Chapter 11

Theobald saw the look on Marguerite's face and his heart sank.

She was rarely serious, but when she was, it was terrifying.

He fiddled with the rosary beads on his right wrist. "You know about me and Hannah?"

Marguerite rolled her eyes. "We live in the digital age. Is it that hard to find out? I scroll through Tik Tok and seven out of ten videos are about you and Hannah. The other three are about her and Joshua."

Theobald marveled at his sister's ability to adapt. That's my sister, alright.

Then he said, "Hannah and Joshua are just a publicity stunt. Joshua forced her into it. It's not real."

Marguerite's eyes widened. "Is that what she told you?"

No wonder her idiot brother was willing to be such a simp.

Theobald nodded, his voice firm. "Yes. Joshua is a womanizer with no morals."

Marguerite tilted her head. "And you don't think it's possible they were actually together?"

"Impossible," Theobald said, his tone resolute. “Don't listen to the gossip accounts."

Marguerite knew her brother. Once he made up his mind about something, words could rarely sway him.

She smiled faintly. "Alright. Well, so much for being his top priority."

Theobald frowned. "What does that mean?"

Marguerite took a sip of milk. "Nothing. Anyway, from now on, you can't have any more meltdowns like yesterday. Shutting down the entire mall-have you even considered the financial and reputational damage?"

Theobald took Marguerite's words as law; it was ingrained in his very being.

"I know. It won't happen again."

Marguerite tapped her fingers on the table. "Did Hannah message you last night?"

"She did," Theobald confirmed.

So, Hannah did care about him.

"Let me see." Marguerite held out her hand.

Theobald handed over his phone without a second thought. He didn't believe he had any secrets that Marguerite couldn't know.

Marguerite had told Anna to ignore the trending news because she wanted to see how Hannah would react, to figure out her game.

Her slender, white fingers swiped across the screen, scrolling up through their chat history.

The name "Theo" appeared frequently, painting Hannah as innocent and sweet. But her attitude was a masterful dance of hot and cold, perfectly calculated.

Last night, she had sent a message: [Theo, were you out shopping with someone else today?]

Theobald had replied this morning: [That was my sister. Don't overthink it, Hannah.]

There was no response.

Marguerite had been puzzling over how a paparazzo had conveniently been at the mall yesterday. If he had been tailing Hannah, he wouldn't have been inside, because Hannah never entered. So how did he get photos of her and Theobald shopping?

It was highly likely that Hannah herself had hired him and had him wait inside in advance. She never showed, but the paparazzo saw Theobald with another woman Theobald was a public figure it was a story worth snapping.

Hannah had probably intended to use the photos to provoke Joshua.

Marguerite's long, curly lashes cast a soft shadow on her cheeks as she tapped the table again.

Yesterday's plan failed. Which meant she would probably try again.

Marguerite put down the phone. “Do you like Hannah a lot?”

Theobald thought for a moment. “Yes. I met her at a business dinner. She's a pure, self-reliant woman."

“And what makes you think she's a pure, self-reliant woman?” Marguerite pressed.

Theobald recalled the memory. "At~~ that dinner, everyone was trying to flatter me, toasting me. She was the onlyone who didn't it showed she. doesn't like taking shortcuts.

Marguerite understood. A classic, textbook way to capture a CEO's attention.

"After reading your chats, I agree, she seems like a nice girl. Looks like the news last night upset her. You should book a restaurant tonight and apologize properly."