Chapter 31 Alden sounded weary and resigned when he said, “I’ve done my best for Matthias. Taking this chance to teach him a lesson isn’t a bad idea. There’s no need to calculate every detail!” Scarlett shot him an angry glare. She chided, “Are you still my son? Your aunt has only one son, and she comes crying to me every day. How can I bear to…” The moment Genevieve stepped out, even her mood lifted Suddenly, on the way back, a call came from Leonardo The producer said, “Ms. Lawrence, Rosalie is so cunning. To make a strong impact on camera, she scolded all the interns at Eagle Entertainment, nitpicking every detail!” Genevieve’s eyes flashed slightly, and she smilingly said, “I anticipated this. She holds grudges and won’t miss this opportunity.” After ending the call, Genevieve unlocked her mobile phone to watch a clip intentionally released by the production team to generate attention. The video showcased Rosalie, who wore a mask, standing on stage, haughtily criticizing Jessica, a new intern Rosalie scolded, “Look at this garbage you call dancing! You even have the audacity to be on this stage! Your movements are rigid. Your expression is painfully contrived. Who do you think you’re trying to seduce with that gaze?” Jessica stood there, full of disbelief, but not a single word escaped her lips. Tears welled up in her eyes, making her look pitiful. The netizens‘ comments were buzzing. One netizen wrote: [This is too hurtful!] Another commented: I heard this person is from the famous Arden Dance Group, naturally, they’re being critical‘] Another wrote. [That poor girl looks like she’s about to cry! Yet another commented: [Heartbroken; let’s all give Jessica a hug!] For a moment after the clip was released, the masked judge became an internet sensation, with many people praising her captivating presence and strict professionalism. The name Arden Dance Group added a touch of prestige to her image, and her mysterious mask created an aura of discretion that garnered favorable impressions With a subtle purse of her lips, Genevieve dialed the company and uttered, “All right, let’s spill the beans!” In her contemplation, she wondered, ‘Did Rosalie believe that a mere mask could shield her from the world? Did she assume that concealing herself behind it meant escaping from her sordid past? Life doesn’t grant such easy redemption.” Soon, the identity of the “masked judge was exposed, originating from an inadvertently captured photo after the shoot. Following this, Rosalie’s true identity emerged, and her dark history was once again brought to light. 1/4 Chapter 31 The internet erupted with netizens‘ comments once more: [Anthony Hoffman’s mistress!] Another commented: [So, It’s that woman who has been a mistress. Does she even deserve to be a judge?] Another wrote: [No wonder she targeted Jessica so much. Jessica previously exposed the clarification video of her falsely accusing someone of accompanying her for drinks!] Another commented: [Settling personal vendetta with such skill! Anthony’s power knows no bounds!] In less than an afternoon, Rosalie went from being a respected judge to a public scapegoat. The TV station was in chaos, and Alden was hunting for the mole who had taken the picture, but with no success. Anthony, caught in the crossfire of an undeserved scandal, witnessed the entire Hoffman Group plunged into paralysis. The once lively office now echoed with silence. The situation left Aiden baffled by the persistence of the trending topic, even after substantial financial investment. He asked, “Why is it not subsiding? Can’t we remove it from the trending topics even after spending money?” Aiden, sitting despondently, scratched his head and stood up. He added, “This must be Genevieve buying the trend. She’s just jealous of Rosalie…” Anthony, exasperated, slammed a document onto the table. With a cold and intimidating tone, he said, “Who told you to meddle with her? Didn’t I tell you not to interfere?” Aiden hesitated and said with a complicated expression, “I wanted to help Rosalie. Genevieve is too cunning. Tony, you have to step in this time. After all, she is the mother of your child!” Anthony’s brow furrowed after he heard this. He cast a deep, cold glance at him, his voice icy and resolute when he said, “Get out.” The mention of “the mother of your child” made Anthony’s heart clench. Suddenly, he thought of Genevieve and the child who never