Rebirth vs. Rebirth Tragedy to Triumph by Violeta and Zelena [[Chapters 561, to 570]] – Daisy Novels  

Chapter 561

In other words, the police either needed to catch the culprit red handed today, or the matter would have to be discreetly resolved.

Zelena was determined to protect Celeste.

Celeste had been by her side for years and knew too much.

If something happened to Celeste, it would create significant problems for Zelena as well.

Celeste voiced her confusion. “It’s really strange. Why is Polly so clever? How did she know to prepare for this as if she knew someone was going to harm her? Has she been framed before?”

This question puzzled Zelena too.

If it weren’t for that pesky plush doll, Polly wouldn’t have been able to clear her name even if she tried her best.

How had she become so cautious?

She must have been warned in advance.

But by whom?

Could it be Violeta?

Violeta’s face flashed through Zelena’s mind, and her eyes narrowed.

Come to think of it, only Violeta could have pulled this off.

Zelena didn’t have time to dwell on it further.

She instructed Celeste, “Anyway, you should go to the dressing room and change your clothes quickly. Hurry!”

“Sure!”

Meanwhile, the police and the others watched the video that had been uploaded to the cloud from Polly’s phone.

In the short five-minute video, there was a clip of less than thirty seconds showing a figure wearing a black hat and a blue medical mask.

In the footage, it was clear that this person placed a shiny necklace into the pocket of the makeup bag and then quickly left.

“Here it is! Look, it’s this person! This is the one who put the necklace in the makeup bag. We didn’t steal it, now the truth is out!”

Margot was visibly emotional.

Gilbert acknowledged, “Indeed, someone did put the necklace in there.”

However, the police officer didn’t jump to conclusions. “This could be a deliberate frame-up, but the footage is too blurry, and the person is wearing a hat and mask. It will take time to identify them.”

Margot argued, “What do you mean, ‘could be”? This was clearly a setup!”

Polly glanced at Margot and added, “The fact that this person was wearing a hat and mask shows that it was intentional, and there’s a high possibility that they’re someone present here.”

After saying this, Polly’s gaze swept over the crowd. She then asked, “Where are Zelena and her assistant Celeste?”

Everyone was stunned.

At this point, all of them realized that Zelena and Celeste were missing.

Gilbert responded, “They were here just a moment ago, but now I don’t know where they went. They might have gone back to their room.”

Just then, Zelena entered. She held her phone and quickly said, “It’s not looking good. There’s chaos outside, and the delay in the event has already trended on social media.”.

Gilbert’s eyes widened. “What? That quickly? This can’t go on. We’ve already delayed too long. If we keep postponing, it won’t work. The event needs to start immediately. Let’s put this matter aside for now. After all, the necklace has been found.”

A lot of effort and money had gone into planning this offline event. There was no way they could just cancel it.

The event’s original start time had already been delayed by more than half an hour.

Outside, the fans were getting restless, their emotions nearing a breaking point. If they didn’t provide a reasonable explanation, the trending news could seriously damage the company’s reputation.

Gilbert couldn’t bear such a huge responsibility, so he wanted to smooth things over.
Unfortunately, the police had already been called, and the case was under investigation; it couldn’t just be dismissed.
The police officer looked calmly and sternly at the person in charge, enunciating clearly, “This is a case of deliberate framing involving a large sum of money. The circumstances are serious, potentially involving charges of false accusation and framing. This isn’t something that can just end because you say so. Ms. Tillery, please hand over the video memory card. All individuals involved will need to undergo further police investigation.”
This was exactly what Polly wanted to happen. She handed over the memory card without hesitation.
After all, she had backup videos on her phone, so it didn’t
matter if she handed over the memory card.
Gilbert looked anxious, unsure of what to do.
At that moment, Margot suddenly remembered something and said, “Officer, I think I’ve seen someone wearing the same clothes as the person in the video earlier at the event.”

Chapter 562

“Oh? Do you remember who it was?” the officer inquired.
Margot thought carefully, then looked at Zelena and firmly stated, “It was Zelena’s assistant, Celeste.”
What was meant to happen would happen; it was unavoidable.
All eyes turned toward Zelena.
Zelena forced a smile and asked, “What? Really? Are you sure?”
Margot’s tone was unwavering. “Yes, I am sure. Why would I lie in front of the police?”
Having changed her clothes, Celeste entered the room and made her way through the crowd. She quickly surveyed the room, sensing that something was wrong, but maintained a calm facade as she said, “There’s a commotion outside!”
Zelena subtly glanced at her, exchanging a look.
“You’re here. We were just talking about you.”
Celeste played along. “Talking about me? What about?”
Zelena questioned, “Why don’t you explain why your clothes match the ones in the video?”
Celeste feigned surprise. “Huh? What video? That can’t be true.”
Polly remained silent, simply watching Zelena and Celeste with a scrutinizing gaze.

