Chapter 262

Trudy never imagined Eleanor would voice such words in front of everyone, and her face soured instantly.

Still, recalling the backing she enjoyed from both her and Nolan's grandfathers, she steadied herself in an instant.

She adjusted her crumpled gown, recovered her refined bearing, and retorted in a calm, measured voice, "Eleanor, you misrepresent everything.Whatever ties you share wth Nolan amount only to a fleeting affair unworthy of serious acknowledgment."

With a sudden shift in tone, she carried on, "Yet I remain generous. As long as Nolan feels content,I have no complaints. I promised Norwood a chess match, so I must excuse myself. I shall not intrude further." After saying this, Trudy pivoted gracefully and exited.

Lillian stood stunned beyond words, breath caught in her throat. "Eleanor! How can she display such brazen audacity?"

Eleanor, however, stayed composed, resting her palm lightly on Lillian's hand as a quiet reassurance.

Lillian, nevertheless, refused to move past it. Why should Eleanor bear the stigma of being a mnistress?

Around them, reporters and fans surged forward,unleashing a storm of questions.

"Ms. Brooks, how do you answer the rumors flooding the Internet?"

"Didn't Enigma and Nolan have an engagement? Why is she being branded as another woman?"

"Is Enigma truly despised by the Stewart family?"

Hearing the uproar, Lillian's fury deepened.

Even so, she recognized Trudy's remarkable skill at distorting reality. As her eyes swept the flashing cameras, inspiration struck suddenly.

If Trudy chose to engage in the battle of public opinion, Lillian resolved to join the game and let her suffer the consequences of her own schemes.

She would never allow anyone to trample Eleanor.

After leaving the store, Trudy slid into the Maybach idling nearby.

She sank into the leather seat, uunfastened her earrings, and tossed them into the armrest box.

Next, she drew out her phone, scrolling through the online chatter with amusement.

Her lips curved with satisfaction as she discovered the earlier drama had already climbed to the top of trending searches.

Very soon, the world would accept that she was destined to become Nolan's wife, while Eleanor was reduced to a mere mistress.

Relishing the thought, Trudy started the engine,riding high on triumph.

Yet her elation quickly dissolved.

Barely two junctions later, her phone rang shrilly.

Answering, she heard her father, Miguel White,raging. "Did you step foot in Enigma's shop today?"

Trudy, unconcerned, answered lightly, "Yes. Eleanor marked an important day, so I went to offer congratulations."

Miguel exploded. "Congratulations? Do you grasp that White Group's stock is collapsing? Enigma's fans are boycotting our products everywhere! Why would you upset her?"

What?

Trudy's head spun, blank and ringing.

Stock collapsing? How was that even possible? Without a moment to process, she slammed the phone down, pulled over to the curb, and shaking,tapped open her social media app.

The trending list had shifted, overtaken by tags like #Enigma'sFansAgainstSlander,#TrudyThelntruder,#TrudyApologizeToEleanor, and #BoycottingWhiteGroup.

How could everything unravel so fast?

Rattled and panicked, she clicked the hottest post,a long piece written by one of Enigma's prominent fans.

The headline struck like a blow. It read, "Exposing Trudy's Hypocrisy."

The article displayed a detailed chronological chart,documenting every milestone of Eleanor and Nolan's romance, each backed by media coverage or event photos.

Trudy's name appeared only six months after Eleanor and Nolan had declared their relationship publicly. After that came viral snapshots portraying the so-called "mistress flaunting happiness while the real partner wept."

Each image was dissected meticulously, frame by frame.

The piece ended with surveillance video from Enigma's boutique, capturing Trudy declaring herself Nolan's fiancée.

The comment thread seethed with outrage.

"Unbelievable! What a twist-Trudy White is vile."

"With that performance, she should join the theater."

"My heart goes out to Lillian, insulted so viciously by such deceit."

"And Eleanor-how unjust, being with Nolan from the start yet branded an intruder."

"White Group? Say no more. I'm done buying from them!"

Trudy's vision blurred as she scrolled. She never dreamed Eleanor's supporters wielded such force.

Defeat stared her in the face.

Yet none of it mattered.

Online uproar was meaningless.

If she had a secure marriage with Nolan, she remained victorious.

That thought dulled her fury slightly.

Yet, watching the online insults pile up alongside White Group's tumbling stock prices, she couldn't quell her resentment.

She vowed not to forgive, and resolved to make Eleanor and Lillian suffer greatly for today's disgrace.