Chapter 359 Ruining Hook-up Plans
As the footsteps got closer and closer, Rachel held her breath. She wished that her heart would stop beating. Fortunately, the car was close to a wall. It didn’t look like a spot one could hide in if one looked, so the reporter just glanced at the car before leaving quickly.
After the sound of the reporter’s footsteps disappeared, Rachel sucked in a deep breath. She nearly suffocated there. Her chest heaved, now that air instantly filled her lungs, especially after she had been gasping for air from all that running earlier.
As she panted, Rachel looked around her. “I think he’s gone,” Rachel said, her voice as soft as a mosquito. She then made to move. “Let’s go.”
“Don’t move!” Justin suddenly pressed her shoulders down with his back pressed against the wall. He wanted to put some space between them. His usually cold face was now an abnormal shade of red.
Rachel initially didn’t understand, but when she felt something poke her in the thigh, she realized what was going on. Instantly, her eyes widened in disbelief. She shook Justin’s hands off herself the next moment. “What the heck are you thinking?” she chided.
Justin felt awkward and exasperated. He didn’t want this to happen right now either, but a man’s physiology was vastly different from a woman’s. It was easy for his mind to wander off when he was trapped in such a cramped space and when he could clearly smell the perfume lingering by Rachel’s neck.
“Sorry, I…”
Before Justin could finish his apology, Rachel extracted herself and put a safe distance between themselves.
What is up with him? How is he still like this even in such a time?
Just as she was thinking this, a yell came from somewhere. “They’re over there!”
Rachel’s expression changed. Crap! I forgot we’re still dodging the reporters!
The reporters came surging over. This time, they really had no place to hide.
Beep—beep— The sound of a horn blared throughout the parking lot. Two blinding lights lit up in front of them. Rachel and Justin were still frozen by the time the MPV stopped in front of them. The door to the back of the MPV opened.
“Get in,” came a man’s voice from inside. It was Leroy’s manager, the one called Emmett.
Rachel and Justin immediately got into the MPV.
The MPV zoomed out of the parking lot and merged with the rest of the traffic on the road. Since the MPV was such a huge target, the reporters soon chased after them in their own cars.
“Will they catch up?” Rachel glanced back, but she could tell that two of those cars were quick in following them.
“You best believe that this horde of reporters are like hounds. We still need to make a few circles and wait a little longer. Once all of them are on our tails, Leroy and Jolly would be able to leave.”
“Will that work though?” Rachel was worried. “Can they weather this?”
She and Justin were only treating the symptoms by diverting the reporters away. If Leroy couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation to sooth his fans and let the situation continue to fester, things would only get worse.
Emmett frowned. “That’s a problem.”
“We need to immediately hold an emergency press conference and clarify things.” Justin’s voice rang throughout the MPV.
“No!” Emmett shot him down immediately. “Leroy’s career is currently on the rise. Rather than holding a press con that won’t convince the reporters, it’s better to just leave the situation alone and let it die down by itself. The press con won’t work.”
“Whether the press conference works or not, both Leroy and Jolly will have to put out a clarification. The mob currently at Hudson Pharmaceuticals is the most important problem here.”
“So, Hudson Pharmaceuticals is important, but not Leroy?” Emmett grumbled. “Speak for yourself. Leroy shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where he is now. His career is about to be destroyed because of all the speculation around this incident.”
Casting couch deals were indeed something that happened frequently in the entertainment industry. Once one was rumored to be involved in one, they would never be able to shake the rumors off. It would become a stain on their career in showbiz forever.
Justin wanted to say something, but Rachel cut him off. “Let’s not argue about this for now. The press conference must be held. Both Leroy and Jolly shouldn’t have to be scapegoats. This incident must be investigated from its source.”
There was absolutely no doubt that someone else was behind everything in the dark. But just who planned this?
Emmett dropped Rachel and Justin off at Hudson Pharmaceuticals. Shortly after, Leroy and Jolly arrived as well.
The crowd around the company building’s entrance had already dissipated. There were a few policemen patrolling the perimeter in order to prevent any unexpected encounters.
“What should we do about this?” Jolly immediately poured herself a large glass of iced water once she was inside Rachel’s office. Clearly, she had been rattled. She shot a look at a certain person at the side of the room. “Why haven’t you left yet?”
“Mr. Burton just helped us,” Leroy reminded. “Jolly…”
“So? I didn’t ask him to help me.”
Justin wasn’t angry at this at all as he handed Rachel a glass of water good-naturedly. However, Rachel felt awkward, and she was also worried that Justin felt uncomfortable. “Why don’t you call my secretary over and ask her to have some snacks delivered here.”
“Okay.” Justin nodded and headed for the door.
Jolly continued to be all high and mighty as she rolled her eyes, completely ungrateful.
Rachel didn’t say anything about Jolly’s attitude. Instead, she simply looked at Jolly carefully with a solemn gaze. “Jolly, have you offended anyone recently?”
It wasn’t very likely that the orchestrator had a grudge against Hudson Pharmaceuticals, for the entire campaign had targeted Jolly. The fans had been yelling for her head.
“How would I know?” Jolly threw her hands up. “I’ve stepped on far too many toes.”
“What about you, Leroy?”
Leroy shook his head as well and glanced at Jolly. “I don’t interact with others much during my personal time. It’s mostly brand managers. But if you’re asking about my rivals in the industry, then there are far too many to count… Still, I find it very strange, since I’m not the one being targeted.”
“What’s so strange about it?” A familiar man’s voice came from the door.
Everyone froze. Rachel looked up, a dumbstruck look on her face.
Justin had opened the door. The person who had just strolled in probably did so because Justin had opened the door, and the secretary hadn’t stopped the man either. He was dressed in a black suit, weary-looking as he stood there. He hadn’t brought an assistant with him.
“Mr. Sutton?”
It was Ryan Sutton.
Jolly’s forehead creased into a frown when she saw him. “Weren’t you on a business trip?”
“Did you think I would be able to concentrate on my business trip when I saw the news?” Ryan strode right in, his gaze sweeping coldly over Leroy when he saw him.
Instantly, Leroy clenched his fists. He looked awful.
Rachel’s heart stopped for a moment as realization hit her. Ryan’s ex-wife, Estelle, had been Leroy’s girlfriend back in the day when he was still a university student. Back then, just as they were about to discuss marriage, Estelle suddenly got married to Ryan…
And now, Ryan had divorced Estelle and began to pursue Jolly. Yet Jolly and Leroy ended up getting into a messy rumor with each other…
Did these four people ruin each other’s plans for hooking up? What was going on?
Rachel suddenly felt her temples twitch. What a headache, a huge one!
Jolly had always been slow on the uptake when it came to her own feelings. Right now, she wasn’t aware of anything as she asked directly, “You’re saying that you know who the mastermind is?”
Rachel looked at Ryan as well. Right! That’s the important part.