The officer stepped forward and briefly explained the footage from the video.
Celeste pretended to suddenly realize. “Oh, you mean that! I haven’t worn that plaid shirt in ages. I accidentally got it wet when I was getting water for Ms. Blake, so I took it off and changed it into something else. I’ve already thrown it away. Oh no! Could someone have worn my shirt to do something bad?”
Zelena chimed in, “What? How could this happen? You’re so careless. Why did you throw away the shirt?”
Celeste replied, “It was an old shirt, dirty and wet, no point in keeping it.”
The two of them were putting on quite a convincing act.
Meanwhile, Gilbert was more concerned about the situation outside.
He anxiously asked, “You said there’s a commotion outside? What’s going on? Are the fans causing trouble?”
Celeste nodded and replied, “Indeed! There’s already a commotion. They’re saying if the event doesn’t start soon, they’re going to leave. They’ve also recorded a lot of videos on their phones, and it looks like they’re planning to post them online to complain.”
Gilbert roared, “That’s unacceptable! We need to start the event immediately! Officer, you can continue your investigation, and we’ll fully cooperate. But the event needs to start now! We can’t delay any longer.”
Gilbert urged the event to begin as soon as possible.

Celeste insisted that she had changed her clothes and that the ones she was wearing now weren’t the same as those in the video.
The officer only needed their cooperation for the investigation and had no strong opinion on whether the event should proceed.
Now, it was up to Polly.
If Polly was willing to let the matter slide and allow the event to proceed, the officer wouldn’t have any reason to delay things further.
Gilbert and the other staff members all looked expectantly at Polly.
Polly knew that continuing the investigation on-site would be the ideal opportunity to expose the truth. However, Zelena and Celeste vehemently denied any involvement.
While the video on Polly’s phone could clear her name, it
couldn’t definitively prove that Celeste was the one who planted the necklace.
As the victim, Polly had every right to request that the police continue their investigation on the spot.
But…
After all, she was a guest at this brand event and had a partnership as a friend of the brand.
If the event ended before it even started because of her, she would gain a rather undesirable reputation in the fashion world.

Although she didn’t intend to make a significant impact in the fashion industry, she was still an artist.
Offending the brand wouldn’t benefit her in any way.
As Polly weighed her options, Zelena’s eyes flashed with a dark gleam, and she said, “Perhaps we should continue the investigation. This matter concerns a lot of people, especially Polly’s reputation. The person who framed others is truly despicable and must be caught.”
Polly frowned slightly.
What was Zelena up to?
Was this a trick?
Gilbert immediately objected, “No way! If we delay any longer, all the preparations for the event will be for nothing, and it will be a fatal blow to the brand’s reputation.”

Chapter 563

This event was just one of the Artea-Pacifica Quinston had planned.
If this incident escalated, it would undoubtedly alert the headquarters.
The relentless netizens wouldn’t care who the primary planner was; they would flood the brand’s official Facebook account with complaints regardless.
Whether Gilbert could keep his job was uncertain, but he might have to bear some of the financial burden for this incident.
The most pressing matter now was to start the event quickly and then offer a sincere apology on-site.
As long as the attending fans didn’t have too many complaints, everything would be easier to manage.
So, Gilbert turned to Polly and pleaded, “Polly, please, can you help me out here? Do you want to ruin our relationship? I’ve already promised that all our staff will fully cooperate with the police investigation. What more do you want?”
He continued, “Besides, if this event is ruined and the truth hasn’t come out yet, the first thing netizens will think is that you’re the one who stole the necklace. Polly, you need to think carefully!”
Polly had been wavering.

But Zelena’s words had completely severed any goodwill between her and the brand, putting them at odds.

Polly also had her company to consider, so what choice did she have?

She could only compromise.

“I’m not trying to make things difficult. If that’s the case, let’s start the event,” she conceded.

“Officer, thank you for coming today. I’ll continue to follow up

on this matter, and I appreciate your efforts.”

The police, focused on their duty, didn’t mind the inconvenience.

They made a brief record of the people on-site and then went to review the surveillance footage.

The event finally began.

However, after the earlier incident, none of the invited guests were in a particularly good mood, and they simply went through the motions on stage with the host.

Fortunately, Gilbert quickly came up with the idea to add a raffle, giving away a plethora of branded makeup products and other merchandise.

This finally calmed the disgruntled fans.

He then swiftly had someone address the online backlash, effectively resolving the PR crisis before it could escalate.

In the follow-up investigation, the police did find an old, dirty plaid shirt in the trash can by the back door of the event.

It was the shirt belonging to Celeste.

Could it be that the person who framed Polly really had nothing to do with Celeste?

