Chapter 432 Insight into the Conspiracy
Ryan's ears perked up when he heard Clara mention that she knew Sophia and was close to her.
An idea began to form in his mind.
"Hey, do you know the Anderson family's heir who just got back to Starhaven?" Ryan asked, trying to sound casual.
Clara thought about Ethan, whom she not only knew but had once tricked into a brief relationship.
However, she didn't dare to reveal too much.
"Yeah, I've met him, but we're not exactly tight," Clara replied cautiously.
She was worried Ryan might ask her to do something involving Ethan, which she knew she couldn't handle given her strained history with the Anderson family.
Clara's mind raced.
She had hoped using Sophia's name would make Ryan treat her better, but she had no intention of helping him with anything.
Seeing Ryan deep in thought, she softened her voice and said, "If you want to meet Mr. Anderson, I could ask Sophia for an opportunity."
Her words were deceptive, but they piqued Ryan's interest.
Ryan was a businessman who hadn't been very successful, always believing it was due to his lack of connections.
If he could get in with the Anderson family, even without their direct support, he could leverage the relationship to improve his business.
"Alright, see if you can ask her," Ryan said, his demeanor towards Clara improving noticeably.
Clara nodded, hiding her disgust.
After a while, she managed to cheer Ryan up with a few words and then cautiously asked, "Mr. Martin, since I'm being so cooperative, you won't post those photos, right?"
"Post what? I care about you too much for that," Ryan said, pulling her close for a kiss. "Just help me meet Mr. Anderson, and I'll treat you even better."
"And the photos..." Clara persisted.
She didn't believe Ryan would miss her point.
Sure enough, Ryan looked at her and said, "Once you introduce me to Mr. Anderson, I'll delete all the photos."
Despite his words, Ryan had no intention of actually deleting them.
"That's good, Mr. Martin. I'll do my best," Clara said, pretending to believe him.
Seeing Ryan's smug and relaxed expression, she continued, "But,"
Her hesitant tone made Ryan ask, "What's wrong?"
Clara then said, "I have a sister who keeps causing trouble for me. Recently, she interfered with my friendship with Sophia. If I have to deal with her, I might not be able to smooth things over with Sophia quickly."
Ryan stared at her, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth.
Clara felt nervous but hid it well.
"What do you want me to do?" Ryan asked.
Clara sighed in relief, "Just give her some trouble, like she did to me. That night, I got drunk; it was her people who spiked my drink."
Clara spoke with such conviction that she almost believed her lies.
She had previously blamed Katniss for things Dione and Ryan had done to her.
Now, she was doing the same, blaming Katniss for Dione spiking her drink.
Ryan's greasy face twisted into a smile, showing a few teeth. "Alright, I'll make her pay."
Clara quickly thanked him, "Thanks, Mr. Martin. I'll help you as soon as I can."
As they talked, Ryan noticed the people at the next table getting up to leave.
It was a group of four women walking quietly.
Ryan glanced at them but didn't pay much attention.
Clara, facing away from the table, didn't notice them leaving.
Scarlett and Sophia flanked Tyler, while Brynn walked behind, blocking Ryan's view.
The four managed to leave the restaurant without drawing attention.
Outside, they all looked annoyed.
"So Clara and Ryan are in cahoots. I can't believe I thought she was..." Tyler said, feeling disgusted.
He remembered seeing Clara and Ryan in the movie theater bathroom and had thought Clara was being forced.
Now, he realized they might have been playing some twisted game.
The thought made Tyler feel even more nauseous.
Sophia felt the same disgust, while Brynn and Scarlett were angrier.
Scarlett said, "I'll call Katniss and warn her to be careful."
Brynn added, "Tell her everything, or maybe we should investigate Ryan ourselves."
"I'll explain everything, but Tyler, you're the only one who saw Ryan's face. Do you know who he is?"
Tyler shook his head.
They exchanged information and discussed how to warn Katniss before Scarlett made the call.
Scarlett had been spending a lot of time with Katniss, often eating lunch together, so she felt responsible for warning her.
Katniss was in Maximilian's office, reading a book.
After declining Scarlett's movie invitation, she went to see Maximilian, knowing their training was almost over.
Her last test had gone well, and she was confident about the final one.
If she passed, she would likely join the selected group for intensive training, which meant being away from Maximilian.
Katniss didn't want to be apart from him, so she spent as much time with him as possible.
Maximilian understood her feelings and had plans to follow her if she was selected, but he hadn't told her yet, fearing it might not work out and disappoint her.
He enjoyed having her close.
Maximilian finished his last document and looked at Katniss, his gaze soft.
Katniss felt his eyes on her and looked up, meeting his loving gaze.
Just as she was about to ask if he was done, her phone rang.
Seeing it was Scarlett, she answered without hesitation.
Scarlett's voice came through immediately, "Katniss, you need to watch out for Ryan. Clara has convinced him to cause trouble for you!"
Katniss frowned at the news.
Maximilian moved closer, and Katniss put the call on speaker. "Scarlett, can you explain?"
She remembered Scarlett was supposed to be at the movies.
How did she hear this?
Scarlett didn't waste time, recounting their encounters with Ryan and Clara at the theater and restaurant, clearly and concisely.
After explaining, Scarlett urged, "Just be careful, Katniss!"
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