It was Aimee calling. Katelyn propped the phone against her shoulder with one hand while her other hand continued to glide across the screen, sketching away.

“What’s up, Aimee?” she asked, barely breaking her focus.

Aimee’s voice erupted with energy. “Kat, you have to check out the news! The Guerrero and Bailey families are locked in a showdown like never before. It’s getting brutal, and they won’t stop until one side is finished!” Aimee had been glued to the news all morning, unable to pull herself away. The drama hit a fever pitch when Tricia leaked an explosive audio clip, sending the story into a frenzy.

Clutching a bag of chips, Aimee had spent the afternoon absorbed in the unfolding spectacle. Realizing she couldn’t keep this to herself, she decided to call Katelyn and share the excitement. “Seriously, what’s the latest?” she asked.

Katelyn stifled a chuckle, barely managing to keep her composure. After orchestrating the stage for the two families to clash, she had largely forgotten about it. To her surprise, the drama was still unfolding.

Aimee’s voice crackled with excitement. “I can’t explain everything over the phone. You need to see it yourself. That audio clip has put Mr. Adams and you back in the spotlight.”

Katelyn glanced over at Vincent, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of Aimee’s cryptic words.

Just then, Vincent looked up. Their eyes met, and Vincent saw the bewilderment in Katelyn’s gaze. He closed his laptop with a soft thud. “What’s up?”

Katelyn shook off her confusion and replied, “Nothing important.”

She turned back to the phone and said, “I’ll check out the trending news now. Talk soon.”

More chapters on gν.

“Hurry up. Make sure to get some popcorn,” Aimee teased. “This is even crazier than a soap opera.”

Katelyn grunted in response and ended the call with a quick swipe. Stories about Tricia and Lise dominated the top trending news, but Katelyn noticed her and Vincent’s names repeatedly tagged at the bottom.

Their news had been pushed aside before, and Katelyn puzzled over why it was resurfacing now. Driven by curiosity, she clicked on one of the links. The reason quickly became clear.

The audio clip released by Tricia was from a confrontation with Lise. In the recording, Lise not only admitted to staging Tricia’s supposed suicide but also claimed that Katelyn and Vincent were behind a grand scheme. That was why their names were making headlines again.

Katelyn’s expression tightened with irritation, her eyes flashing with anger. Lise had spun a web of lies to drag her down. As Katelyn played the audio, she kept the volume up, making it easy for Vincent to overhear. His attention, however, was focused on Katelyn, noting the irritation that flashed across her face as she furrowed her brow.

“Lise is now acting like a wild animal, biting anyone who comes near,” he remarked.

After hearing the recording, Katelyn came to a grim conclusion. A shadow of concern crossed Vincent’s face. He tapped his fingers on the laptop and said, “The Guerrero family isn’t going to back down. This won’t end well for either of us.”

Katelyn sighed deeply and looked up at Vincent. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Adams. It’s because of me that you’re caught up in this,” she said.

Vincent’s brows furrowed as he turned to her. “Why are you apologizing to me?” Vincent asked, clearly puzzled.

Katelyn looked up, her eyes steady. “If Lise hadn’t gone to such lengths to drag me into this, she wouldn’t have made up those stories about us being involved,” she explained. Her tone was serious, and her words were measured as she continued, “I’m afraid we can’t do anything about the news for now. The more it’s talked about, the more it will impact both the Bailey and Guerrero families. It really hurts your reputation, though,” she added.

Katelyn, who had become resilient from facing her own struggles, was concerned for Vincent’s innocence in all of this.

“It’s nothing to worry about. I don’t really mind,” Vincent said with a relaxed smile, his voice nonchalant. “What I’m more interested in is what you plan to do next,” he added, his gaze fixed intently on her.

Katelyn was caught off guard by the intensity of his look.

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