The suspicion couldn’t be completely dismissed.

After this tense confrontation, Polly and Zelena had nearly destroyed each other.

Following the event, Polly, still shaken, called Violeta.

Violeta was on set filming but took a moment to answer.

After hearing what had happened, Polly angrily accused Zelena.

“Vio, if you hadn’t warned me beforehand, I would’ve been done for today.

“I’m almost certain that Zelena’s assistant, Celeste, was behind this. The video didn’t capture her face, but the figure was definitely hers! But they’re adamantly denying it.

“This is outrageous. She must be a repeat offender. Who knows how many people she’s wronged before?

“I won’t let this go. I’m going to investigate this thoroughly!

“And she’s so vicious, trying to create a rift between me and the brand to force me to drop the investigation. It’s absolutely despicable.” Violeta listened quietly to Polly’s angry rant.

Polly took a sip of water and asked after calming down, “Vio, has Zelena ever falsely accused you before?”

Violeta softly replied, “Worst than that.”

Polly was shocked. “What? She really hurt you?”

Violeta replied, “Yes, but it’s a long story. As long as she didn’t succeed in harming you this time, Polly, that’s what matters. Now that you know how dangerous she is, you must be even more careful in the future.”

Framing and false accusations were indeed low-level tactics, but they could be surprisingly effective.

Zelena had underestimated Polly, assuming she would be an easy target.

Now that her initial attempt had failed, Zelena was likely to resort to other, potentially more malicious methods in the future.

Violeta couldn’t always be there to shield Polly.

From now on, Polly would have to learn to navigate these treacherous waters on her own.

This confrontation had opened Polly’s eyes to Zelena’s true nature.

She wouldn’t dare to let her guard down again.

Chapter 564

Polly was completely baffled. “I have no grudge against Zelena.

Why would she frame me? I just can’t figure it out.”

Having been in the industry for years, Polly knew there were many unspoken rules.

She didn’t have much of a background, had worked diligently as a supporting actress for many years, and didn’t push too hard for leading roles.

She was content with being a solid second-tier actress. This industry made it easy to earn money, and Polly wasn’t overly ambitious. She was happy acting, traveling, and taking care of her cats.

She had never had a feud with anyone before, so this was the first time someone had schemed against her.

Polly couldn’t understand. Had I unknowingly offended Zelena?

Violeta revealed the truth. “It’s because Zelena also likes Nolan. You two are rivals in love.”

Polly was silent for a moment, her voice full of surprise. “What?!”

Violeta glanced at the time and realized her scene was about to start.

“In any case, Polly, don’t let Zelena off the hook this time. Make sure to get to the bottom of this. I’ll call you tonight after filming.”

“Alright.”

Meanwhile…

After the event ended, Zelena’s team drove away from the venue.

Celeste was still shaken and even regretted helping Zelena with this scheme.

“Ms. Blake, what if the police trace this back to me? What should I do?”

“Why are you panicking? We’ll deal with it if it comes to that,” Zelena replied casually.

Celeste felt resentful.

If it weren’t for helping her, Celeste wouldn’t have dared to do something like this, even if she had the bravery of a lion.

But after taking such a risk for her, all she got was a dismissive response.

Zelena really had no heart!

However, Celeste kept her resentment to herself, not daring to voice it.

After all, she still needed this job.

After a while, Zelena spoke again, “Buy a trending spot, give Polly some exposure.”

Celeste’s expression froze. “The brand has already suppressed the previous trending topic. If we stir things up again, what if it gets out of hand?

“Besides, the police are also investigating this. If the attention gets too high, the police won’t easily let it go because of public pressure.”

Wasn’t this just pushing me into the fire?

Celeste was reluctant.

Zelena’s eyes narrowed, her tone lowering with a hint of menace. “How do you expect to get anywhere with such a timid attitude? If you do get caught, I’ll hire the best lawyer to defend you; I won’t abandon you! Besides, I’m not trying to drag the brand into this; I’m aiming to drag Polly down.”

What had happened today couldn’t be undone.

Since the commotion had already started, why waste such a golden opportunity?

By branding Polly as a thief, it didn’t matter whether it was true or not-as long as the public associated her name with “thief,” Polly’s career would be ruined.

That was Zelena’s goal.

Would Nolan still like a woman labeled as a thief?

Celeste hesitated. “But…”

Zelena’s gaze turned icy, and her voice dropped even lower, carrying an unmistakable threat.

“Is it really that hard for you to do what I ask?”

“Fine.”

The trending topic went up in the middle of the night.

Before anyone realized it, the phrase “Polly Theft” was already sitting at the top of the trending list.

Many night owls who hadn’t gone to bed yet were the first to catch the news.

