up online. She just let the situation blow up.

[How did she have the nerve to accuse Bianca of plagiarism on stage?]

[Don't you know? It's all for John!]

[Women's jealousy is scary. Props to the organizers for clearing Bianca's name.]

[Isabella, as a plagiarist, should be expelled from the design industry!]

"This is driving me nuts! Are the organizers brain-dead? How dare they accuse you of plagiarism?" Amelia fumed, angrily tapping away at her keyboard.

Isabella calmly handed her a grape. "Don't let those comments get to you. Stay cool."

Amelia chewed the grape, still fuming. "How can I stay cool? You're getting roasted online! If you can't prove your innocence, your reputation's gonna be worse than trash."

Isabella smiled, popping a grape into her mouth, lounging barefoot on the couch with a plate of fruit on her lap.

"I trust Michael. He said he's got this, and actually, the organizers reached out to me last night." Isabella winked at Amelia, a mysterious smile playing on her lips.

"The organizers? But aren't they against you?" Amelia asked, confused.

Isabella shrugged. "It's complicated. There are two factions within the organizers. One's targeting me, the other's got my back."

Amelia scratched her head. "This is getting more confusing. And what's Michael got to do with it?"

Isabella shook her head. "I don't know the details, but Michael said he can help, so I believe him."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Isabella, you're totally love-struck. Michael hasn't even explained, and you trust him blindly!"

Isabella blushed. "I just do!"

Over at Michael's company, Jerry stood in front of him, reporting his findings.

"Mr. Harris played a big role in this mess. As the head of the selection, he ordered his team to smear Ms. Isabella Taylor online," Jerry said respectfully.

Michael tossed the documents onto the table. "Proceed as planned," he said coldly.