Ch. 2801..2810

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2801-Rita's thoughts lead her to doubt whether she was right in thinking that Esmond might be Karen's ex- husband.

"Esmond wasn't always this rich. He just accumulated his fortune very recently.

His background is shrouded in mystery, but he's ruthlessly efficient, and his emphasis on loyalty has attracted a following. I should've been more careful knowing that he had amassed his wealth in such a short period. If I had investigated this thoroughly before acquiring the land, I wouldn't have fallen into his trap," said Sherman. His words sent a shiver down Rita's spine; it seemed to prove that his character was truly sinister.

That would also explain why Karen had distanced herself from him later on. The two of them sat on the sofa and calmly exchanged clues as if their anxiety had since disappeared.

In another room, Esmond glanced at them through the surveillance cameras.

"These two are quite the pair! Though they were a little panicky at the beginning, they seem to be settling in comfortably right now. By the way, boss, don't you think it's going a little overboard to drag Sherman into this? Didn't she say we only needed to deal with the girl?" asked one of Esmond's lackeys.

Esmond shot him a cold glare.

A second lackey nudged the first one with his elbow and asked, "What good is your brain if you don't use it every now and then? Sherman's presence makes things complicated. Haven't you considered he might come for us if we deal with her? We might as well end them both at the same time. Parr Group can still run perfectly fine even if Sherman's gone. And besides, we'll even be able to deal with the land issue. What say you, boss?"

Esmond let out a puff of smoke and grinned. "You understand me well, though I suppose that shouldn't be surprising since you've been with me the longest.

Let's see what's so special about him. He's already held captive in my VIP room, so what are we waiting for? Lead the way!"

The others cleared a path for Esmond to walk ahead of them.

Meanwhile, Rita and Sherman were still discussing when Rita noticed footsteps approaching from outside.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Someone's coming," Rita whispered with a grave expression. She sensed from the movement that there was likely more than one person.

Sherman stood before Rita in a protective stance. "If worse comes to worst, remember to stay behind me and find a chance to escape."

Rita gripped his wrist nervously and shook her head. "No! We came m together so we're going to leave together! I won't abandon you."

Sherman smiled faintly. "It won't be that easy. Whether there is even a chance to escape remains to be O seem But remember, if one of us gets out, the other might have a chance to be saved too. And … "

"And what?" Rita asked.

Sherman had a feeling that Karen had asked Esmond to deal with Rita, but he hesitated to inform her of his r suspicions when he saw the look in her eyes.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2802-"Never mind," Sherman said eventually. "Just stay behind me, and don't be impulsive."

Rita nodded fervently. The people outside were already at the door, and all she could do was keep Sherman's instructions in mind.

The door was so heavy that it took two people to push it open, and Esmond soon entered after his lackeys. He glanced arrogantly at Sherman, who had assumed a defensive stance.

Sherman looked calmly at Esmond, and Rita silently sized Esmond up from behind Sherman. She found him to be shorter than she expected, yet he exuded

a murderous aura that seemed to point toward his years of experience in the underground.

"Did you bring your sweetheart to my den just to show off how in love the two of you are?" Esmond's words dripped with disdain, but Sherman remained composed and declined to comment.

"Don't you know that people hate it when couples get all touchy in public?" one of Esmond's lackeys remarked with a chuckle. They all treated him like trapped prey.

"Cat got your tongue, Mister Sherman? Have you forgotten this poor old man already?"

Rita found Esmond's description of himself rather laughable.

"Why would I when you've led me right into your trap."

"Oh, you're too young to recognize what a real trap is like, Mister Sherman. This is a lesson, at most," Esmond retorted, eyeing Rita with a possessive gaze.

Rita glanced at his nonchalant demeanor and said, "You're underestimating us."

Sherman then deliberately moved to one side and shielded her.

"She's quite the catch. It's a pity though," Esmond remarked.

"What is?" Sherman asked.

"Her, of course. She won't survive a day in my hands," Esmond insinuated, causing Rita to shudder.