A small Facebook account posted a story. “Today’s brand event, which had been in preparation for half a month, was delayed by nearly forty minutes. The brand was completely blamed for it, but the real reason is that a certain popular actress lost her necklace backstage, causing chaos.

“The brand called the police, and when the officers arrived, they found the necklace in the dressing room of a certain actress with a surname starting with T. Just a little inside scoop, it was hidden in the inner pocket of her makeup bag! I really feel sorry for her fans. Imagine idolizing a thief! It’s truly sad.”

This post quickly gained traction on Facebook.

With the help of the online trolls Zelena had hired, the topic shot to the top of the trending list.

After the buzz began to spread, the account that posted the story was immediately deactivated and disappeared from Facebook.

Chapter 565

By now, screenshots of those posts were spreading like wildfire across the internet.

The buzz was immense!

A large number of marketing accounts seized these so-called screenshots and posted sensational headlines on Facebook.

Curious netizens quickly found candid photos from the event.

Among all the female celebrities invited, many were adorned with jewelry.

But the most eye-catching was the large diamond necklace gracing Zelena’s neck.

As a result, Zelena quickly became the second trending artist, involuntarily thrust into the spotlight.

Zelena’s Diamond #NecklaceSuspectedOfBeingStolen

#T-SurnameCelebritylsATheft!

These phrases almost blatantly spelled out Polly’s name.

At the event, Polly was the only person who fit the description of the artist with a surname starting with “T.”

Polly’s fans and Zelena’s fans were the first to arrive on the scene, immediately clashing under the top trending Facebook post.

“It’s easy to spread rumors, but debunking them is exhausting.

Can you really accuse a female star of theft without facing any consequences?”

“Why would Polly steal Zelena’s necklace? It’s not like she can’t afford it herself.”

“Is there any factual basis for this? Aren’t you afraid of being sued for making baseless claims?”

“Rich thieves do exist, though. Fun fact, there’s a psychological disorder called kleptomania, where wealthy people steal to satisfy their twisted desires. These people are just hidden perverts in society.”

“I’m not a fan of anyone, but Polly has been in the industry for so many years. It’s hard to believe she would risk her entire career to steal something at an event, right?”

“Am I the only one who feels bad for Zelena? If she doesn’t get her necklace back, she’ll have to pay for it herself, right? A few million isn’t exactly pocket change, even for a celebrity.”

Polly was asleep when her phone started ringing incessantly, thanks to her frantic manager, Avis Walsh.

She groggily answered the call, her expression gradually growing serious as she listened to Avis’ anxious voice.

The team hurriedly released a statement to clarify the situation.

The person who leaked the information online was cunning.

While it was easy to claim they were spreading rumors, they had actually included some truths.

It was true that the brand company called the police, and it was true that the necklace was found in Polly’s bag.

Since the real thief hadn’t been caught, the blame fell squarely on Polly.

Moreover, the leaker had cleverly manipulated the timeline.

The necklace had been found before the police arrived, not after.

In the former scenario, Polly appeared much more likely to have been falsely accused, leaving ample room for netizens to speculate.

In the latter, netizens would naturally assume that the police had found the necklace in Polly’s bag after their arrival.

This caused significant damage to Polly’s reputation.

The person who leaked the story could be dismissed as someone spreading baseless rumors, but they could also be accused of deliberately defaming Polly.

In any case, the person had already deactivated their Facebook account and disappeared overnight, leaving behind a mess.

Polly couldn’t sleep.

Late at night, she drove herself to the company for an emergency meeting.

Even after the clarification statement was released, the online backlash only intensified.

The meeting room was brightly lit.

Margot suggested, “Should we try to suppress the trending topic?”

But Avis disagreed. “No, if we do that, it will only confirm in people’s minds that Polly is guilty. They’ll think we’re trying to hide something by suppressing the topic.”

Polly clenched her fists tightly. “Get a lawyer. We’re suing.

“I can’t let them label me a thief. I have to take legal action!”

The trending topic continued to escalate overnight.

The next morning, Violeta woke up and headed to the set.

She saw the Polly theft scandal trending on Facebook.

When she arrived on set that morning, Kaylee had already caught wind of the scandal surrounding Polly. Before filming commenced, she couldn’t help but express her concern to Violeta. “Polly’s in such a tough spot. This scandal blowing up like this is bound to have a devastating impact on her career, don’t you think?”

For a celebrity to get caught up in something so absurd-it was impossible to clear her name, no matter how much she tried.

Polly’s team not only issued a clarification statement, but they also released screenshots from the plush doll’s video, showing someone entering the room to plant the necklace.

Chapter 566

However, aside from Polly’s loyal supporters, many self- proclaimed “rational” netizens were promoting the narrative that Polly herself was to blame.

“Why is this person accusing Polly and not someone else?”

