Who Doesn’t Have Secrets?

Right after finishing breakfast, Isabella received a phone call and had to head down to the company.

In the conference room, Vanessa, Lilian, and Vivienne were already present. The head of public relations, Alley Robinson, was also in attendance.

Vivienne’s head was lowered, dark circles hanging heavily beneath her eyes. The moment she saw Isabella, she shot to her feet in a frenzy.

“Isabella, you bitch! Are you proud of yourself now? Just wait—I won’t let you off!”

Isabella scratched her ear helplessly. It was always the same line. At this point, she was practically immune to it.

“Shut up! Haven’t you done enough?” Alley snapped impatiently. “I already have enough on my plate—don’t make things worse. Don’t be more stupid than you already are, Vivienne.”

As unwilling as she was, Vivienne could only sit back down, her face full of grievance. Her spineless sugar daddy had already cut off all contact the moment their affair was exposed. Now, her fate rested entirely in Alley’s hands.

“Sit,” Alley said to Isabella, his expression conflicted, as if weighing a final decision.

At that moment, Lilian spoke up, “Isabella, you already know what happened last night, so I won’t repeat it. Here’s how this will go: Vivienne will release a statement apologizing for slandering you. You will respond by admitting some fault as well. Be magnanimous—say you’ve forgiven her.”

Vanessa quickly added, “Bella, I know you’re uncomfortable, but you’re not completely innocent either. You can’t let personal grudges affect the company. The priority now is to minimize the damage.”

Isabella looked calmly at Vanessa, who appeared to be acting in the company’s interest.

“Miss Hartley,” she said evenly, “if I remember correctly, Vivienne was the one who repeatedly targeted and slandered me. I followed Lilian’s guidance—kept quiet, endured it, and avoided embarrassing the company. Even when I was attacked, I didn’t trouble the company. My reputation was only cleared because others stepped forward.”

She paused slightly.

“The current backlash isn’t about me. It’s about Vivienne being exposed as someone’s mistress. She acted for her own interests and dragged the company’s image down with her.”

Her gaze sharpened.

“So tell me—if something unhinged runs itself off a cliff chasing you… is that your fault?”

If she publicly forgave Vivienne now, everything she had just regained would collapse again.

Did they really take her for a fool?

Vanessa nearly choked on her words. Kind-hearted netizens? Isabella had orchestrated everything, yet she spoke as if she were completely innocent.

Vivienne, who had only just calmed down, exploded again.

“You—who are you calling unhinged?! Say it clearly! You bitch—”

“There’s no need for an apology anymore,” Alley cut in.

Vivienne froze.

“Really?” Hope flashed across her face.

“Vivienne,” Alley continued coldly, “write a retirement statement.”

Her expression shattered instantly.

“Why?! You want me out of the industry? Why me?! I won’t write it!”

“Letting you write it yourself is already a courtesy,” Alley said sharply. “Don’t throw it back in my face.”

“What’s wrong with having a sponsor? So many actresses do! Why am I the one retiring?!”

“Because you were stupid enough to let it go public.”

“It wasn’t my fault! That bitch Hannah betrayed me! Why don’t you investigate her?!”

“How? She’s already resigned!” Alley snapped. “She was the most patient manager here. Who else would tolerate your temper? You abused her constantly—and when her son had a high fever, you refused to let her leave. By the time she got to the hospital, he was in the ICU. He’s still critical!”

Vivienne remained unmoved.

“He didn’t die, did he? There were doctors. What difference would it have made?”

The room fell silent.

Alley pinched the bridge of his nose, completely done.

There was no saving her.

The company had invested heavily in Vivienne, but there was no coming back from this.

She had to go.

Panicking, Vivienne rushed toward Vanessa.

“Nessa, help me! Let Lilian manage me—I’ll behave! I’ll apologize!”

Lilian’s face immediately stiffened.

Vanessa sighed, putting on a helpless expression. “Vivienne… it’s not that I don’t want to help. But you heard Isabella—she’s unwilling. And this is the company’s decision.”

Vivienne was finished. There was no reason to waste effort on her anymore.

“Isabella!! You bitch! Even if I die, I’ll drag you down with me!”

Before she could cause further chaos, security arrived and dragged her out.

Silence followed.

Alley turned to Isabella, his expression noticeably softer.

“Bella, focus on your current film. If it performs well, the company will invest more in you. But keep a low profile. Don’t invite unnecessary trouble.”

“Thank you, Director. I understand.”

From the initial slander to the complete reversal—and Vivienne’s downfall—the entire situation looked like a flawless PR operation.

Though Alley suspected someone behind it, he found no evidence.

In the end, he could only attribute it to luck.

After leaving the conference room, Isabella headed to the restroom. Vanessa followed shortly after.

Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Vanessa smirked.

“Isabella, aren’t you afraid? Digging up other people’s dirt like this… what happens when yours comes out?”

Isabella’s eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them.

She turned, voice indifferent.

“Who doesn’t have secrets in this industry? You included… Miss Hartley.”

She deliberately emphasized the surname.

Then, as if recalling something, she added lightly—

“Speaking of which… doesn’t the title ‘mistress pretending to be a rich heiress’ suit you quite well? Saves me the trouble of coming up with a headline when I expose you.”

Vanessa’s expression froze.

“I’ve been part of the Hartley family since birth!” she snapped. “As for Gabriel, you couldn’t keep him, that’s your failure. No one will believe you.”

Isabella smiled faintly.

“Then let’s test that.”

Her voice dropped.

“I’ll reveal mine too. The two men you bribed are still missing, aren’t they? Maybe I’ll have better luck finding them publicly.”

Vanessa’s face turned pale.

“Isabella… you’re insane.”

Isabella chuckled softly.

“Relax. Taking you down isn’t worth the cost.”

Then her expression turned cold.

“But if you ever threaten me with that again…” she leaned closer, voice low and dangerous, “…I won’t guarantee what I’ll do.”

A beat.

“Vivienne is loud but weak. I’m not.”

Vanessa stood frozen as Isabella walked away.

Only after she disappeared did Vanessa collapse against the wall, kicking the door in frustration.

Damn it.

She had to get rid of Isabella.

Fast.

Because as long as Isabella remained—

everything she had could disappear in an instant.