Ch. 2401..2410

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2401-"I want us to remain friends."

Thalia seemed to not understand Lucas' words and still held his hand.

"Lucas, I know you are angry because I secretly took those photos. Can I apologize to you? I didn't mean it… Don't push me away…"

Thalia pulled Lucas and rambled, "I'm at fault, but I won't do it again! Can you stop saying such hurtful words? I know you're angry, but you can't say such things to break my heart. "Do you not remember what you promised my sister back then? Lucas, you can't leave me! I don't have my sister or my father. I have nothing. Are you going to abandon me now?" Lucas felt helpless when he saw her crying so sadly.

Not long after her sister passed away, her father also met with an accident.

Claudia sacrificed her life for him, so he could not ignore her only sister.

Thalia was just trying to win Lucas' sympathy at first, but she felt really sad for herself as she cried.

Why was what she wanted always taken away by others? It was bad enough that her sister did it, but Melody just had to come in and take him away!

Thalia thought viciously that if she could replace her sister back then, she could do the same to Melody. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Anyone who wanted to steal from her would meet a terrible end.

"Don't be this way. I have never forgotten my promise to Mister Feldman. I said I'd take good care of you, and I will do it. When you have a husband who truly loves you, you'll find that you just misunderstood your feelings for me now."

Lucas' indifference made Thalia tremble with anger.

"Lucas, I'm not a three-year-old child! How could I not distinguish between love and friendship? It is you who can't tell the difference!

"Your love for me was misunderstood by you as friendship, and your sense of responsibility for that woman was misunderstood by you as love.

"It doesn't matter. I've already asked for leave from the college, and I'll stay here for the entire semester.

"It doesn't matter if your grandparents don't welcome me. I'll live elsewhere.

"After I settle down, you'll realize I'm your true love one day."

Lucas frowned. He did not understand why Thalia was so obsessed.

After Thalia yelled, she became even more groggy and fell directly onto the bed, blinking and closing her eyes.

Lucas, thinking she fainted, stood up and ran out to call the doctor.

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief after the doctor confirmed that Thalia only fainted briefly and would be fine once she woke up.

"Mister Lucas, this patient has just suffered a serious injury. You shouldn't make her angry at this time. No matter how important it is, you mustn't talk to her at this time.

"She can't stand the stimulation right now. If it gets serious, she'll probably fall into a deep coma, or even end up in a vegetative state.

"If you don't want her to get this serious, please stop letting her have mood swings."

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2402-After being advised by the doctor, Lucas looked at Thalia worriedly.

"Thanks for the reminder, doctor."

"You're welcome. Just remember, you mustn't irritate Miss Garcia."

"Yeah, I will," Lucas sighed deeply.

Why was this so complicated? Did he screw up somewhere?

Nonetheless, it would not be a good time for Thalia to return to the country after she woke up either. Also, why did she take a leave of absence from the college without him knowing? Lucas felt a headache coming.

Beatrice sent a driver to take Melody back to the set early the next morning.

Then, she asked the driver to turn around and go to Rivera Group's headquarters.

"Hurry up! Put these things away. Latest news, Beatrice is coming to inspect!"

Nobody knew where the news was coming from. As soon as everyone heard that Beatrice was coming to the headquarters for an inspection, everyone started to move. Some cleaned the table, and some took out the garbage.

The research staff in the Technology Department even went to the bathroom to wash their faces and shave. They were mainly engaged in software research and development, so they were very unkempt wher going to work.

Beatrice came here once a long time ago, and she was very dissatisfied when she saw them in such a state. Although she did not say it, the look she gave them made them shudder.

Their boss, Mister Lucas, did not show any dissatisfaction, and he did not think it would affect the company's image when he saw them like this.

After all, they were in the Technology Department and not the front desk, so they were sure it was alright to look a little unkempt.

They had spent enough effort on technology, and Lucas was not willing to increase their burden.

With such a considerate boss, all the employees in the company were very satisfied.

Still, they did not want to embarrass their boss, so after hearing that Beatrice was coming, they quickly cleaned up after themselves.

As long as they looked presentable to Beatrice, she would not demand more for them.

"Did you hear wrong? Beatrice hasn't been to the headquarters for a long time.

She's enjoying her peaceful life at home!" a man asked his colleague next to him while shaving.

"Who knows what 'The Queen' is planning? Hey! If you don't believe me, why do you need to shave?"

"How can I not believe it? I just feel that 'The Queen' hasn't been here in a long time, so it could be possible that someone had misinformed about it, no?"

The two of them were arguing while keeping their hands busy, trying to clean themselves up before Beatrice appeared.