“What does this vague video prove? Isn’t it possible that Polly herself put on a hat and mask to steal the necklace?”

Violeta acknowledged the online skepticism and said, “Yes, I know.”

“Could it be Zelena again? Is she the one framing Polly?”

Having experienced so much at Toland University, Kaylee immediately suspected Zelena, even though she didn’t yet know all the details.

“She once falsely accused me of stealing class funds! She’s an expert at this kind of dirty trick.”

It doesn’t take many dirty tricks just the ones that work.

Kaylee had been thoroughly disgusted by Zelena’s tactics back then.

Luckily, they were just students at the time, so the impact wasn’t as severe.

But Polly’s situation was much worse.

As a public figure, being dragged into this mess would undoubtedly affect her career prospects.

And besides, it was utterly humiliating!

It’s not like she couldn’t afford the necklace, but now she was being labeled a thief.

Violeta took a sip of hot water and said, “She thinks she’s being clever, but she’s actually digging her own grave.”

Kaylee was shocked. “Who?”

“Zelena.” Violeta picked up her phone, saying as she typed, “I’m going to introduce Polly to an excellent lawyer. She’s an old friend of ours.”

Originally, Zelena could have stayed low after failing to frame Polly, but she got overconfident and truly believed Polly was easy to bully.

This time, Zelena’s arrogance would be her downfall.

Kaylee paused. “Wait. Old friend? Who?”

Violeta waved her phone, and when Kaylee saw the name in the contacts, she was stunned.

She exclaimed, “Shirley!? She’s back?”

Shirley was once a top student who had been bullied by Zelena so badly that she had to drop out.

After receiving Violeta’s support, she followed her advice. She used the money to continue her studies, and perhaps due to her past experiences, she switched from science to law, going on to study law in university.

Now, several years later, she had become a highly successful lawyer.

Despite the years that had passed, Shirley had maintained contact with Violeta.

When she left Quinston, Violeta had given her some parting advice. “Leave Quinston, go to another city to grow, and come back when you’re strong enough.”

Now the time had come-she was strong enough.

Violeta forwarded Shirley’s contact information to Polly.

Polly’s company had already found a lawyer, but after receiving Violeta’s recommendation, she expressed her hesitation, “Vio, I’ve already hired a lawyer to handle this.”

Violeta was insistent. “Switch to her, if you trust me.”

Polly briefly hesitated and replied, “Well, fine, I’ll have someone reach out to her. Is she really that good? Why are you insisting on Shirley Tillery? I’ve never even heard of her before.”

Violeta explained, “Other lawyers work by the book, but even if she didn’t charge you, she’d still go all out to help you.”

“What’s the difference?”

Polly still didn’t understand.

Violeta paused, then said directly, “Other lawyers might have a one-in-a-million chance of being bribed, but Shirley will never be bought off.”

Zelena was known for using money to manipulate people.

But Shirley would never be swayed.

Because Shirley despised Zelena just as much as Violeta did.

Polly didn’t fully understand their history, but she trusted Violeta and had her team contact Shirley.

Violeta had already given Shirley a heads-up.

When Shirley received the message from Violeta, she was in Cascadia with her team, handling an international case.

Upon hearing about Polly’s situation, she immediately booked a flight back.

Polly did some digging into this Shirley that Violeta had so strongly recommended.

What she found was truly surprising.

Shirley had graduated from a prestigious law school and, due to her exceptional skills, had won the “Lawyer of the Year” award from the Bar Association for four consecutive years. She has also published numerous legal articles in national law journals, making her a well-known figure in the legal field.

Chapter 567

Shirley’s resume was a testament to her legal prowess, boasting high-profile defense cases like the Bayshore High School 809 Bribery Case and the Nestledale Ridge Illegal Manufacturing and Murder Case.

Thanks to her exceptional skills, Shirley, in her twenties, had already co-founded a prominent law firm in Helvita with two partners, known as “Goldspire Law Associates.”

The firm’s reputation preceded it; everyone in the industry was familiar with its name.

Shirley was no longer the vulnerable girl who could be easily bullied by Zelena.

The fact that the situation had blown up was precisely what Zelena wanted.

She knew Polly had hired a lawyer, but she didn’t see it as a threat.

After all, it was her assistant, Celeste, who stole the necklace, not her personally.

Zelena wasn’t worried about ending up in jail.

What concerned her was that Celeste’s involvement might tarnish her own reputation.

So, she had to ensure that Celeste handled this situation discreetly.

“Before the police contact you, just continue working as usual as if nothing has happened.”

Celeste asked anxiously, “Ms. Blake, if the police do contact me, does that mean they’ve figured it out?”

Zelena gave a faint smile. “Figured it out? Is that what you think?

