?Chapter 171:

    Katelyn’s voice was unnervingly calm. She stared at Neil with the cool detachment reserved for an insignificant stranger. Yet, Neil couldn’t shake the strange sensation of seeing his own reflection in her eyes.

    He couldn’t understand why seeing those news reports had filled him with such anger, or why he had thrown reason aside to confront Katelyn right away. A voice in his head kept insisting that things shouldn’t have ended this way—Katelyn should have always loved him.

    Katelyn’s lips curved into a faint, mocking smile. “Whether or not those news reports are true, you should have realized that whatever we had ended the moment you betrayed me. The trial is tomorrow. I expect to finalize everything as soon as possible.”

    With that, Katelyn turned on her heel and walked away without a second nce. She looked down at her wrist, which had just been in his grasp, and then pulled out a disinfecting wipe from her bag. Her face showed clear disgust as she cleaned her wrist and tossed the wipe into a nearby trash can.

    Neil watched all of this in stunned silence. Had Katelyn really be so repelled by him? Could it be that her earlier words were not just an act, but that she had truly given up on him and their years together?

    Rage simmered in Neil’s chest. How could Katelyn be so selfish and cold, changing her feelings so abruptly?

    Neil stood by the roadside, his face dark with anger,pletely unaware that someone inside a nearby building had been watching him.

    Seeing Neil distressed over Katelyn, Lise clenched her fists in frustration. Even now, did Neil still have feelings for that despicable woman?

    Lise knew she couldn’t just stand by; she had to secure her ce as the future Mrs. Wheeler, no matter what. At that moment, Katelyn was driving toward Adams Group. Her face showed a tangled mix of worry and determination.

    Her recent actions had caused Vincent significant trouble, even impacting his reputation. How could she possibly fix this?

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    The car came to a halt at Adams Group’s entrance. Katelyn stepped out, her bag slung over her shoulder, and headed straight for the CEO’s office. But Vincent wasn’t there. He was in a meeting in the conference room.

    Katelyn pulled out herptop and began examining the post that had shared the secretly filmed photos and videos, scanning through thements. She quickly identified several new, private ounts that had been stirring up negative opinions. It was clear someone was manipting the situation to make it worse.

    A sharp focus came into Katelyn’s eyes as her fingers flew over the keyboard. She logged into her social media ount, which had seen a surge in followers thanks to the recent media storm. Katelyn posted a rification, stating that she and Vincent were just friends and that others had been present when the photos were taken.

    But her rification barely made a dent. Public opinion was sharply divided. Some thought that even if Katelyn had been unfaithful, it was ultimately still Neil’s fault. Others used her of ying the victim and twisting the story to me Neil.

    The public’s focus shifted away from the press conference Neil had held earlier, diminishing its impact. Katelyn zeroed in on a few especially harshments and began crafting her replies. Her mind raced as she tried to find a way to clear up the confusion.

    Even though her rtionship with Vincent was nothing more than a casual friendship—without even a hint of handholding—malicious rumors had blown things out of proportion.

    Just then, Katelyn received a message from Aimee. “Kat, don’t worry about those nastyments. People have already made up their minds, and no amount of exining will change that. I’ve got some gossip about some celebrities and their romances. Once they’re out, people will forget all about you.”

    Usually, scandals among high society didn’t grab as much attention as those in the entertainment world, and this one was purely an ident.

    Katelyn responded with a simple, “Okay.”

    After that, she verified her suspicions once again. Just as she reached a conclusion, the office door was pushed open.

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