Beatrice had become accustomed to the headquarters being busy every time she showed up. However, she did not think there was anything wrong with it.

She believed that if a company wanted to achieve success, every employee must be in high spirits.

The people in the Technology Department looked too sluggish before.

She could understand them. They devoted themselves to product developments and technical follow-ups, so it only made sense they were tired. However, they could not explain their product concepts to other customers with this appearance, could they?

Her arrival shocked the whole building.

However, what made the Technology Department and the Research and Development Department feel more at ease was that Beatrice did not summon them after arriving at the President's Office

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2403-Instead, she asked for someone from the Legal Department.

"Phew. I survived!"

However, after they felt relieved, they huddled together to discuss why Beatrice wanted to see the people from the Legal Department. Was there any lawsuit to be filed?

"Hey, have you ever heard that Beatrice's granddaughter-in-law is an actress?"

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Many people who knew about it began to nod.

"Of course I've heard of it. I thought that a big family like the Rivera family would never allow actresses to be part of their family.

"Although actors are different from other people in the entertainment industry, they're still in the entertainment industry. No matter who the actress is, they'd definitely have moved up the social class by marrying into the family."

The others nodded. "Then do you know who the actor is? I'm really curious."

What kind of person could qualify to be the wife of their president?

Lucas had always been decisive when it came to work, and he despised people with low efficiency. Therefore, when working in their company, there was no laxity at all. Instead, everyone was very busy. However, Lucas had always been clear about rewards and punishments. Those who could stay in Rivera Group would receive the best salary and benefits in the country, on par with Wall Street.

It was precisely because of this that they were even more willing to stay in the Rivera Group and work for Lucas wholeheartedly. Their year-end bonuses were especially lucrative. Lucas had strong assets, and he was not stingy.

Before the company's annual meeting, each department would also compile everyone's wishlist and organize a lucky draw.

No matter what they wished for, as long as the person was drawn, Lucas would pay for his wish personally. In addition to this, everyone would receive a generous bonus, which could console them if they did not win the big prize.

The biggest difference between the Rivera Group and other companies was that they never encouraged working overtime. Lucas always believed that only incompetent people would choose to work overtime to prove their worth.

Time was the most invaluable treasure. He hoped that the office could switch off the lights on time and everyone could pack their bags and leave.

With their president setting an example, the others would follow suit. As long as they complete their tasks, they could all leave.

"I don't know much about this. I only know that she's a new actress."

Speaking of a new actress, everyone thought of Melody, who had been very active on the Internet recently.

"This is unlikely. She's involved in many negative news stories. Even if she wants to marry into a wealthy family, they have to check her background, right?

How could such a woman enter the Rivera family and become Missus Rivera?"

Although they had also seen Melody's clarification last time, another news about her came not long after, and they all felt that maybe there was indeed something wrong with Melody.

"Who knows? How could ordinary people like us know whether the news in the entertainment industry is true or false? However, I am curious to know which actress won over the interest of 'The Queen'."

All employees in the company habitually called Beatrice 'The Queen'. She was very famous when she and Cedric worked hard.

She was sharp like a wolf with a keen sense of smell, always able to smell the business opportunities as quickly as possible. She led Rivera Group into the industry. Since then, the Rivera Group expanded into a business empire.

Beatrice had made immense contributions.

"Stop gossiping here and get to work quickly. I only have this little task left. I'll take the pack and leave once done."

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2404-The man who made the remark sounded smug. After finishing his work, he had half a day to rest. He felt that he was very lucky to have worked hard to get into this company. Hardship was temporary, but happiness was permanent!

"I am here today not for business, but for some private matters at home that I need to consult you."

Beatrice tapped her fingers on the table. These elite lawyers were all Rivera's trump cards.

To form such a team of elite lawyers, they had been recruiting people from various universities many years ago. Sometimes, they would also send people abroad to scout for talents to join the company. This team could be said to be

nearly invincible. It was precisely because of this that they worked harder to serve this family.

"Something came up today, but when it comes to legal issues, I think of you immediately.

"Don't worry. This is considered an additional commission, and you'll be paid additionally if you work overtime. Just consider it a favor for an old woman like me."

Beatrice had a smile on her face, but her tone was assertive.

To deal with Melody's matter, after much deliberation, she decided to go to a lawyer and to express their stance.

There had been countless negative news that happened to Melody since her debut. The negative news like this was aimed at preventing Melody from appearing in front of the public again.

Melody never responded to the news before. To her, innocent people would have their innocence proven in time.

The only thing that she ever clarified was regarding the bullying on set.