“Celeste, you’ve been with me for five or six years now, right?”

Celeste replied, “Yes.”

Zelena’s tone was calm as she said, “I remember your brother is getting married, isn’t he? Didn’t you mention wanting to buy a house in your hometown? Have you paid the down payment?”

Celeste hesitated, uncertain. “Ms. Blake, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”

Zelena replied, “What I mean is, don’t worry. Even if something does happen to you, I’ll take care of your family-your brother’s house, and your parents.”

Hearing this, Celeste was startled and jumped up from the couch.

“What? Ms. Blake, you must be joking!”

She didn’t want to go to prison!

Seeing her reaction, Zelena glanced at her indifferently.

“I’m just saying, why are you so agitated? Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you. It’s just…”

Zelena fiddled with her ring, her voice lowering. “I think you need to understand that in life, no one can guarantee smooth sailing. If something unexpected happens, isn’t it better if your family can live well?”

Celeste’s heart sank.

She clearly understood that Zelena was hinting at something.

If things did go wrong, Celeste was expected to quietly accept her fate and go to prison, while Zelena would take care of her family.

Two days later, the online buzz hadn’t died down.

Polly was still at the center of the storm.

After returning to the country, Shirley first went to Helvita to hand over her cases to colleagues, and once that was done, she headed straight to Quinston.

The first thing she did upon arriving in Quinston was to meet her client.

The meeting was scheduled at Polly’s talent agency.

Since Polly was a public figure and still caught up in the controversy, she couldn’t appear in public.

Fortunately, Goldspire Law Associates had a branch in Quinston.

This made it easier for Shirley to work in the area. She drove to the agency’s building.

Margot personally went down to bring her upstairs.

However, across the street, a van was parked with two paparazzi inside, munching on sandwiches while waiting.

Originally, they were there to catch Polly.

But Polly hadn’t left the company all morning.

They figured that due to the theft scandal, all of Polly’s work had been put on hold, and they were resigned to the fact that they wouldn’t catch any hot news that day.

But then…

“Hey, stop eating! Look, isn’t that Polly’s assistant, Margot?”

“Who’s she going down to meet? Who’s that getting out of the car?”

“Quick, get some shots!”

The paparazzi managed to snap photos of Margot leading Shirley into the company.

However, the media only captured Shirley’s side profile, not her full face.

But from her attire, it was clear that she was a highly educated professional-most likely a lawyer.

Later that afternoon, a new trending topic appeared on Facebook: #PollyHiresALawyer.

“They’re watching my every move. It’s so annoying!” Polly complained.

Chapter 568

Polly sat in the conference room, looking dejected as she rested her head in her hand, her face etched with worry.

The sound of keyboard keys clicking filled the room. Shirley, focused on her laptop screen, was rapidly typing out the details of the case.

She had a youthful, doll-like face that looked even younger with her slender build, though her complexion was healthy. Her small but delicate features were framed by silver-rimmed glasses perched on her slightly upturned nose, and she wore her short hair in a neat, professional style.

“Ms. Tillery, I’ve noted everything we discussed. I’ll have my assistant contact you once I’m back.

“As for the person spreading rumors online, don’t worry, I’ll track them down. The technology for IP tracking is really advanced these days. Even if they’ve deleted their account and gone off the grid, I can still find them.”

Shirley lifted her hands off the keyboard and closed her laptop.

She gathered the contract in front of her, along with the laptop, and packed them into her bag.

Polly raised her head, looking at Shirley. “Thank you.”

Shirley smiled calmly. “You’re welcome.

“I’ll head out now. Oh, and by the way, hiring a lawyer isn’t something to be ashamed of. Don’t feel anxious, I’m here to help you.”

With that, she picked up her laptop bag, stood up, nodded slightly to Polly, and prepared to leave.

Margot hurried over to open the door for her.

Just as Shirley was stepping out, Polly stood up from her seat and called out, “Wait.”

Shirley paused, turning her head slightly.

“Is there something else, Ms. Tillery?”

Polly hesitated, then asked, “Earlier, Violeta told me that even if I didn’t pay you, you’d still do your best to help me. Why is that?”

Considering Shirley’s current level of expertise, her fees weren’t cheap.

She was a well-known criminal lawyer in the industry, and there was a long line of people waiting to hire her.

To be honest, Polly didn’t believe Shirley would help her without payment.

After all, they didn’t have any prior connection; they were just two strangers.

The only explanation Polly could think of was that Shirley and Violeta were friends.

But even if that were the case, it might just mean a discounted fee, not free help.

This was something Polly couldn’t quite figure out, so she couldn’t resist asking Shirley directly.

Upon hearing that, Shirley’s lips curled into a smile, her eyes glinting for a moment as she said, “Because I’m her friend.”

