After everything was over, Charlene calmly got up and put her clothes back on. “Don’t tell anybody about this just yet. I have my own plans.” Satisfied with their earlier entanglement, the man was obedient. “Don’t worry. Your word goes. I’ll help you continue keeping an eye on him. If I dig up something else, I’ll be sure to inform you immediately.” Charlene was pleased by his answer. “All right then. That’s all for today. You can go back first.” The man got up, his reluctance obvious as he wrapped his arms around her waist. “How I wish I could be with you every second of the day.
I don’t want to part with you for even a moment.” Charlene chuckled. “There will be plenty of time for that.” A pleased look came over the man’s face when he heard that. After he leaned forward and kissed Charlene’s cheek, he left. Charlene looked at the bundle of photos after the man left, an idea already in her mind. She walked straight out of the room and headed to the reception counter. “Is Jack here at the agency today?”
“He is. According to the schedules, he should be rehearsing in the singing practice room today,” said the receptionist. Having gotten the information she wanted, Charlene thanked the receptionist. She then took the elevator up. Jack was currently rehearsing for a commercial performance. Right at that moment, the door to the practice room swung open. Charlene stood by the door and watched Jack practice, fascinated, but she didn’t interrupt him. Once Jack finished singing, she finally clapped. “Nice singing chops. No wonder you’re the most popular singer out there now.”
Jack’s brows furrowed slightly. He didn’t show any indication that he was delighted about Charlene’s sudden appearance. Instead, he coldly asked, “Why are you here?” Charlene didn’t mind his dismissiveness toward her though as she strode over to him. “I came to see you, of course. After all, the company has plans for us to collaborate and release a single together. I think it’s a good plan. Why don’t we give it a try?” Jack immediately refused. “Sorry, not interested. If you have nothing else to say, please leave. Don’t bother me while I’m practicing.”
Charlene wasn’t miffed by his answer. Instead, she laughed and followed him. “Who said that I’m done? I never just show up without a reason.” Jack was already at the end of his patience. “If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, get out.” She wasn’t in a hurry. Instead, she smirked. “I heard that you’ve been dating someone recently, and your partner is even a high school student. Is that true?” At those words, Jack’s eyes promptly darkened. Although he had no idea where Charlene had gotten this ridiculous, made-up rumor, her words would definitely harm a girl’s reputation. “You heard? Do you have proof?” Jack asked. The smile on Charlene’s face widened, for she realized that Jack had gotten nervous.
This was a good sign. It proved that the events in the photos were most likely real. “Don’t get yourself too worked up. I may have heard a rumor, but the informant was there at the scene. The informant even said that you two went to a hospital recently…” Jack could no longer bear to hear her continue. “If you’ve got anything to say, say it all at once. But I’m warning you—defamation is a crime.” Charlene hadn’t expected Jack to bristle this much, but she hadn’t come here to pick a fight with Jack. “Young Master Jack, how heavy your words are. I came looking for you today because for one, I have definite proof.
That’s why I’m even talking to you like this. And secondly, I actually haven’t planned about releasing anything even though I do have proof. I just have a teeny-tiny request that I want you to fulfill. Can I interest you with a deal, using the proof I have?” Jack wondered if Charlene had a few screws loose. “I don’t know what proof you’re talking about, but that won’t threaten me. As for the deal you mentioned, sorry, but I’m not interested. Go look for someone else.” Jack had shot her down very directly.
Charlene hadn’t expected him to not give her the time of day at all. Initially, she thought of using the material she had to strike a deal with Jack and manipulate her current position in the entertainment industry. But now, it was evident that she couldn’t use Jack for that plan. Charlene watched him, still unwilling to let things slip. “Are you sure? If the proof I have on hand gets leaked, your reputation might end up completely in the gutter. Are you not at all worried?” Jack couldn’t bear listening to her anymore. He thought that Charlene didn’t just have a few screws loose in her head; even her mentality was unhinged.
Haven’t I made things clear enough, or can she not understand human speech? “What should I be worried about? Miss Rivers, if you have the time to talk about unsubstantiated rumors and attempt to make underhanded deals, then you have the time to spend on working on your craft. Other than a single song released when you debuted years ago, have you had any other works? As entertainers in showbiz, at the end of the day, we need skills to back up our words. Is there any point when you keep talking about things that may or may not be true?”
Charlene’s face oscillated between red and white from anger after Jack rebuked her. Her expression was not at all a pretty sight. To top it off, Jack’s words struck Charlene in all her critical spots, ripping open her old wounds that she didn’t want anyone to see. In all actuality, she didn’t have any other works to show for herself. Her solo release had also been something that she had stolen from H years ago. Charlene quietly clenched her fists. She wanted to say more, but Jack didn’t want to continue to humor her. When he saw that she still hadn’t left, he picked up his jacket and left the practice room instead.
Instantly, Charlene was the only one left in the massive practice room. She looked at herself in the mirror, feeling like a joke. So that’s how you want to play it, Jack? If you won’t give me an easy time, you can forget about living well too. Charlene took out her phone and dialed a number. “Andrew, I have a huge scoop that I’d like to sell to you…” Upon hearing that Charlene had a scoop for him, Andrew scrambled to ask, “Who’s the unfortunate soul you set your sights on this time?” Charlene’s eyes darkened as she said, “Jack Griffith.” However, she hadn’t thought that Andrew would immediately refuse after he heard that it was a member of the Griffith Family.
“I don’t have the guts to spill anything about him. Their PR team is a wall. And besides, with the Griffith Group backing them, I’m going to be in seriously hot water if they decide to come after me for payback.” Charlene’s expression began to scrunch up. “What? Don’t tell me you’re scared too?” “It’s not a matter of being scared. You have to know, there are some dos and don’ts in my line of work. Still, I’m rather curious about what kind of earth-shattering, juicy info you have in hand.”
When she heard him say that, Charlene knew that Andrew was seriously interested in the information she had. Instantly, she composed herself. “What I have here is enough to destroy Jack Griffith. I just wonder if you have the courage to expose him.” Now that Charlene had said that, Andrew was no longer simply interested in the information she was sitting on. “Sounds like really valuable material. Name your price.” Shortly after their negotiation, Charlene received a notification from her bank informing of an incoming fund transfer. She then sent her backup copies of the photos to Andrew. 8 p.m. was when office workers were free after work.
After grinding through a day’s work, they would scroll through Twitter and other social media platforms. Right at that hour, however, a series of photos that no one expected were published as sponsored posts. Soon after that, ‘Jack Griffith Exposed For Dating,’ ‘Jack Griffith Solicits Underage High School Student,’ ‘Jack Griffith Forced Girlfriend Into Abortion,’ and other similar phrases shot their way onto Twitter’s trending page. The top three trends were all related to the photos of Jack. When netizens saw the photos, they were all taken aback. SentimentalBean: ‘Are these pics real?
Who would have thought that Jack would be the kind of person to hurt minors? That’s disgusting.’ I’mYourFrog: ‘Gotta reevaluate how I view the world now. Why does showbiz have someone like him? Quit your job.’ HappyPrince: ‘He’s practically like the grossest of scumbags. I’ve got no idea how someone like him still has fans.’ JustAWolf: ‘I just pity the girl. So young, yet already forced into things like this.
It’s plain to see that Jack was just toying with her. This is just so harmful toward her, especially since she’s underage.’ Instantly, Twitter was riddled with Tweets and replies about the photos. Out of ten posts, nine of them would be criticizing or lambasting Jack. Charlene couldn’t stop the smug look on her face as she watched the posts stream in. This is what happens when you go against me, Jack.