She instinctively grabbed Sherman's clothes, and Sherman responded by reaching back to hold her hand. "What is the meaning of that? We have no grudges with you, so a joke like that is uncalled for."

The flippant smile on Sherman's face angered Esmond, who felt that Pel Sherman was not taking the situation seriously enough. There was a time and place for such behavior, and being trapped on Esmond's territory certainly did not seem like the right time for that.

Don't play coy, Sherman. You were trying to investigate me, but the tables have finally turned. I bet you've never expected this day to come. But fear not, I've turned over a new leaf now. Cruelty just isn't e anymore, and I sure as hell don't want to see blood everywhere. I promise I'll end it quickly so you and your little honey can continue loving each other in the afterlife."

Esmond soon led his men forward.

Sherman and Rita backed away, but Sherman was always under them C impression that Esmond would not be so quick to kill them, not when they had more value alive than dead.

Such a decision was no doubt puzzling, so Sherman wondered if it was merely a bluff.

On the other hand, Rita-despite her trembling-mustered all her courage at that critical moment and darted forward. Even Sherman could not stop her anymore.

Rita faced Esmond, and she unleashed her fury. "Who do you think you are? You've left countless people homeless, but now you're standing here being such a hypocrite!

Your hands are stained with blood!

Karma will get to you!"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2803-Rita continued, "I'm the one who's been investigating you! Sherman has nothing to do with it! If you want to take someone's life, take mine!"

Her outburst prompted Sherman to yank her back. He turned her toward him and said in exasperation, "What's gotten into you? There's no point in reasoning with someone like that. He's not going to be moved by your words!"

"But you were dragged into this because of me! You wouldn't have investigated with me and ended up getting trapped here if I hadn't done anything. I can't bear to see you lose your life because of me," said Rita in anguish.

Esmond burst out in laughter when he saw their affectionate display. "Awww…

Look at them act. It's almost as if they were genuinely willing to die for each

other, but the truth is, if you put a knife to their neck, I can bet you they'll sacrifice the other person at the drop of a hat. Don't pretend. I've seen all this before. Lots of young couples split up because of money and greed."

Sherman had a stern expression as he once again shielded Rita. "Esmond, you and I have no prior conflict with each other. You claim that Rita and I are motivated by greed, but your motives aren't any purer than ours. Let's be clear: I came here to address the land deal you sold to me. If I offer not to dig any deeper about this land, will you consider releasing us? I have no other demands as long as Rita walks out of here unscathed."

As Sherman finished his sentence, he felt a squeeze on his hand. Just as Esmond prepared to refuse, one of his men came up to him and whispered, "It's not worth having a fall-out with Sherman over this! The land we sold to them raked in a huge profit. If he looks past this issue, we might be able to strike a cooperation with Parr Group in the future. He's the most promising young investor right now. Even the tiniest of crumbs can sustain us for an entire lifetime!"

Esmond's retort came via a slap to the back of the lackey's head. "You fool. Is it worth losing your dignity over a tiny sum? Do you take me for the kind of person who lets money get to his head?"

"But this isn't a tiny sum. The profit made by Parr Group last year was so much more than we could earn in a lifetime," the lackey persisted, attempting to sway their boss toward negotiating with Sherman.

Sherman might just hold to his word and look past the land deal. Although they seemed to have had the upper O hand in the situation, they somehow could not help but lower their heads when looking at Sherman's majestic gaze. They had a feeling that Sherman was the one in C control over the situation even though it seemed that Esmond had the advantage.

Seeing Sherman's less-than-anxious demeanor made them feel as though he was hiding something. It was insignificant people like them who had to figure out the best outcome for their future. Esmond might not bat an eye if it was just a couple of hundred dollars, but he was slowly beginning to see his lackey's perspective after hearing the arguments.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2804-"Let's all sit down and have a nice chat, then. We have no problems letting you go, but you need to leave this woman behind." Esmond pointed at Rita's face.

