Chapter 301 Exposed!
"Grandma, I have to go," Giorgio said curtly as he ended the call. He then instructed Tony in the front seat, "Call to have the trending search removed and investigate who took the footage."
His voice was icy and left no room for doubt.
Tony didn't yet know what had happened, but the grave tone was enough to signal that this was no small matter.
He responded with respect, swiftly making calls to handle the situation.
The atmosphere in the car was tense and suffocating.
Katherine sat tight-lipped, fists clenched in her lap.
With such a scandal unfolding, she had expected Giorgio to say something to her, offer some kind of explanation, but instead, he immediately sought to investigate?
Was he trying to protect Anna?
Did he respect her at all? Did he even see her as his wife?
"Giorgio..."
"Go home by yourself. I have things to handle," he replied, his voice cold and detached.
Katherine's mouth stiffened.
No explanation was one thing, but sending her away?
She couldn't help but ask, "What about? The kissing with Anna last night?"
Tony, in the front seat, nearly choked on his own spit...
Mr. Vittorio had been involved with Miss Stefanelli?
Giorgio's expression was icy, his eyes unnaturally calm as he faced Katherine, "If it bothers you, I don't mind clearing up the truth about that."
What did he mean?
She didn't even have the right to ask.
And what was this 'if it bothers you'? As if she wasn't supposed to be bothered?
Frustrated and angry, the veins on Katherine's forehead stood out as she tried to hold back her humiliation, "Giorgio, that's not what I meant. I just think you owe me an explanation. After all, Anna is... she's my sister. She was Simon's girlfriend before, even had a thing with Black Jack, and now she's with Giuseppe. Why would you get involved with her?"
She was really angry and indignant and tried to remind Giorgio with these words that Anna was not a clean woman!
What does she lack compared to her? But when Giorgio heard this, his already cool demeanor turned icy. His gaze sharpened like a blade of ice.
He despised people without self-awareness, those who could not understand their place. From the beginning, he had told Katherine they would find the right time to announce their divorce to the public.
So, in his eyes, she had no right to question him, even less to speak of Anna.
His lips curled with a cold detachment, "I thought you were clear on the nature of our marriage. Leave."
It was a mix of anger and command.
Katherine's mouth twitched.
She truly hadn't expected this attitude from him!
And after being by his side for so long, she was attuned to his moods; there was no doubt he was on the brink of rage.
To provoke him further at this point would be suicidal.
She pressed her lips together and finally pulled open the car door and got out.
'Whoosh!' As soon as she steadied herself, the car sped away like an arrow released from a bow.
Katherine stood there, feeling like trash abandoned on the side of the road.
"Argh!" she stomped her foot in anger and pulled out her cellphone, dialing Giuseppe's number, "Have you lost your mind? Do you even realize how foolish you are, pushing Giorgio closer to that woman? Pull those internet trolls off now!"
The woman's blood boiled with fury.
Giuseppe, however, chuckled with indifference, "Why the panic? I have a plan. Sweetheart, get a spa treatment, relax, and don't worry about this."
Then he hung up the phone.
Katherine was incensed.
...
On the other end.
'Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding...' Anna was woken by the insistent ringing of her phone.
She groggily answered, "Hello?"
"Anna! You and Mr. Vittorio are trending! Don't go back to the Stefanelli family—Dylan Moore is threatening to kill you!"
What?
Trending with Mr. Vittorio? Does Dylan Moore want to kill her?
Anna suddenly shook off all drowsiness, opened her eyes, clicked on Twitter, and then saw the photos that had been leaked, as well as the hot discussions among netizens. Her face drained of color,
"How... how is this possible?" It had been so late last night, and in a room, how could anyone have taken a photo?
Sara had already suspected that the person was Anna, and now, hearing Anna's reaction, she was even more certain,
"Anna, it is you! What's the deal with you and Mr. Vittorio? Publicly, you fight non-stop, swearing you'll never love each other, but behind closed doors, you're intimate in a motel, all passionate. How far have you two gone?"
Anna was speechless.
What did 'how far' mean when they hadn't taken a single step?
Her mind was a mess, "Sara, I can't talk right now, goodbye."
She hung up the call, got up to go to the bathroom to change clothes, apply make-up, and deny that she was the woman from last night.
But then...
Bang, bang, bang!
Someone was knocking at the door.
The noise outside was chaotic.
"Miss Stefanelli? Miss Stefanelli, are you in there?"
"Was it you with Mr. Vittorio last night?"
"Can you open the door?"
Reporters!
She was done for!
If she was recognized and they found out she was staying at this motel, she'd never be able to clear her name, even if she took a plunge into the Mississippi River!
What should she do?
"Anna, why panic? Just own up to it with pride," a child's innocent voice suggested.
Anna noticed the commotion had woken up Charlie, and he was sitting in bed, flipping through the news with a big grin on his face.
He seemed quite pleased with the news!
If it weren't for the fact that he had fallen asleep last night, she would have suspected he took the photos and leaked the news!
Embarrassed and anxious, she said, "Charlie, it's not what you think! Your dad and I aren't like that at all. We can't let people be sure it was me in that photo. Do you have any ideas?"
Charlie shrugged helplessly, "Nope. First, my mom was at the event last night and didn't return to the motel. Second, her outfit yesterday was nothing like yours. Third, the motel owner knows you were the one wearing a mask and following from behind, not her .So, putting all this together, it's only a matter of time before netizens trace the truth back to you."
His frank words pushed Anna toward despair.
Right, netizens were all like Sherlock Holmes, and with such a glaring inconsistency, how could it not be uncovered?
What to do? Was she really going to be outed and become the town pariah?
No, that couldn't happen.
She couldn't just lose her own life. She couldn't ruin Penny's life either!
Her eyes filled with frantic tears.
"Miss Stefanelli." Just then, a voice came from the balcony.
Anna turned and ran to it, finding Giuseppe standing on the neighboring balcony.
They were close enough to step across from one to the other.
He stood there, charming and friendly, "Ms. Anna, perhaps now is the time to let me help you."
Him help her?
Anna's dark eyes quickly caught Giuseppe's meaning.
All she had to do was go to his room, claim she was with him last night and didn't know anything, and Katherine, not wanting the scandal, would surely find an excuse to come forward and admit it was her there last night.
Then, all would be settled!
But...
That also meant tying her fate to Giuseppe.
She hesitated, troubled.
"Bang, bang, bang!"
"Miss Stefanelli, if you don't open up, we'll have to force our way in."
"Really, running around with Mr. Vittorio, too ashamed to face us?"
"We're breaking in after counting to ten!"
The impatient and noisy voices of the reporters were rising.
There was no time to hesitate!
It was a stark choice – exposure or an alliance with Giuseppe.
Anna's clear eyes darkened, her lips pressed tightly together.
In that split second, she made a choice—
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