Joshua cocked his head, his eyes cold and razor-sharp. “That apology doesn’t sound sincere to me.”
Lottie’s face crumpled, tears spilling over as she sobbed to Allison, “I’m sorry, Ms. Allison, I really am. Please, I’m begging you—let me go. I shouldn’t have spread rumors about you, shouldn’t have embarrassed you in front of everyone. Please, just give me a chance to fix this.”
Allison’s gaze was icy. “Post a three-thousand-word apology on every social platform you have, pin it to the top for a month, and pay me a hundred thousand dollars for emotional damages.”
Lottie went pale, looking miserable. “Ms. Allison, I have hundreds of thousands of followers on Weibo and Little Red Book. My whole income comes from brand deals and sponsorships—if I post this, my whole image will collapse…”
“So you’re saying no?” Allison shot her a look that could freeze water.
Lottie bit her lip, looking even more pitiful. “It’s not that I won’t do it—it’s just… this is too much. You’re asking me to destroy my own career.”
Someone in the crowd chimed in, “Ms. Allison, her whole online persona is ‘foreign-educated, rich, and classy.’”
Allison’s voice was cool and steady. “If you don’t want to apologize this way, that’s fine.”
A flicker of relief flashed in Lottie’s eyes. “Thank you, Ms. Allison, I knew you—”
Allison cut her off, voice flat. “Then we’ll settle it in court.”
Lottie froze, her mouth half-open.

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