Sherman's frown showed no signs of easing. Rita had never met Esmond before, yet her investigation seemed reason enough for Esmond to demand her life. It was absurd. "I'm all for a good chat. We came here today just to experience some of the attractions on offer here."

Esmond retorted sharply, "Don't play games with me. I've made myself clear:

the woman stays, and you can leave. I've walked a long road to get to where I am. You can't seriously be thinking that you can leave here with her, do you?

Let's be frank-this woman is nothing special. She'll only bring you trouble. Other than her slightly pretty face, I don't see anything about her that's worth all your effort."

Meanwhile, Esmond's underlings ogled Rita. They could see her features clearly through the dim light even though she was hiding behind Sherman. "When did your standards get higher, boss? She's not just slightly pretty. She's super pretty! Heck, I think she's much more beautiful than some celebrities in the entertainment industry! I can understand why Mister Sherman is so reluctant to let go of her!"

Another monkey-like subordinate laughed playfully. "You betcha! Boy, if I had a beauty like that by my side, I'd give everything to her!"

Rita's cheeks flushed in anger, but she resisted the urge to react. She never thought that she would be evaluated by these people like a commodity one day, but she knew that it was something she would have to go through eventually.

She calmed her breathing and avoided any confrontations, as she knew that it was not worth her ire.

The two men's banter became increasingly demeaning and objectifying.

Sherman remained quiet, but Rita could keenly sense his growing impatience.

"Is this how you have a conversation?" Sherman lowered his head and smiled briefly before focusing his eyes on the two foul-mouthed men. He raised his hand and pointed at them. "I see no reason to sit down and talk if your men can't even maintain a basic sense of decorum."

Esmond was peeved by Sherman's assertiveness and felt undermined on his own turf. He felt as though he had been manipulated by Sherman every step of the way.

He was also very displeased with his lackeys because of their flippant, obscene jokes while he was trying to negotiate a serious matter. They were acting as if that was the first time in ages that they had laid eyes on a woman.

'Your upbringing has shielded you from the less savory sides of reality, so I'm not surprised you haven't experienced this kind of banter com before. I'd just like to point out that you were the one who requested to have a chat with me, not the other way around. I'll rein in my men if they're out of line. It's not your place to lecture me. While I am considering how much money I can get from you, you should know that I don't care for money all that much. I'm just looking out for my men."

Esmond valued his reputation most. They made a living off of the streets, and it was almost like a slap in the face when Sherman made those comments with his lackeys around.

Oh right, I forgot that you guys are cut from the same cloth," Sherman said in blatant disregard for Esmond.

He then pulled Rita out from behind him and said, "I'll make my stance clear: I will bring her out of this door in one piece. The question is, can you stop me?"

Rita looked at him in a panic. He had not brought anyone there, so she wondered just how on earth was he C going to get her out. She attempted to persuade Sherman to leave her there and escape alone, but Sherman turned all of a sudden and smirked at her. She had never seen him wearing such an expression before.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2805-"Let's get you behind a safe place," said Sherman, and that was all Rita could remember. Before she knew it, she had been led behind the sofa.

Sherman then lunged forward and delivered a flying kick to Esmond. Had the lackey been quick enough to stop him, his kick would have landed square on Esmond's face.

Esmond erupted in anger. He had been hustling for many years, and the only time people never called him' boss' was during his earlier days. Seeing someone give him such a huge kick was absolutely infuriating to him.

"You don't seem to want to have a chat. In that case, I'll have my men beat the crap out of you!"

However, Esmond had overestimated his men's abilities. In all their years of fistfights, they tended to rely on their numbers to bully other people. When it came down to real fights, they were powerless.

Sherman, however, was different. His family hired a coach to train him when he was younger, and boxing was one of his outlets for stress relief. He maintained that habit of using boxing as a warm-up even after all those years.

Unfortunately, he had never fought against ordinary people before, and Esmond's men were the perfect opportunity for him to test if his skills had regressed.

After all, blue-collar workers like him did not have that much time to spend in the gym, so regular training sessions were the only occasions he could practice.

