Chapter 62

“Did I cause you trouble? I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would turn out this way. I posted it on my account, but who knew the paparazzi would find me? Christopher, please don’t be mad at me. I didn’t mention your name, I swear,” Canthia said.

Listening to her distraught apologies, Christopher took a deep breath. He said, “Even if you created a secondary account and never mentioned my name, the Crown of Roses is unique, and the paparazzi were relentless after the incident at the fashion show.”

“I’m sorry, Christopher. I was wrong. I didn’t think it through…” she sobbed.

Hearing her cry, he pursed his lips and remained silent for a few seconds. Cynthia was a simple person; she just had the urge to share. Regarding the timing of the post, she explained she went to bed late, so it wasn’t intentional.

“Stop crying. I’m just asking you not to post things so casually in the future, because it’s easy for the paparazzi to link you and me,” Christopher said.

She smiled, still slightly choked up, but a hint of satisfaction flickered in her eyes. She had posted it precisely to create that connection. How else could she make the public see her as the soon-to-be daughter-in-law of a wealthy family? His tone softened.

“I understand, Christopher. I promise I won’t share anything like this again,” Cynthia whispered, her voice sweet and obedient, making it hard to resist feeling sorry for her.

“I made a mistake too. I should have reminded you after the fashion show incident,” he said.

“Do you think I embarrassed you, Christopher? Do you not want to be associated with me in public?” She bit her lip, tears welling up again.

“No,” Christopher quickly denied. “It’s because I’m married. How can I have any scandal?”

He paused, realizing what he had just said. He didn’t want any scandals, but he had already kissed Cynthia several times. That was far worse than a scandal, wasn’t it? He fell silent, clenching his fist. A sense of betrayal and hypocrisy surged within him, making him feel uneasy and guilty.

“But aren’t you and Melody secretly married? You’ve never made it public,” Cynthia’s voice interrupted, pulling him from his thoughts. “Yes, it’s a secret marriage. But some families know about it. My grandfather mentioned it,” he answered.

“Also, the gossip surrounding key figures in the company can affect stock prices,” he added. That was his main point. The other emotions he had felt earlier were merely his own irrational thoughts.

“I understand. As long as you don’t hate me, Christopher,” Cynthia said sweetly.

Christopher didn’t respond. The call ended unexpectedly, and as he sat there, he began to think. His current relationship with Cynthia was unclear and ambiguous. It had even made the trending news twice, sparking gossip and speculation. Maybe he shouldn’t be doing this. Should he distance himself from Cynthia?

Lost in thought, he subconsciously opened his contact list and stared at Melody’s page. How long had it been since they last saw each other or spoke? It had to be the fourth day. Why did it feel like a whole week? He thought back to his struggle last night, staying awake until 2:00 am, repeatedly wondering who that “Mr. Zeller” might be, and now his dark circles were even worse.

After hesitating for several minutes, he finally set aside his pride and dialed the number. He realized he might have gone too far. Although he had married Melody, he had brought Cynthia home and even let her sleep in Melody’s room. No woman could tolerate that, especially someone like Melody, who loved him so much. This is probably why she resorted to extreme actions, like tampering with the gas.

The phone rang twice, and Christopher expected her to pick up. After all, he was calling her…