Was the answer really that simple?

Polly was surprised. “Just because of that?”

Shirley thought for a moment and calmly added, “And maybe because we’ve been through something similar.”

“Oh?” Polly asked.

Shirley paused briefly, then changed the subject. “How’s Violeta doing? I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

At the mention of Violeta, both of them couldn’t help but smile.

Polly nodded and replied, “Vio? She’s doing well. She’s filming a movie right now. Even if she wasn’t doing great, she’s still in a much better place than I am right now, haha.”

Shirley reassured her, “Don’t worry, I’ll clear your name. I won’t keep you any longer.”

With that, the conversation ended.

Shirley left the conference room, and after seeing her out, Margot returned.

“That lawyer sure has an impressive presence, but she’s so thin. You don’t see many people that slim.”

In the entertainment industry, actresses often keep their weight around 90 pounds to look good on camera, and it’s rare to see anyone over 100 pounds.

While they may look great on screen, in real life, they often appear much thinner.

Shirley, though, seemed to be over 5’5″.

Yet, aside from her youthful, slightly fuller face, the rest of her seemed almost all skin and bones-just too thin.

Polly agreed. “Yeah, maybe she just can’t gain weight. Some people are lucky like that.”

Margot added, “She’s really professional, too. She never showed any emotion.”

Shirley had maintained a calm expression throughout, giving off a very reliable vibe.

Whether she was asking questions or speaking, her expression never wavered much.

The only time she showed any hint of personal feeling was when she mentioned Violeta, a small, private smile playing on her lips.

It seemed she and Violeta had a pretty close relationship.

Chapter 569

No one knew how these two seemingly unrelated people had met.

With Shirley’s involvement, the investigation moved along much more smoothly.

It didn’t take long for the cyber police to track down the person who had deleted their account and gone into hiding.

When they found him, he was in an internet café, slurping instant noodles while browsing the web, a complete mess.

“According to the investigation, this guy named Horace Middleton is an unemployed drifter. After graduating from high school, he worked at an electronics factory for about six months, but he kept showing up late and leaving early, so they fired him. After that, he started living off his parents, doing nothing all day. His favorite thing was gaming at internet cafés. He even tried to become a gaming streamer, but when he couldn’t afford the equipment, he resorted to stealing to get it. He got caught and spent a few days in jail, so now he has a criminal record.”

Shirley’s assistant, Alexis Swanson, read the report from the police station out loud to her.

Shirley remained calm, flipping through the documents in her hand.

Polly, sitting next to her, asked anxiously, “Did he say who paid him to smear me online?”

Shirley nodded. “Yes. He said someone contacted him online and offered him 500 bucks to post those things. So he used his Facebook account to do it. But when things blew up, he panicked and deleted his account.”

Hearing this, Polly was stunned.

She was being dragged through the mud online, with everyone labeling her a “thief,” and it was all for just 500 bucks?

She leaned back in her chair, feeling utterly defeated.

An employee at the law firm analyzed the situation.

“Horace just copied and pasted what the person told him to say.

He doesn’t even know who the other person is.”

Shirley asked, “Did we track the account that made the payment?”

The employee searched through the papers on the desk. “Yes, it was a woman named Celeste Wren.”

Polly’s assistant, Margot, who had been sitting quietly the whole time, suddenly spoke up when she heard the name. “Celeste Wren? Isn’t that Zelena’s assistant?”

Shirley’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Are you sure?”

Polly nodded. “I think so, too. Zelena’s assistant’s name is Celeste Wren, but we don’t know for sure if it’s the same person.”

The flame of suspicion was now flickering at Zelena’s doorstep.

Meanwhile, Zelena was in the middle of a magazine cover shoot.

Whether it was because of Polly’s influence or not, Zelena’s photoshoot wasn’t going well. They shot for hours, but only a few photos were usable, with a ton of outtakes.

Finally, it was over, and Zelena headed to the makeup room to remove her makeup.

Celeste, looking anxious, said, “We’re in trouble, Ms. Blake. Polly really hired a lawyer, and they’re investigating.”

Zelena, in a foul mood, tossed the wig she was wearing onto the table. “So what if she did? What can she do?”

Polly hiring a lawyer wasn’t a surprise to Zelena. She couldn’t care less.

It was Celeste who was terrified, obsessively tracking Polly’s every move online.

“But people are saying the lawyer she hired is really good, like, really famous in the field. What if they trace it back to me?”

Zelena looked at her with disgust. “Enough! I told you I’d take care of it. Stop freaking out!”

At that moment, Celeste’s phone rang.

She pressed her lips together, grabbed her phone from her bag, and answered, “Hello?”

It was a call from the company. The police had contacted Marina Media, specifically asking to speak with Celeste.