"Ah!"

"Hey, don't push me! Why don't you fight him instead, huh?"

"Hey, don't hide from him!"

Esmond pushed all his men forward and watched them fare helplessly against Sherman. Before Sherman could even get to him, his men had all collapsed to the ground.

Though he expected that round to be a sure win, Sherman had proven to have hidden his true abilities.

"Damn it! Who are you hiding from? Come over right now! Whoever captures Sherman today will receive a year-end bonus of seventy thousand dollars!"

At the mention of money, those who previously flinched were eager to try again, but Sherman came at them quickly, striking them one after another.

Rita looked at Sherman in surprise from behind. He had zipped up his coat for the sake of convenience, making him look like the class representative whom many girls secretly had a crush on during his college days.

Finding it pitiful that the lackeys efforts would end up with nothing more than just an extra 70,000 dollars, Rita counter-offered them, "If anyone turns over a new leaf and stops this ludicrous battle, I'll give each person double that amount.

Think carefully. It won't hurt to stop now, but if you follow Esmond's orders, you'll probably end up getting badly hurt. And it's not like everyone will get the money! Only those who have successfully apprehended Sherman will get it.

"You might not know who I am, but I'll et you know that I'm the Russells eldest daughter Even If you don't believe me, you can still believe Sherman, right? You know his net worth, so make your choice wisely."

A chuckle escaped Sherman's lips. Coming up with a plan at a critical moment to induce the lackeys into turning their back on their boss was something only Rita could think of.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2806-Although bribery was highly unethical, it was undeniably effective. As soon as Rita uttered those words, some of Esmond's men began to waver. After all, it was only natural to be afraid of death, right?

Esmond turned pale with shock. "What are you all doing? We've been friends for so many years! Are you planning to betray me? Have I not given you enough?

I've always been fair with what I've shared. I'm disappointed with you all!"

He somewhat meant what he said. After all, his men were hesitating over a small sum of money. The betrayal felt like a stab in the heart to him.

However, people had died fighting for less than the amount Rita was offering them. Although Esmond's men had amassed a considerable amount of money from working for him for so many years, they had also committed many unethical deeds.

Who would not prefer to work in a proper job in an office building if given the choice? They were well aware that relying on ill-gotten gains would only diminish over time. Even Esmond himself was beginning to transition.

Was it not because he knew that this money would not last long? Moreover, the money they had earned was tainted, In other words, they could not use it, so what good was having more of it?

"I'm sure you all have family, wives, and children. You should think about your children's future, if not for yourselves. Don't you want to be able to attend your children's parent-teacher meeting with your heads held high?"

Using reason to enlighten and emotions to stir, coupled with Sherman's relentless punching, more of Esmond's men began to hesitate. Some even went as far as to hide to the side, pretending they had been defeated.

In the end, amid the pushing and shoving, Esmond was pushed to the forefront.

Sherman, upon seeing him, was not going to go easy on him. He still remembered the insults Esmond had allowed his men to say to Rita.

Sherman punched Esmond on the chin, eliciting a cry of pain from him, causing even Rita to instinctively cover her ears.

"My teeth-"

Esmond wanted to retaliate, but he was no match against Sherman's youth, strength, and sculpted muscles. Finally, Sherman ruthlessly kicked him in the knee, forcing Esmond to kneel before him.

With the boss captured, the other henchmen did not need to consider whether or not to switch sides. After all, what meaning was there for the lackeys to resist if their leader had been captured?

Finally, one of the henchmen cautiously stepped forward, his hands raised in front of him, signaling they would not act rashly.

"Mister Sherman, what exactly do you want? Please, let our boss go. He only acted against you two based on rumors he heard from others," pleaded the henchman.

Esmond roared, "When did you become so spineless?! Even if I were beaten to death, I would never ta—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sherman landed a punch on his back, causing him to cry out and collapse to the ground.

"You're observant. With the current situation, there's no room for 2.com resistance I believe a sm like you would do the right thing,"

Sherman stated.