However, she did not have a company to deal with the people who spread rumors about her, so she just let them go.

As time went by, it was no wonder those social media users felt that Melody had a lot of trouble.

Only from this moment on, everyone knew that Melody was not as easy to mess with as they thought. Anyone who dared to spread rumors would have to see her in court. "Old Missus Rivera, just let us know."

Beatrice clapped, and Edmund came in with some information. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Findɴovel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Leo, I'd like you to have a look at my appeal carefully and then prepare a plan for me."

The head of the group was Leo, who was best at honor cases.

Leo raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Melody's name on the information. He raised his head and smiled playfully. "Old Missus Rivera, how is this actress linked to you?" Beatrice pursed her lips and smiled. "This is my granddaughter-in-law. Do you know why I am so anxious to ask you for help?

"This group of people have been slandering my family. How could I just sit back and do nothing about it?"

Beatrice smiled slightly, but these people did not dare to look at her. The pressure in her eyes was not something that young people like them could deal with calmly.

The legendary granddaughter-in-law of the Rivera family was the popular actress Melody all along!

It seemed she was very capable, too. Otherwise, she would not have acted in the director, Shaun Tate's movie for her debut.

The legal advisor, Leo, simply flipped through the information and replied, "Fret not, ma'am. This isn't a difficult case for us. However, I'd like to clarify your precise request.

"Would you like to make this group of people afraid to mention Miss Melody again, or do you want everyone to believe that Miss Melody is innocent?"

For this group of lawyers, these two outcomes would involve completely different means.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2405-chapter will update soon

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2406-chapter will update soon

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2407-"If she has other friends, then that's settled. That means she has plenty of connections to the world, so there's no need for her to rely solely on you, Lucas.

And you don't have to exhaust yourself taking care of her.

"Listen to me, and arrange a few caregivers for her. In terms of material support, our family absolutely cannot be in debt to her. As for emotions, you don't need to get involved anymore. Exercise some discretion."

"Grandma, I don't have any inappropriate feelings for her." S~ᴇaʀᴄh the FɪndNovᴇl.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Beatrice did not rush to refute Lucas. Instead, she asked him with great seriousness, "You say you don't have much feelings towards her, but what about her? Do you really think she only sees you as a friend? Who'd cling to a married friend like she does? Lucas, now that you have Melody, have you ever considered how she might feel?"

At the mention of Melody, Lucas' expression darkened. He knew that since Thalia's return, his relationship with Melody had been rocky. Thalia's presence had indeed disrupted his life.

"Let's take a step back and think about it. If you won't consider Melody, then consider how your interaction with Miss Thalia will appear to others. Melody is an actress now, and many people know about your relationship. What will they think of you and Melody? Not to mention, your priority should be resolving all the problems that the incident brought on for Melody."

Seeing Lucas silent with his head lowered, Beatrice sighed. "Forget it, I'll handle this matter for you this time. As for Miss Thalia, you need to seriously reconsider things. I've said my piece, and you've always been a wise child, so why do you struggle so much in matters of the heart?"

Beatrice, feeling somewhat weary, left Lucas to himself after saying her piece and retired to her room to rest. The legal team at Rivera Group proved their professionalism; they acted swiftly and managed to contact the individual who had been smearing Melody online.

This woman happened to be the only witness present at the time. Initially, upon being contacted, she left a somewhat ambiguous statement online.

[I've been telling the truth. If I haven't posted for more than a day, it means I've been silenced.] However, Leo Burnes, representing the legal team, made it clear to the woman upon contact that, without concrete evidence, she was not permitted to make any arbitrary statements online.

Initially, the woman was dismissive upon receiving the legal notice. After all, many celebrities threatened to sue social media users, only for such cases to fizzle out eventually. Gathering evidence for such matters was not easy, and it required significant financial and material resources.

Many times, by the time the lawsuit concluded, the initial controversy had long passed, making the whole ordeal not worth it. Therefore, most celebrities opt to issue a legal notice as a threat, hoping the other party would rectify their behavior. If the troublemaker persisted, there was often little else that could be done.

However, since Beatrice entrusted this matter to Leo and his team, she hoped for a thorough resolution. She firmly believed Melody had no hand in Thalia's injuries.

Melody herself stated that she did not know how Thalia ended up falling. The incident happened suddenly, and until Lucas rushed in, she was in a state of confusion. In light of this, it was difficult to believe how a supposed witness conveniently hid in the bathroom and accurately witnessed Melody pushing Thalia.

It was also difficult not to suspect that this was a planned setup to frame Melody.

