Chapter 17

"They said you're an adulterer and that you conspired to take advantage of me!"

Nathaniel's expression hardened. "What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Melanie, facing Lily, was stunned by the accusation. Such a direct and harsh statement caused her to feel subconsciously guilty, and her eyes darted away.

After hearing Nathaniel’s voice, she recovered. "How could you believe such slander? It’s ridiculous!"

"Lily, we’ve known each other for so long. Do you really need others to define our relationship? How could you believe such a transparent provocation? It’s hurtful that you would." Melanie’s eyes welled up, appearing deeply aggrieved.

Lily was speechless. She thought Melanie could have been an actress. But then again, if life were a play, anyone could act.

Lily pursed her lips, feigning confusion. "They weren't the only ones. Others said you and Nate…"

"Lily!" Nathaniel interrupted sharply, grabbing her arm. "Are you stupid?! Why would you believe such rumors? Do you blindly accept gossip without thinking? They are strangers; we’ve known each other for years! You should know who to trust!"

Nathaniel’s anger felt excessive, as if Lily had deeply offended him. She had been thoughtless. Otherwise, how could they have deceived her for so long?

Yet, seeing Nathaniel's anger and guilt, Lily found it amusing. She expected a confession from the shameless pair.

However, she was willing to play along. If they wished to maintain their charade, she would oblige.

"Since we're here, why not announce that Mel and I jointly developed First Love?"

"No!" Melanie immediately refused. "No one would believe it after yesterday! It wouldn't help MN Inc.'s reputation. It’s a terrible idea!"

Nathaniel, initially hesitant, agreed. "Right! It won't work. Besides, your industry reputation is… less than stellar. Admitting you and Mel developed First Love would be admitting we were wrong last night, especially given your last disastrous performance. Absolutely not!"

"Then what?" Lily anticipated their disagreement. She wanted to know their solution to yesterday's turmoil.

Nathaniel took her arms, his gaze intense. "There's only one way. You need to do this."

"What do you mean?" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"I'll call a press conference," Nathaniel said smoothly, as if he'd rehearsed this. "You'll admit your mistake—say you got carried away and wanted all the credit—and apologize to Mel. The company will publicly forgive you, and we'll turn this around." Lily looked concerned but didn't object. "B-But what about Rebirth?"

"Reject them. Did you already sign a contract?" Nathaniel frowned, clearly unhappy at the thought.