Rita ran up behind Sherman, completely taken aback by how quickly the situation had turned in just a few minutes. She looked at Sherman with admiration in her shiny eyes, but she refrained from praising him, given the circumstances.

"Yes, yes, rest assured. We know what to say. Whatever you want to know, just ask us. We'll tell you n' everything," assured the henchman.

Sherman pointed his chin at Rita. "What do you want to know? Go ahead."

Rita pointed at herself, looking incredulous. "Me?"

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2807-"Yeah, you, of course! Otherwise, why would I bother to beat them up so hard?"

replied Sherman.

Rita felt an indescribable sense of gratitude. Her eyes became teary as she looked at Sherman, and he found it somewhat uncomfortable under her gaze.

He reached out and gently covered her eyes with one hand. "Hurry up and ask your question."

With someone backing her up, Rita straightened her shoulders and stepped out confidently from behind Sherman. She paced back and forth in front of Esmond's men, feeling like a sheep in wolf's clothing. "You said someone's words had misled your boss. Who is that person?" Rita asked.

The henchmen exchanged hesitant glances, none daring to be the first to utter the name of that person. After all, they would be in trouble if their boss woke up and found out.

Rita clicked her tongue. "Alright, how about this? Just nod or shake your heads.

That way, when your boss wakes up, he won't know what you've said."

The henchmen's eyes lit up! 'What a good idea,' they thought.

"Did your boss order you to find out if the woman I'm investigating is named Karen Parr?" Rita asked.

Their eyes widened in surprise. They had not expected Rita to know about that woman. With that, there was no point in hiding anything anymore. They nodded in unison. "Very well. Seems like my stepmother really has it out for me," Rita remarked.

She followed up with another question. "Was Esmond responsible for selling the land to the Parr family back then?"

The henchman nodded in unison again.

"Good, you're being honest. Now, I want to ask: did you fulfill the promises of new houses and subsidies for those residents you displaced?"

Rita's expression grew increasingly serious.

The group hesitated, unsure whether to nod or not While they indeed did not give out the compensation, admitting to it in front of someone else was extremely difficult. They knew they had essentially deprived those residents of the homes they had worked hard for most of their lives to obtain.

"Huh, you can see the rights and wrongs clearly when it comes to your boss's affairs, readily sharing everything But when it comes to your own involvement in wrongdoing, you dare not admit it. But what's the use of denying it? What's done won't disappear with time. My goal is to expose you all and ensure you receive the appropriate punishment."

Rita frowned, causing everyone to forget about her beautiful face. It was then they realized they were dealing with a reporter.

After asking these three questions, Rita turned and approached Sherman again.

"Aren't you going to ask anything else?" Sherman inquired.

Rita sighed and shook her head. "No. After all, they're just working under someone else. Asking too much might not end well for them in the future. As a reporter, my primary task is to rely on my own investigation. It's pointless to extract answers forcibly."

She only needed to ensure her investigative direction was correct.

As for Karen, that was their family matter. She would never let that woman off the hook. It made her sick to her stomach how her

"Alright, let's go back," said Rita.

Sherman released Esmond, who collapsed to the ground as soon as he let go.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2808-Esmond's henchmen quickly rushed forward to help him up, saying, "Boss, boss, are you alright?"

Despite their earlier betrayal of Esmond, they were genuinely concerned when they saw him fall like that. After all, they had worked for him for so many years.

As Rita and Sherman walked out of the gate, the other henchmen were stunned. They did not understand what was happening.

'Didn't the boss say he had trapped these two people? How could they come out swaggering like this? What happened?' Rita could not quite comprehend why anyone would enjoy such dim surroundings and deliberately come here to spend time. As they emerged into

the sunlight, she instinctively exclaimed, "Ah! It feels so good to see the sun again!"

"Yeah, it's easy to forget the outside world when we're trapped in the concrete jungle all the time," Sherman remarked.

They only truly escaped the danger when they got into the car.

As Sherman drove toward Rita's house, she said, "You shouldn't have done that today."