Beatrice harbored suspicions about the relationship between Thalia and the alleged witness. She suspected whether these two individuals had pre-arranged contact or knew each other beforehand. Otherwise, why would a complete stranger go to such lengths to defame Melody? Did she have nothing better to do?

At that time, Leo's investigation had just entered a preliminary evidencegathering stage, focusing on verifying whether there had been any communication between Thalia and the alleged witness.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2408-"Miss Tasha, may I ask if you are the user with the ID 'tashaxoxo"?"

Tasha Lynch was startled when she received this phone call. Who was this person? How could they accurately mention her online ID right off the bat?

"Who are you? Is this some kind of tele-scam? Look, I don't have money for your scams! Go away, you scammer!"

Before she could hang up, she heard a calm chuckle from the other end. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Leo Burnes, the in-house lawyer for Rivera Group. I'm calling you now to confirm whether you're the same person as the user with the ID 'tashaxoxo'. If so, I may need your cooperation in providing some materials for further investigation."

Tasha's heart skipped a beat. She indeed used that online ID, and the only person she had been associated with recently was the actress, Melody. She had made a few comments online, never expecting them to cause such a stir. Many famous influencers reposted her posts, making her quite popular online. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ ꜰindNʘvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

From being an invisible nobody in real life, Tasha suddenly became an internet sensation, with many social media users eagerly awaiting her next post. This sudden surge of attention gratified her vanity immensely, not to mention the financial benefits.

"So what if you're a lawyer? How did you get hold of my personal information?

I'll have you know this is a violation of my privacy!"

Thalia's tone was aggressive, but Leo simply raised an eyebrow. He had not expected her to have some legal knowledge, but unfortunately for her, this had nothing to do with privacy rights. "I've already stated that I'm a lawyer from Rivera Group, and my contacting you is in response to your infringement upon my client's rights.

"Miss Tasha, your recent statements online have infringed upon the reputation rights of my client, Miss Melody Sanders. When you recklessly defame others, have you ever considered the possibility of facing lawsuits?"

Tasha sneered. "Do you think just because I'm not in the industry, you can deceive me? I didn't defame anyone. I saw what happened in the restroom that day. Melody knew very well she did. Otherwise, why wouldn't she dare confront me and instead rely on you to approach me? Who do you think you're intimidating?"

Leo had not expected Tasha to be that unreasonable. Melody chose to handle this matter through a proxy lawyer solely because of Beatrice's wishes; the elderly Beatrice did not want her granddaughter-in-law involved in such affairs.

Of course, Leo would not divulge this information to Tasha. Furthermore, why would Melody need to personally appear if matters can be resolved by a proxy lawyer? That would be demeaning, no? "Miss Tasha, you may be overestimating your own importance. I'm Miss Melody's proxy lawyer, and it's sufficient for me to handle this matter on her behalf. Alright, no need for further words. Miss Tasha, be prepared to receive a subpoena from the court soon.

We've already prepared to file a formal lawsuit against you. If you have any relevant evidence, you may want to consult your lawyer."

Tasha heard the seriousness in Leo's voice, and it was evident he was not joking. She started to panic.

"Hey, are you kidding me? I just posted some things online. Why are you suing me for infringing on Melody's reputation? Besides, what I heard that night was exactly what I said. I'm telling the truth! If you defame me, I can also tell the judge everything that happened that day and post it online for everyone to judge!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2409-It seems this woman isn't as bold as she appears. She sounds like she's shaken up now. Good thing she still has some respect for the law. Those who are completely ignorant of the law and still brazenly defiant are the ones beyond redemption,' thought Leo. Sᴇaʀch Thᴇ Find ɴøᴠel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Miss Tasha, your current words are tantamount to a threat against us. I'll make sure Miss Melody takes note of this, and we'll proceed with the legal proceedings. If you continue spreading rumors online, I can guarantee you'll face severe legal consequences.

"There's no need for further discussion with me. You should address any concerns you have with your lawyer. By the way, Miss Tasha, let me remind you that any unverified facts, when exaggerated and spread online, can lead to defamation. You'll be violating the rights of our client."

Leo had fulfilled his duty. Anyone with a bit of intelligence would clarify things online after this. They would highlight the parts where they exaggerated earlier and apologize to Melody. Unfortunately, not everyone was so clear-headed.

Many times, people only realized their mistakes after it was too late.

After being hung up on, Tasha felt somewhat lost. However, Thalia clearly told her that all she needed to do was stir up the matter online and even left her some money to hire fake bots accounts.

