Imprisoned While Pregnant, She's Back for Payback novel Chapter 196

Chapter 196 Blurring the Sides

“How could this ever count as something small?”

Nadine’s voice cut sharply, every word lined with authority.

Alfred, still smiling like nothing could rattle him, waved her into the office.

“Now we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

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When the soundproof glass door clicked shut, he personally pulled out a chair for Nadine, his voice full of sweetness. “Tess is basically a nobody. If Mr. Lock didn’t care about her role as Mrs. Lock, he wouldn’t waste his time bailing her out.”

With no staff walking past anymore, Nadine let her polite act drop.

Alfred was her hand–picked protégé, and those gossip stories linking her to Finn? He’d been one of the people making sure they caught fire.

“I told you to keep the gossip alive. How’s that working out?”

She tilted her chin, a complete shift from the friendly, soft image she’d shown Tess earlier.

Alfred jumped to answer. “Of course, I did exactly what

you said!”

His eyes practically lit up with pride. “Mr. Lock sent Zane to push me a few times, telling me to shut it down quick, but I kept dragging my feet. I’d wait a bit, then pay some commenters to bring it up again. And whenever the higher–ups asked, I just told them, ‘Someone’s obviously out to get us.”

He looked way too proud of himself.

Nadine’s lips curved. “Not bad.”

Leaning in, Alfred lowered his voice. “Thing is … I might’ve been making excuses, but I think someone else really is out there making sure Tess’s bad rep sticks.”

Nadine’s eyes narrowed, locking on his.

For a second, both of them looked like they were thinking the exact same thing.

Nadine broke the silence. “The enemy of my enemy … is my short–term friend.”

Alfred nodded quickly and sat back in his chair.

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20:39 Mon, Oct 6 N

Chapter 196 Blurring the Sides

“Wait.”

:

His gaze snapped to the computer, and the grin dropped from his face.

“What?”

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Something cold and uneasy coiled in Nadine’s chest. Seeing his sudden shift made her heart

start to race too.

Alfred’s hand shook as he pointed at the screen. “Cavrielle just put out an official statement!”

Before he even finished, Nadine was already moving toward him.

On the huge monitor, bold black letters under a bright red “Cavrielle Official” headline screamed for attention.

Her gut dropped. Cold prickles ran over her skin. She forced her breathing to steady and kept reading.

“After careful review by certified in–house experts, the gown worn by Ms. Tess–currently the subject of online debate–has been verified as an exclusive, custom Cavrielle original.”

Her eyes slid lower until she saw the vivid red seal underneath.

A shiver ripped through her.

She took a sharp breath and opened the comments.

“I knew it. This is classic Cavrielle. People who only judge by the tag know nothing.”

“This totally has Selina’s touch …

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The second someone mentioned “Selina,” the replies blew up.

“Yeah, exactly! Selina’s a special guest designer for Cavrielle, not full–time. Rumor is that she only gave them a handful of designs, but they helped rule the luxury market for the past two years. That hidden embroidery? Classic Selina.”

Selina …

The more Nadine read, the tighter her face became.

Suddenly, she grabbed Alfred by the collar, nails digging in. “Why would Cavrielle defend Tess? And who is Selina? How would Tess even get one of her designs?”

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