"What?" asked Sherman.

"You should've left me behind and escaped alone."

Sherman had already explained that, regardless of the situation that day, he would never have left Rita alone. All that, and she still brought up the matter even when they were in the clear.

Sherman became irritated. "I've already explained to you. Even if I left on my own, it wouldn't have been any better for you staying there. Are you trying to sacrifice yourself to save me? Ha. Have you forgotten I'm a man? I don't need you to protect me."

Rita certainly heard the impatience in his tone. She bit her lip, feeling aggrieved.

"I just don't want you to drag into my mess. I didn't mean anything else. I…"

Sherman, not wanting to entertain the argument, turned the steering wheel to the right and stopped the car in a safe area. "Get out of the car. I think we both need some time to calm down."

Rita watched as Sherman drove away. She did not know what had come over her; every word and action of Sherman's seemed to affect her deeply. Before she could even understand her feelings, she had already upset Sherman At her saddest moment, her phone notification alerted her of a news article with the words 'Explosive News' bolded. She instinctively swiped it open, only to be confronted with a photo of Sherman and Claire.

Although the picture was not very clear, Rita had been seeing Sherman daily recently; how could she not recognize him? He had a protective stance, holding Claire on his right side, and he even subtly glanced toward the camera.

Rita clenched her phone tightly. No wonder he was so impatient with her-it turned out he already had someone he liked!

[Explosive News! The Boyfriend of the Dancer Who Had Returned From Abroad Is Him!] Rita let out a bitter laugh. It was only then she realized she had developed inappropriate feelings for Sherman.

'But why hadn't he told me he's dating Claire? It would've been better for me to know so I can move on,' thought Rita.

She found herself resenting Sherman for not being upfront with her. Although she knew it had nothing to do with her, Rita still felt upset.

Meanwhile, all the staff in Parr Group felt like they were facing a major crisis: Their company president had never been

photographed face-on before. After all, he was known to be very careful e about his privacy.

Thus, it was a shock to find out he had been caught in a photo with m Claire. Even though it was rather blurry, they could still vaguely make out what he looked like. Lucy dialed Sherman's number immediately.

'Yes?" Sherman sounded impatient, making Lucy's heart skip a beat! Had their boss found out about this before her?

"Mister Sherman, do we need to take down that online news?" Lucy asked cautiously.

"What news?" asked Sherman with a frown.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2809-"A paparazzo snapped a photo of you and Miss Claire, and nobody informed us about this beforehand. Whoever it was just posted the picture. I'm not sure if you've approved it, so…" Lucy explained cautiously. Sherman had no idea what photo she was referring to. How could he possibly approve of someone else posting his picture online, especially with Claire?

"I'll handle it when I get back to the office," said Sherman before he then hung up. He then stepped on the gas pedal, increasing his speed.

This unexpected incident pushed aside his irritation with Rita's constant rejection. He knew her past hardships had led her to develop such an independent character. She simply did not want to cause trouble for anyone.

'But how can she lump me together with her stepmother? Why does she keep refusing my help?' he wondered.

As soon as the company-president-exclusive elevator doors opened, Lucy pulled up the news and presented it to him. As they walked toward his office, she explained the origin of the news.

"I checked, and the photo of you with Miss Claire was taken by a well-known paparazzo. He has photographed you before but always gave us prior notice, so we bought the photos. This time, he changed his approach and posted it online without giving us a heads-up. The news came out about half an hour before you returned to the office, giving us no time to prepare."

Sherman took the tablet and carefully read through the article. "Hmm, seems like he has no qualms about making up things. He seems to know more about my relationship with Claire than I do."

The article detailed Claire and Sherman's background, even going so far as to recount how they met and became acquainted. Fans in the comments section were ecstatic, declaring the two a perfect match made in heaven.

Plus, since they had never seen a clear picture of Sherman, seeing him now was quite stunning. It turned out the real handsome guy was hidden in the public eye all along.

[I just don't get it. If I were as handsome as Sherman, I'd be in financial magazines every day. Such a handsome face should be shared with everyone!] one comment read.

