Upon hearing the call being disconnected on the other end, she hurriedly went to Weibo. It was then that she saw what was trending. If she didn’t know she hadn’t leaked this information, she might have believed it was all her doing. Anna Hollis’s face grew increasingly somber, and she had reason to suspect that this Phoebe Vance did this intentionally to drive a wedge between her and William Walsh. She took out her phone and dialed William Walsh’s number again, but he didn’t answer. Unconvinced, she called repeatedly several times and then discovered that her number had been blocked. William Walsh blocked her? Anna Hollis’s eyes reddened with grievance as she placed the phone aside. At that moment, Alice Lynch came back with a bowl of chicken soup, still unaware of what William Walsh had done, and was dreaming of her daughter marrying well. "Anna, drink this quickly. You can’t let any health problems linger on." Seeing her, Anna’s eyes reddened even more. "Mom, if I hadn’t already known that I couldn’t keep this child, I wouldn’t have pinned it on Eleanor Hollis. Now that the child is gone, how am I supposed to marry into the Walsh Family?" As she spoke, she started to cry, her face looking paler by the day. Alice knew something might have happened and promptly sat by her side to comfort her. "You don’t understand, child. A man’s guilt is the easiest thing to exploit. The more guilty William feels, the tighter you can hold onto him." Thinking of William, Anna’s expression turned even more sour. "But he’s already started mingling with women from the entertainment industry. This morning, when I went to find him, I discovered a woman from the industry at his villa, and William even kindly cooked for her and insulted me for her sake." The more she spoke, the more pain she felt inside. Alice’s expression changed instantly. She thought William was a straightforward man, but it turned out that as soon as he took over as CEO, he started playing around with celebrities. "Anna, can you find another man besides William? Hugo Quinn disregards you, and many already know about your pregnancy. Ah, what can we do now..." Reaching this point, Anna had only herself to blame. Her fists clenched gradually, and she lay down on the bed. "I don’t want to eat for now, let me rest properly." Seeing her fatigued look, Alice felt sorry but knew this pain was necessary for their future. The online buzz grew more intense, and the insults hurled at the woman were incredibly vicious. William was extremely worried about Phoebe Vance’s current state. He managed to get her number from someone and, after mentally preparing himself, called her. But as soon as Phoebe learned it was him, she spoke rather rudely. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝔫𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔩⁂𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾⁂𝔫𝔢𝔱 "Mr. Walsh, do you think I haven’t suffered enough? Because of you, my acting career might end. I truly regret sitting in front of you at dinner that day." With that, she hung up. Phoebe’s words pierced William’s heart like an arrow. William, with a pale face, opened up Weibo again. Now, to save Phoebe, he had to come forward and clarify this matter. Photos of William and Phoebe were everywhere online. Their dinner together couldn’t be explained away, and neither could the fact that they got into the same car, not unless he admitted that Phoebe was his girlfriend and that they were secretly dating. Otherwise, even if Phoebe managed to escape this storm, people would still think she was a woman who could easily go home with a man, likely subjecting her to various forms of male harassment in the industry. Thinking of this, William could only text Phoebe, sharing his thoughts. Phoebe replied simply with these three words, but William knew she agreed. He immediately contacted people at the Walsh Group, hoping to quickly hold a press conference to clear the rumors. Given William’s position, which was already under everyone’s scrutiny, coupled with the trending news involving him, his every move was watched. Upon hearing he was going to hold a press conference, reporters rushed over, eager to see what he had to say. Anna Hollis also learned about the press conference and, for reasons she couldn’t understand, felt a wave of anxiety, as if everything would drift further apart between her and William after this. When William stood beneath the flashing lights, he was thinking of Phoebe. From the first glance at her in the restaurant, he had felt somewhat captivated, and now, facing such controversy, he naturally had to stand up like a man. "Regarding the circulating rumors online today, I want to make a simple statement. Phoebe Vance and I have been in a relationship. I hope those who are trying to slander her will show some restraint. Phoebe is an adult who, until now, hasn’t had any scandals with male artists. Our relationship is genuine, and we don’t want online rumors to cause any discomfort between us." Anna Hollis stared quietly at the TV, thinking she had misheard. Wasn’t she the one in a relationship with William? When did it become that hussy Phoebe?! She was furious, struggling to get out of bed, but Alice quickly held her down. "What good is going there right now! William is clearly enchanted by that vixen, which is why he’s holding this press conference. Going there will only make William despise you more." Though Alice spoke in an attempt to console her, she also felt discomfort inside, coupled with some resentment. This daughter of hers had always lacked foresight, ruining a good hand in the game. If she had even half the guile Alice had back then, how could they have ended up here? "Mom, what should I do..." Now, Anna was utterly panicked. William was her stepping stone, but now, that stepping stone had moved beneath someone else’s feet. "What are you panicking for!" Alice shouted, sat down in a chair, and began to ponder the countermeasures. Anna, stunned by the outburst, let out a mocking laugh. "It turns out you don’t care about me at all. You only care about whether I can marry well. If you dislike me so much, then why did you give birth to me in the first place?!" Even at this point, Anna still sought internal strife. Alice, with resignation, rubbed her temples, only perceiving her daughter’s foolishness. "Anna, I’m heading back. Drink the chicken soup, and I’ll visit you another day." Anna sat quietly on the hospital bed, and only when the room fell completely silent did she angrily knock over the chicken soup beside her.