Chapter 1405: Chapter 1405: Enjoying the Scandal
Teddy Carter’s mind was in utter chaos. Wanting some peace to think things through, he decided to leave Florienna Ellis’s apartment for now.
On the way back, though, the more he thought about it, the more suffocated he felt. In the end, he couldn’t even focus on other things—eating, sleeping, or working—all done absentmindedly.
It was as if he had fallen under a spell, wandering around like a soul lost in another realm.
After an extended period of silence, Teddy Carter finally made up his mind. He needed to confront Florienna Ellis face-to-face and get to the bottom of this!
He demanded that she give him a reasonable explanation.
...
As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. After Charlotte Thompson’s plagiarism scandal came to light, the internet exploded with gossip as paparazzi media frantically dug up dirt on Charlotte.
The most striking revelation was that elements of plagiarism had been found in several collaborations tied to XTZ as well.
Overnight, netizens began sharing design drafts, indeed exposing a significant number of plagiarized aspects.
However, this instance of plagiarism didn’t involve Florienna Ellis but rather some lesser-known designers.
Charlotte Thompson became a punching bag for critics heavily condemning her plagiarism scandal, and the online crowd didn’t seem intent on sparing her personal life either.
Previously, some rumors from within Riley Group started resurfacing at this opportune moment.
Within just a few short hours, Charlotte Thompson had essentially become the internet’s most reviled figure.
The once-recovering stock price of Riley Group also plummeted in reaction to Charlotte’s scandal, sinking to an unprecedented low with no sign of recovery.
Initially, when Florienna’s plagiarism matter had first gone public, a number of designers stood by Charlotte’s side, helping to clear her name against accusations of plagiarism.
After all, many of them had worked collaboratively with Charlotte and genuinely recognized her professional abilities.
But as the momentum of public opinion grew uncontrollably, those designers who originally supported her opted to retreat into silence to avoid getting themselves entangled.
In the end, the only person still supporting Charlotte on the internet was Annie Anne.
Annie Anne’s actions, of course, didn’t come as a surprise to Charlotte Thompson.
Previously, Charlotte had already shared some details about Florienna Ellis with Annie.
Moreover, these developments were all within Charlotte’s expectations, so she had already advised Annie in advance not to feel obligated to speak out on her behalf.
Yet now, with Annie stepping forward on her own, inevitably, she faced no shortage of repercussions.
Apart from Charlotte, others began digging into Annie’s affairs as well. Fortunately for Annie, Oliver Hudson had her back; the moment any threatening rumors surfaced, they were swiftly crushed.
Naturally, this redirected all focus to Charlotte Thompson alone.
"Looks like they’ve brought out every skeleton from the closet, huh?"
Scanning the news filled with countless bizarre headlines about herself, Charlotte Thompson found herself oddly entertained.
Some were even trying to exonerate Ethan Allen, claiming it was all part of a calculated plot by Charlotte to frame him.
Meanwhile, Justin Battleson drew Charlotte into his embrace. He didn’t say a word, but the expression on his face was far from pleasant.
Though the current trajectory of events was within their expectations, Charlotte might be adept at shrugging off the malicious remarks.
That didn’t mean Justin could put up with people’s endless finger-pointing.
Without saying anything to Charlotte, he directly reached out to Michael Richard, instructing him to suppress all the trending topics.
Yet Charlotte, who continued to watch the online commentary, didn’t notice Justin’s evident displeasure. Instead, she exclaimed in wonder,
"Wow, I never expected there to be so much dirt on me!"