entered the world. No one knew that his real child had come and gone. He felt a sharp, tingling pain in his heart. ‘If Alden had minded his own business, none of this trouble would have happened!” Anthony mused. Aiden trembled slightly and left the office, not daring to say anything more. Anthony’s secretary, Daniel Simmons, knocked on the door and entered, saying, “Mr. Hoffman, the investigation is complete. It’s confirmed that Eagle Entertainment bought the trending topic, and they frankly admitted it.” This revelation felt like a sudden blow to Anthony’s head, catching him off guard. Having been by Anthony’s side for years, Daniel knew that Anthony, with his temper, would have already exposed and dealt with the person behind all this. However, the situation was complicated by Genevieve’s involvement. Public opinion had been brewing for hours, and Anthony was still in the stage of losing his temper. ‘Weird. What’s there to worry about after getting divorced?‘ Daniel pondered. The personnel from the Public Relations Department was waiting anxiously outside. Daniel had to grit his teeth and lay out 2/4 Chapter 31 their plan. He said, “Mr. Hoffman, it’s in Hoffman Group’s best interest to cut ties with Ms. Lawrence, though it may cast doubts on Mr. Samson Hoffman’s identity. On the contrary, if we opt not to clarify and only remove the trending topics, the expenses will be substantial, and the outcome may fall short of our expectations.” Anthony coldly raised his eyes, a chill present in his gaze. He uttered, “What’s the point of having you two here?” Daniel could not help but mutter, “Maybe if you call Genevieve, it might work!” Anthony’s gaze swept over him fiercely. Daniel immediately chose to shut up and exit, leaving the office in silence. Anthony hesitated before pulling out his backup phone to make the call. The other end picked up quickly, the voice soft and seemingly cheerful. She said, “Who’s this?” Anthony cleared his throat, his tone chilling as he said, “Genevieve, It’s me. I didn’t arrange for Rosalie to go to the TV station.” “Yeah, I know. It was Aiden,” Genevieve replied casually. Genevieve’s indifferent tone sent a strange feeling through Anthony. However, soon, he caught on, and his face darkened. He said, “So you deliberately bought the trending topic. A gloomy look filled his eyes, and his fists clenched involuntarily. Before he could finish, Genevieve’s laughter echoed, laced with sarcasm. She remarked, “Anyway, you and Rosalie are getting married soon. Both of you can endure the hardships together!” Anthony and Rosalie were in the same boat, and she would not spare either of them. After saying that, she hung up and blocked the number for good as talking to Anthony soured her mood. Anthony stared at the darkened screen, his chest rising and falling sharply. ‘That’s just unreasonable! Anthony fumed. He dialed again, but the number was unreachable. He angrily threw the phone to the ground, resulting in a loud sound. ‘Doesn’t she feel any guilt or regret? Is she pretending not to care? Anthony pondered angrily Daniel, hearing the commotion, entered the room and glanced at the mess on the ground. He said, “Mr. Hoffman, Ms. Stewart is here…” It was not surprising that Rosalie came. After all, the situation was beyond Aiden’s control. She had to plead with Anthony. Anthony frowned and was about to refuse when Rosalle, with red and swollen eyes, walked in. 3/4 Chapter 31 Anthony glared at Daniel, the incompetent assistant, who lowered his head in dismay. He could not help but think, ‘Rosalle is Samson’s mother and likely the future matriarch of Hoffman Group. Who would dare to stop her?” “Anthony, please help me. Genevieve is trying to push me to the brink. She orchestrated all of this, and no matter what I do, she’ll never be satisfied. Must it come to an extreme end?” asked Rosalie. Anthony’s eyes darkened, his voice cold as he said, “If you hadn’t appeared on the show, none of this would have happened!” Rosalie sensed the detachment in his tone and froze for a moment before saying, “Samson’s name is not on the family tree yet, Anthony…” Silence lingered in the office for a few minutes, only broken by Rosalie’s soft sobbing. Anthony sighed, showing signs of weariness. He instructed, “Go back for now. I’ll handle this for the last time. Once Samson is on the family tree, you’ll go abroad.” His tone was cold. It left no room for negotiation.