In reality, Tasha did not even have to use that money. She was quite surprised at how popular Melody was. She only posted those exaggerated stories, and many people started sharing them. In the end, everyone online knew what kind of malicious person Melody was.

Everyone's vanity tends to inflate continuously, and if intentionally controlled, it could be managed. However, once their vanity was satisfied, they would no longer be content with the status quo.

Tasha was just like that. Initially, when negotiating with Thalia, the goal was simply to make others see Melody's 'true colors'. However, things had escalated, and she concocted numerous rumors about Melody online. She even pretended to be someone in the entertainment industry herself.

She did not know how it happened, but every post she fabricated seemed to be readily believed by everyone. She found herself unable to stop. Presenting herself as an insider, she had already announced online that if she did not post anything for more than a day, everyone would believe it was Melody's doing.

Leo and his team were increasingly astounded as they sifted through the lies Tasha had spread online. It became evident that desire could indeed drive a person to become an unrecognizable monster. He went through her past posts, and everything seemed normal. He could even see her love for life between the lines. The turning point came in the first half of the year when she suddenly became gloomy, always blaming others, seemingly because she was laid off by her previous company. However, none of these reasons justified her unleashing her malice on Melody.

Tasha thought she had hidden these tracks well. After all, she had already deleted her previous posts, but she did not know that when their dispute entered the legal stage, Leo and his team had the right to demand the restoration of the content she had deleted from her account.

Thus, they were well aware of what she had posted on her account before she became a figure in the industry. Leo and his team could see how an ordinary person tried to portray themselves as a dignified insider, which looked quite ludicrous.

The Day I Kissed An Older Chapter 2410-Leo's assistant collected information while expressing disbelief. "What's going on with Internet users these days? Look at the contradictions in this woman's words. How can anyone believe her?" What made them especially laugh was when they saw how Tasha's tone shifted from that of an ordinary worker to that of a high and mighty insider. Such naive remarks-why would so many people believe her?

Leo shook his head. Whether Tasha was an insider or not did not matter. The crucial point was the nature of her statements. The things she posted precisely satisfy the curiosity of the people online.

Even though Melody's crew had posted a clarifying statement about the previous bullying scandal, some people still found the clarification dubious. It

was unfortunate that they did not consider how unlikely it was for a crew to fabricate a video since it was done with the cooperation of the police.

It was during this time that a seed of doubt was planted in their minds. They probably thought there were powerful forces behind Melody. Tasha's posts played right into the expectations of the people online. "Even though her statements might seem somewhat foolish, that just made it even more authentic to them. Social media users detested being deceived, yet they always seemed to be led astray by those with ill intentions," explained Leo.

The assistant remained puzzled, still thinking that a normal person should not believe such statements. Tasha's posts seemed like she was putting on a play.

Leo just smiled. "The more holes she reveals, the easier our case becomes.

Let's organize the materials quickly. Miss Beatrice isn't the patient type. We need to help Miss Melody resolve this matter as soon as possible."

"Yes, Mister Leo."

After Lucas left, Thalia slowly regained consciousness. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ (ꜰind)ɴʘvel.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Even in her state, Lucas still refused to believe that Melody was responsible for her condition, which was truly frustrating.

Thalia was pondering this when Tasha called her. She immediately covered her phone screen out of guilt and looked around carefully to ensure there were no surveillance cameras in her hospital ward before answering the call.

"Why are you calling me?" she growled impatiently. "Didn't I tell you not to contact me unless it's necessary? Have you spent all the forty thousand dollars I gave you?"

"No, no, I've only spent a portion of that money. But I'm afraid I might be in trouble this time. Someone claiming to be from the Rivera Group Legal Department called me. He said they want to sue me! How is this happening?

Could someone have gotten hold of my information and been trying to deceive me?

"How else could they know that I'm the one who leaked the information online?

This is different from what you told me before! Weren't you the one who said that helping you out would be risk-free?"

Thalia was also surprised. 'Isn't Rivera Group Lucas' company? Lucas actually sent his lawyers to sue Tasha?! He knows about Tasha's existence?!' Thalia's heart pounded like thunder. She did not know what exactly was happening, but thinking back to Lucas' probing questions earlier, she felt even more panicked.

'Has Lucas found out that it was my contact who was smearing Melody online?' Thalia dared not delve deeper into her thoughts. It was only then she felt that everything was amiss with Lucas' attitude. "Hey, are you still there? Say something!" cried Tasha.

Thalia's mind was in turmoil, and hearing Tasha's voice only added to her annoyance. She cleared her throat and said, "Why are you panicking? As long as you follow what I told you before, there shouldn't be any problems."