Since Celeste was an employee, it made sense that the police would reach out to the company.

The company was now telling her to come back immediately and cooperate with the police investigation.

After hanging up, Celeste was shaking, terrified out of her mind.

“What do I do, Ms. Blake? The police have really found me!”

Zelena was caught off guard. “What?”

Just then, the makeup artist walked in. “Ms. Blake, I’m here to help you remove your makeup.”

Zelena’s expression shifted slightly. She stood up and pulled Celeste aside. “Don’t panic. What happened?”

The makeup artist looked at them curiously.

Celeste whispered the details of the call to Zelena.

Zelena silently cursed. She hadn’t expected Polly’s lawyer to be this good at finding Celeste so quickly.

It seemed this lawyer really knew their stuff.

In a low voice, Zelena said, “Let me finish removing my makeup, and then I’ll go back to the company with you. Don’t panic. Even if it comes to the police station, just say you don’t know anything. You can even claim your bank card was hacked. Don’t worry, I’ll get you the best lawyer to defend you.”

Chapter 570

With tears in her eyes, Celeste nodded. “I trust you.”

Zelena returned to her seat, letting the makeup artist start removing her makeup.

Since time was tight, she didn’t even get a chance to review the photos from the shoot before she hurriedly left with Celeste.

When they arrived back at the company, the police immediately took Celeste away for questioning.

The police showing up at the company caused quite a stir, even reaching the CEO of Marina Media.

The CEO, Marlon Brewer, and the higher-ups were all in the middle of a meeting when they saw Celeste being escorted out.

Zelena stood there, feeling their eyes on her.

Clifford showed up late. “Lena, what’s going on?”

Zelena forced a smile. “I’m not sure. I think it’s about the missing jewelry from that last event. They’re probably just asking Celeste for some details. She should be back soon. I’m exhausted from the shoot, so I’m going to rest for a bit.”

With that, Zelena quickly made her exit.

Clifford followed her.

The group outside the conference room exchanged glances.

Someone spoke up, “The whole Polly situation has really blown up lately. Who knows what’s true?”

“I’ve worked with Polly before. She didn’t seem like that kind of person. She was actually pretty quiet.”

“Well, you never really know someone, do you?”

Zelena went into the artists’ lounge and immediately contacted the law firm.

Clifford caught up to her.

“Lena, what the hell is going on? Why did they take Celeste?”

Zelena knew that the fewer people who knew about this, the better, so she didn’t want to tell Clifford.

“I don’t know,” she replied without looking back.

Clifford stepped closer, his tone serious.

“I’m your manager. You need to tell me what’s really going on! If you don’t, I won’t be able to help you, even if I want to!”

Zelena hesitated for a moment but still didn’t reveal anything to Clifford.

“Clifford, I really don’t know.”

Clifford gave her a searching look. “Alright, if you say so.”

“By the way, Mr. Brewer held a meeting at the company today. We’re going to be signing a batch of new artists later this year. You veterans will need to help guide them.”

Zelena waved her hand dismissively. “Got it.”

It wasn’t anything new that the company’s veterans would need to mentor the newcomers.

Zelena didn’t have time to deal with this right now.

After Clifford left the artists’ lounge, Zelena contacted a well-known law firm in Quinston.

Meanwhile, Celeste was taken to the police station for questioning.

She insisted that she hadn’t sent any money to Horace and didn’t even know who he was.

When asked about the 500 dollars, she stammered and couldn’t give a clear explanation, claiming it might have been a fraudulent transaction.

Since all of Celeste’s communication with Horace had been online and the two had never met in person, her denial made the investigation more difficult.

“Even if I knew him, and even if I had sent him money to post on Facebook, so what? Did he lie in his posts? Officers, is this really defamation?

“Ms. Blake’s necklace wasn’t stolen?

“Didn’t you find the necklace in Polly’s makeup bag?

“Weren’t the police on the scene?”

Celeste’s words were forceful.

Shirley, who was standing by the door with a colleague from the firm, overheard everything.

The colleague commented, “She’s using classic misdirection.

This assistant isn’t as clueless as we thought she was, twisting the facts!”

Shirley turned to leave.

“Don’t waste time on this. Our goal is to find out who actually stole the necklace. If we can get Horace to record a video apology, that should calm things down online. Zelena has already hired a lawyer, so they’ll probably be contacting us soon.”

Meanwhile, on set.

“Cut! Let’s take a break. Makeup artist, touch up forehead.”

Aster walked over and handed a towel to Violeta.

Chad’s

They had just finished filming a chase scene, and Violeta had been running with a suitcase, sweating profusely.

Violeta took the towel and wiped her sweat.

Aster said, “Ms. White, you have a missed call.”

Violeta nodded, walked off the set, and checked her phone.

It was a call from Shirley.

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