Chapter 654
Chapter 654 Just in Time
After that response, Leanna kept quiet and held onto her ss of water.
Then, Joseph nced at the bench and asked her, “Do you mind if I sit here?”
“Please, sit,” she replied. “It is meant for public use, after all.”
Before sitting down, he straightened his outfit. “You are a jewelry designer. I trust you are very familiar
with all the pieces exhibited today?”
“You tter me. There are plenty I have never seen before.” Then, she asked, “Has your car been
repaired?”
“The repairs arepleted,” he answered. “It is only a bit of paint. It’s nothing much. Please do not be
so worried about it.”
After a brief pause, Leanna abruptly asked, “I remember you once mentioned you returned to Highside
because you heard something had happened in Jamesdon. Have you found the information you were
looking for?”
Joseph had likely not expected her to be so frank as he froze briefly before chuckling. “Your words
seem to hint at a specific question.”
“I don’t think there’s a need to beat around the bush,” she stated. “You and I both know who is involved
in the Jamesdon incident. Since you are here specifically for that reason, I believe I need to be clear
with my questions.”
“Yes, you’re right. I came to Highside because I wanted to know what was happening. Now, I have a
pretty good idea of what happened and the answers to my questions. Don’t worry, though. I didn’te
to Highside to target the Pearson Group or do anything to Aidan. I had been keeping an eye on the
development in this city, so I seized the chance to get a few business deals done. The few projects I’m
working on are wrapping up soon, so I’ll leave the city when the time is right.”
After hearing that, Leanna pursed her lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound like I’m chasing you off.”
Nheless, Joseph shot her a warm smile. “I understand and know that it’s inevitable for you to be
wary of strangers after what you’ve been through. That’s normal. My only concern about leaving the
city is Charlotte. She’s unwilling to return to Jamesdon, so I’ll have to trouble you to look after her for a
while longer.”
The two of them sat outside for a while. Suddenly, the chattering from the people inside the gallery
rose in volume as if something had happened.
Charlotte is still inside the gallery. Leanna hurriedly stood up to see what was happening. The moment
she walked near the gallery entrance, she heard the whispers.
“That girl must be a fan of Daphne. Tina did that on purpose, but that girl still fell for it. After all, Tina is
so high in the social hierarchy that even Daphne has to be cautious of her.”
“What can I say? That girl is too naive. Still, she must be a true fan of Daphne. She’s so bold. No one
else would have the guts to publicly criticize Tina in such a crowded ce.”
“Yes. Now that I think of it, I do admire Daphne. I wish I had a fan who would defend me so fervently.”
Leanna nced at the two gossiping women. They were celebrities who might not be very popr but
would be frequently seen in the major film productions of the year. Charlotte must be the girl they’re
referring to. So, she picked up the pace and entered the gallery.
She only took a few steps when she heard Tina’s voice soaring above the crowd’s chatter. “People are
still debating about this online. There’s no use saying anything to me. I didn’t ask her to be a
homewrecker.”
It was apparent that Charlottecked experience when it came to debating someone who was so two-
faced. Her face was flushed with rage, as evidenced by how she spoke. “You’re lying! She’s not that
kind of person. You’re… You’re just—” She racked her brain for a long while, yet she could not recall a
single word Zoe used to insult Tina. Hence, Charlotte resorted to the most basic and elegant retort,
“You’re just jealous!”
Tina sighed in response. “Girl, I understand how you feel, but I really am not jealous of her over this.
Even as a fan, you should know what’s right and wrong. You need to have some morals. You cannot
abandon all sense of morality just for one person.”
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By the end of Tina’s speech, Leanna finally made her way to the center of themotion. She pulled
Charlotte aside and coldly said to Tina, “Is insulting and making life hard for a young woman in front of
a crowd within the limits of your morality?”
Tina’s haughty sneer faded slightly when she spotted Leanna. Still, she shot back, “You can’t say that. I
was just talking to my friend. She barged into our conversation and insisted on arguing with me. Also, I
feel quite embarrassed to be doing this in public. How can you say I’m giving her a hard time?”
“You have work today, don’t you? Did you take a day off just toe here and gossip with your friend
about some rumors?” Leanna asked.
“I am here to view the exhibition. Why would I have the time to talk about such inane gossip?” Tina
rebuked.
“Oh!” Leanna said with an expressionless face. “So, you took a day off filming just toe here to view
the jewelry exhibition, yet you ignore all the jewelry around you after entering the gallery. Instead, you
came here to discuss a controversial topic before her.”
“I—” Suddenly, Tina found herself at a loss for words. She was at the gallery because she heard that it
belonged to Theodore.
It would be inappropriate for her to bring up the past without the male protagonist making another
appearance. Thus, she came here for a chance to do so. While walking around, she noticed one of the
friends Daphne had dined with the other day. Charlotte looked rtively young and simple-minded, so
she should be easy to manipte. That was why Tina chose to target Charlotte.
On the other hand, the celebrities who attended the exhibition knew about the scandal between
Daphne and Tina. They could tell that Tina was picking a fight as well. However, the conflict had
nothing to do with them, so they stood aside and watched. To their surprise, Leanna would expose
Tina’s underlying motives and put her in a tough spot.
When Tina only had one target, she would strike back, yet she now had to suppress her rage.
At that moment, Theodore walked through the crowd to stand before them. “What happened?”
When she saw him, Tina could not resist smiling. He shows up just in time. So, she crossed her arms
before her chest andnguidly dered, “Nothing much. That girl seems to be Daphne’s fan. She has
opinions about me. Why don’t you tell her if I was spreading nder about Daphne, Mr. Frost?”
He nced at her before he turned his attention to Charlotte. He was audibly reluctant as he said,
“While I did date Daphne once, that is all in the past. We can’t say it’s her fault, either. I am partially
responsible for what happened. Please direct all your anger at me. Do not attack her.”