Chapter 370 Mentioned Jessica and Seven Years Ago
Zoey sent several messages and screenshots in a row, all of which were content posted by a few not-so-famous marketing accounts on Instagram.
The unified message was to remind Jessica to be aware of her identity. As a married woman with children in the entertainment industry, making money off her youth. She should know her place and not try to have it all. They even warned her that if she got close to people she shouldn't, she might ruin her reputation.
These were baseless accusations and insinuations, but the marketing accounts posted them in a coordinated manner, implying that Jessica was not behaving properly.
It was essentially a subtle warning for Jessica to stay away from certain people.
Since these were small marketing accounts with little fame and few followers, and it was just some distant shouting, only Jessica's fans argued a bit in the comments. Other people didn't see much and it didn't become a topic of discussion. Soon, these posts disappeared.
However, the staff at the studio, who usually monitor real-time messages, saw them and sent them to Zoey and Lynn, who eventually forwarded them to Jessica.
Zoey asked her: [Jessica, does this mean someone paid these marketing accounts to send you a warning?]
Jessica: [Yes.]
She only replied with that and didn't say anything more. These marketing accounts that could post an Instagram message for several dozen dollars had no real impact. She saw it, and that was all.
Considering the time from then until now, she could roughly guess who was behind the warning.
She had to admit that Kimberly was quite effective, though her methods were not very honorable.
Firstly, on the surface, it always seemed like she was passive, being pushed by Imogen. All the actions and responsibilities appeared to be in Imogen's hands, and Kimberly was just following Imogen's orders. So, no matter what happened, she had a perfect excuse to hide under Imogen's wing.
Secondly, Kimberly was, after all, part of the Harriman family. Whether or not there was a blood relationship, she had a say. She constantly hinted to the Harriman family about Jessica being married with children, reinforcing this image in their minds countless times. Whether within the Harriman family or outside, Jessica's image had to be deeply rooted in everyone's mind.
She subtly positioned herself in the middle, without seeming deliberate.
But it inevitably had some effect.
At least the topic of whether Jessica was really married and who the father of her child was resurfaced among fans, leading to detailed discussions on Instagram and various forums. But in the end, no conclusion was reached.
Due to the heavy rain in Stellaria City, Gabriel couldn't immediately fly back to Xyleria and was also temporarily staying in Stellaria City.
Landon called to confirm the tentative schedule for the next two days in Stellaria City.
"There's an old lady at a jewelry store in Stellaria City celebrating her 100th birthday today. The invitation has been sent to you for days. The birthday party is scheduled for 7:30 PM tonight, and the venue is the first floor of the Golden Orchid Hotel," Landon said.
"Also, Mr. Wilson from Stellaria City, upon learning of your stay, plans to meet you personally.
"Given the current weather conditions and the forecast for the next two days, the earliest you can fly back to Xyleria is in two days. Regarding the project mentioned by the deputy director of the Xyleria Construction Bureau last time, when he asked you to look at the photos."
Landon's voice was precise and clear over the phone, while the meeting notification software on the tablet kept flashing with new messages, and the numbers kept rising.
The phone was on speaker mode, placed on the table. Gabriel came out of the bathroom, drying his wet hair with one hand and picking up the tablet to check the messages with the other.
Until Landon hung up, the phone on the table returned to silence.
Half an hour later, Landon suddenly called again.
"Mr. Harriman, Stanley's appeal for sentence reduction was rejected back then, and he has now served well beyond his normal sentence. Although Milton was heavily sentenced and can't cause trouble anymore, Stanley's sentencing terms were clearly written back then.
"After intervention, the sentence reduction was rejected, but according to his original sentencing terms, the Department of Justice and the Bureau of Prisons currently have no reasonable or appropriate reason to keep him in prison, especially since Stanley has shown outstanding behavior and a clear turn over a new leaf.
"He has been striving for a smooth release. All his handwritten applications have been scanned and sent to me. His words are sincere. Although the old minister of the Department of Justice gave you face and didn't release him, it seems he won't be kept much longer."
Gabriel put down the tablet and picked up the phone. "What applications?"
"When Stanley was first sentenced, he confessed to molesting children and students," Landon replied. "He now writes an application to the Department of Justice almost every day. Since he has served beyond his sentence, and he knows the law, his words are reasonable.
"Recently, his applications have included sincere confessions of his past crimes and psychological journey, including his later repentance. Although this can't be used to extend his sentence, this man is too smart and cunning, knowing how to manipulate the psychology of the Department of Justice officials. If he is really released, it could be disastrous.
"His application also includes new details of his crimes and memories, mentioning Jessica's name." Landon paused for a second before saying, "I have sent the scanned originals to your email."
The call ended, and two minutes later, the tablet chimed with a new email notification.
Gabriel stood still for a moment with his phone, then picked up the tablet and opened the email.
After many convoluted phrases and pretentious confessions, Stanley mentioned Jessica and events from seven years ago.
As Gabriel saw the key descriptions about Jessica, his hand holding the tablet paused for a moment.
The Golden Orchid Hotel was some distance from the hotel they were staying at and covered a large area.
This hotel was membership-based, and ordinary people couldn't dine there. Only celebrities, dignitaries, or high-ranking politicians could come here. It was the top choice for banquets among Stellaria City residents.
Jessica originally came for a dinner party. But unexpectedly, the hotel's first floor was also hosting a birthday party for a wealthy businessman who made his fortune in jewelry. It was said to be a 100-year-old lady's birthday party.
When Jessica and her group entered the hotel's banquet hall, it was already crowded with guests.
She was just following the film crew, and since they were not familiar with the people here, and the business circles in Stellaria City were very different from those back home, especially the entertainment stars in Stellaria City had different social habits, Jessica and the film crew went straight upstairs after arriving.
