From the top floor of the building, Liam Williams listened intently as Christopher Martin delivered his report.
Hearing that Emma Johnson had instructed the HR manager to immediately dismiss the two receptionists from the lobby, Liam's face betrayed no hint of displeasure.
"It's rare for her to fire anyone. I suspect she's only doing this now because she wants to embrace her role as Mrs. Williams. I understand. You may leave."
Liam's muttered observation left Christopher slightly puzzled. Still, he acknowledged the CEO's tacit approval of his wife's decision to let the front desk staff go.
"Sir, I believe this microblog incident might be connected to Elijah Clark. After all, no one else knew he would be heading to Sunrise Manor."
Christopher hesitated before leaving, voicing his suspicions about the social media post.
"You're thinking the same thing I am. But whether it's him or not, we still need to uncover the blogger behind this. Have your people investigate immediately. I want that person's detailed information as soon as possible."
Christopher's words resonated with Liam's own thoughts, which was precisely why he had refrained from calling a press conference to clarify the matter. From the very beginning, he had suspected Elijah was behind this scheme. The only thing that puzzled him was that Elijah had never used Emma's reputation against her before. Liam couldn't understand why he would do so now. That was why he couldn't jump to conclusions.
All facts needed to be thoroughly investigated before any conclusions could be drawn.
Emma drove directly to Brookhaven General Hospital. But the moment she stepped inside, she noticed the nurses staring at her differently. She quickly pulled out her sunglasses from her pocket and covered most of her face. The situation improved slightly.
"Emma, what are you doing here?"
Elijah had been busy since morning, preparing for Mayor Reed's surgery. He had just returned from a meeting with the hospital director and other doctors in the conference room when he spotted Emma standing at the entrance.
"Don't you know?"
Seeing Elijah's cheerful expression, Emma realized he probably hadn't seen the microblog post. And no one had taken the time to inform him.
"Know what?"
Elijah looked at Emma, who was suddenly wearing sunglasses, his face filled with confusion.
"Let's go into your office first."
Emma thought that although no one was passing by at the moment, if someone else saw her standing there, it would only lead to more misunderstandings. So she urged Elijah to open the door and hurried inside.
"What's going on? Why did you come to see me in person?"
Elijah personally made a cup of coffee for Emma. She set the coffee aside, not in the mood to take even a single sip. She couldn't wait to tell Elijah about the microblog post. She opened her phone and showed him the trending topic directly.
Elijah couldn't believe something like this had happened overnight. He stared at the trending hashtag in disbelief.
"How can they say such things about you?"
Elijah was furious at the anonymous blogger's slander against Emma. Although he secretly wished the rumors were true, he would never allow Emma to bear such a reputation.
"The most important thing now is that a lot of people believe it. And Pinnacle Corporation's stock has started to drop because of this news. I'm trying to convince Liam to hold a press conference to clarify everything. The last plagiarism scandal involving the chief designer of Milan Fashion House already damaged Pinnacle's reputation. If this incident adds to it, I'm worried that the goodwill Pinnacle has built up over the years will plummet."
At this moment, Emma was more concerned about Pinnacle Corporation than her own reputation. She didn't notice the shift in Elijah's eyes when she mentioned the plagiarism incident at Milan Fashion House.
"Is this really the time for you to worry about Pinnacle? Your reputation should come first."
Elijah was annoyed that Emma was so concerned about Liam's company. He was actually happy to see Pinnacle's stock decline. But Emma's worried expression was the opposite of what he had hoped for. It made him feel terrible.
He couldn't bear to imagine that if Liam's company really collapsed in the future, would Emma choose to stay by Liam's side and help him through the difficulties?
That was not the outcome he wanted to see, nor was it his original intention.
"But right now, Pinnacle Corporation's reputation is what matters most. Elijah, I know you have strong feelings about Liam. But this time, besides Pinnacle's reputation, all three of us have been clearly slandered and wronged. So I hope that when Liam and I hold the press conference, you'll also attend and tell the reporters that it was all a misunderstanding. Can you do that?"
Emma looked at Elijah with hopeful eyes. A complex tangle of emotions flickered in his burning gaze. But thinking of Emma's reputation, he had no choice but to agree.
"Great. Now we just have to wait for the press conference."
Emma felt a weight lift from her heart.
"Emma, even if I agree, don't be too optimistic. The media is always a double-edged sword. Even if we clarify things, they'll think we're deliberately covering up the facts. They'll always choose to believe what they want to believe."
Although he hated to admit it, Elijah objectively believed that even holding a press conference wasn't the best solution.
"But it's the only option we have right now."
Emma looked helplessly at Elijah.
"What we should do now is find the blogger who posted those photos. Only if he comes forward and admits he framed us will the media choose to believe the truth."
Elijah offered his advice to Emma. He had to admit that, in this regard, his thinking aligned with Liam's.
"But that's like trying to find a needle in a haystack. It's too difficult. If the blogger didn't register with his real information, it will be nearly impossible to track him down."
Emma's face fell again.
"It wouldn't be too difficult for Liam to investigate this matter."
Elijah didn't tell Emma that he would also use his own resources to investigate privately. After all, he couldn't reveal his hidden identity to her.
When Emma heard this, her eyes lit up. How could she have been so stupid? She had completely forgotten about Liam's background in this city.
But since Elijah had thought of it, Liam had probably already considered it.
Emma recalled Liam's calm and composed demeanor in the office earlier. He must have already had a plan in mind.
If that was true, he was really going too far. He had been worried, but he hadn't told her what he intended to do. After all, she was the one who had been framed, wasn't she?