[Yes! I'm fully in favor of what you said. Can we have more paparazzi with a conscience? Please take more photos of Sherman. He's young worth billions, and vel.net handsome. He's truly a winner in life! read another comment.

[These paparazzi are all scoundrels! Just wait, Parr Group will sue every single one of them.] [Doesn't anyone think Claire is the real winner in life? They've known each other for so long, which meant she got to know him when he was at his most innocent. Their relationship must be solid since they're still together. I wonder if she came back to the country because they're getting married,] speculated another commenter.

No way! They're both still so young.

Are they really getting married? Oh heavens, why can't I have a handsome guy for myself?] another lamented.

I've heard of Parr Group, but what does this woman do? Is she even worthy to be with Sherman?] one commenter questioned.

A commenter replied, [Your comment just shows how ignorant we modern people have become when it comes to the arts. She's one om of the most famous dancers from overseas in recent years. She's coming back with all her talent, yet hardly anyone knows her.

The Day I Kissed An Older Man Chapter 2810-One commenter mused, [I never expected that it wasn't her dancing that made her famous first but her relationship with Sherman. I wonder if it's good or bad for her dance career.] [Of course it's good. Without Sherman, who'd even know Claire? I wonder if it's her own publicity stunt. Sherman has never shown his face before, so why do it now?] another speculated.

[I don't think we should speculate about Claire like that. After all, isn't it normal for such a talented couple's relationship to be exposed? Besides, Sherman hasn't said anything, yet you're already worrying for him!] a third commenter argued.

[Don't give me that fan-club nonsense!]

Sherman naturally attracted attention, and this news quickly climbed to the top of the trending list.

Claire looked at the comments section, immensely satisfied. Despite many unfriendly remarks, at least she got the attention she wanted, did she not?

She wanted everyone to know that Sherman was hers, especially Rita. Why should she compete with her? She had known him longer than her, after all.

Claire was right. Even though her heart ached when she looked at the pictures of the seemingly perfect couple, Rita still stubbornly read through every comment in the section.

She selectively ignored the comments attacking Claire and instead focused on those praising the compatibility of the couple. She tried to convince herself to stop, not to get further involved. After all, they were a talented and beautiful couple, practically childhood sweethearts. She did not want to become the third wheel in their relationship.

The angry words Sherman had spoken last time, even though he had dismissed them, still lingered in Rita's heart. Looking back, the misunderstanding at that time seemed bittersweet. It was just a pity that Sherman was someone she was destined not to have.

"Claire, Mister Sherman is calling you!" Serena approached her, looking flustered, holding out her phone.

The fact that Sherman chose to call Claire's agent instead of Claire herself at a time like this meant he was already suspicious of the whole thing. He wondered if this was all orchestrated by her PR team. He did not want to entertain such thoughts, but Claire's actions that day were indeed very unusual.

Moreover, before driving away from that street, he had noticed the presence of cameras. However, at that time Claire had reassured him a few times, so he did not think much of it, Otherwise, given her sensitivity to cameras, she should have been more aware of the situation than he was.

"What are you afraid of? Just answer it. I've taught you what to say," said Claire.

Serena held her phone tightly, her palms slicked with cold sweat. "Is it okay for me to say that? Will Mister Sherman believe us?"

"Why wouldn't he? If you can't handle even this little pressure, how can you work for me in the future when I aim for bigger stages?" Claire looked at Serena expressionlessly.

Her agent, who had once been perceptive, was increasingly unsatisfactory to her. 'If Serena om couldn't handle this little pressure, how could she handle the bigger challenges I would face in the future?

Claire wanted an agent who could help her go further, not someone who shrank back from a phone call from Sherman.

Seeing the disdain in Claire's eyes, Serena made up her mind. She took a deep breath and answered the m phone, "Hello, Mister Sherman. Ah …

This situation is indeed unexpected for us too. We're currently trying to contact that paparazzo in the hopes of getting him to retract the news.