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Novel Catalog
Chapter 69: Ditcher
Mollie smiled and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “To be honest, I haven’t been a judge for a long time. And I won’t be staying in the country for much longer.”
Ainsley, not missing a beat, replied earnestly, “Some of your theories have always been a beacon for students in our university’s Department of Psychology. I know you’ve been invited to international competitions before, but you’ve turned them all down. Still, I’d love for you to look at these.”
She reached into her bag and handed a stack of documents to Mollie. “These papers were written by some of the students based on your theories. A few of them have proposed new ideas, and I sincerely hope you can give them a look.”
Mollie looked surprised but took the documents, flipping through them thoughtfully. “Thank you. I will read them carefully.”
Ainsley let out a quiet breath, relieved that at least the students’ work would be in Mollie’s hands, even if she couldn’t be certain she’d get Mollie’s full support.
Just as Ainsley was about to leave, Mollie called out to her. “Ms. Easton, I wonder what you think about what happened tonight?”
Ainsley, a little confused, gestured towards the stage. “You mean over there?”
“Where else?” Mollie’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “I just want to say that you did a great job. Honestly, I might have been even more ruthless.”
Ainsley realized then that Mollie was aware of the confrontation between her and Kaitlin. “I was just protecting myself,” she replied, her voice calm but firm.
Mollie took a sip of champagne, set the glass down, and stood up. With that, their conversation ended, and Ainsley turned to leave.
As Ainsley walked toward the exit, she met Manuel’s eyes. He raised an eyebrow, and they shared a quiet chuckle. “You knew as well?” Ainsley asked, referring to the USB flash drive.
He shook his head with mock disapproval. “Aisy, I’ve been keeping an eye on you the whole time. You did well.”
Ainsley smiled sheepishly. “Mr. Gage, are you laughing at me? Both you and Ms. Randall saw me, and I was so clumsy.” She bit her lip, thinking she’d been so careful, but clearly, everyone had noticed.
Under the spotlight, Manuel’s expression softened, his dark eyes flickering with something Ainsley couldn’t quite place. “Aisy, why didn’t you ask me for help? I’m sure no one would have found out if I’d stepped in.”
Ainsley’s heart skipped a beat. His gaze was so intense, and his lashes fluttered as he lowered his eyes. Was that a tear in his eye? She couldn’t understand why, but for a brief moment, he looked so vulnerable. Wait, no—he was Manuel Gage, the powerful figure everyone feared. She was imagining things.
“Mr. Gage, I wouldn’t want to trouble you with something so trivial,” she said, trying to shake the odd sensation building in her chest.
His eyes flashed with something deeper, more captivating. “Aisy, everything about you is important to me.”
Her face flushed, and she quickly turned away, feeling her heart race. “Mr. Gage, behave yourself. You should be more careful about your reputation.” Without another word, she hurried away, not daring to look back at him.
On the drive back, Serina, who had insisted on accompanying them, was full of excitement. “Ainsley, you won’t believe it! Kaitlin was completely speechless. She had no idea what to say. The reporters already got everything on camera! Did she really think everyone would just ignore it?”
Ainsley responded coolly. “Even with the photos and videos, tomorrow’s news won’t be a scandal. It’ll just show Kaitlin being harassed, and the attempt to harass her failing.”
Serina, still fuming, protested, “But they have the evidence! Those photos and videos!”
Ainsley explained patiently, “It won’t matter. The Baldry family has too much influence. If the reporters follow their orders, they get paid well. If they go against them, they could lose their jobs. What do you think they’ll do?”
Ainsley had known exactly how the reporters would handle it when they first asked their questions. That was why she’d stopped paying attention after Kaitlin changed the topic. She knew everyone would only hear what Kaitlin wanted them to hear the next day.
“What?!” Serina looked at her incredulously. “I should’ve gone with you to invite Ms. Randall! By the way, did she agree to help?”
Ainsley shrugged. “She kind of turned me down. She said her time was precious. But I did show her the papers from the students who used her theories in their research. That was something, at least.”
Serina’s expression softened. “You’re not upset, are you? What about the school leaders?”
Ainsley patted Serina’s head and smiled reassuringly. “It’s fine. I tried. That’s enough. I’m not upset.”
“It’s okay! Ainsley, you’ve got me!” Serina said with a grin.
When they reached the apartment building, Ainsley saw Lainey standing in front of the door. She immediately recognized Manuel’s car and, with a dramatic flourish, blocked Ainsley’s way.
“Well, well, Ainsley! Ditcher!” Lainey called out loudly, not caring about the possible embarrassment she might cause. Most importantly, Manuel had just followed Ainsley out of the car and heard every word she said. He greeted Lainey with a calm, friendly smile.
“Hello.”
Lainey beamed at him. “Hello, Mr. Gage!” Then she spun back to Ainsley, hands on her hips. “Come clean with me right now! Where were you two fooling around? I called you so many times, and you never picked up!”
Ainsley froze. Lainey had been calling her?
She checked her dress, realizing she didn’t have her phone. It wasn’t in the car, either.
“I think I left it at the office,” Ainsley muttered, embarrassed. She’d forgotten it when she went to the banquet.
“Well, get it tomorrow when you go to the office. But don’t try to change the topic! Tell me, where did you go?” Lainey demanded.
Serina, who had also gotten out of the car, jumped in to defend Ainsley. “We went to Kaitlin’s birthday party!” she said brightly.
Lainey’s hands went slack, and all the bags she was holding fell to the ground. “What?!”
She stared at Ainsley in disbelief, then reached out and pressed her hand to Ainsley’s forehead. “You’re not running a fever, are you? You went to her birthday party? After everything she’s put you through? Why would she even send you an invitation?”
Ainsley was taken aback by the flood of questions. “It’s complicated. I’ll explain everything later. Why don’t you go inside? Don’t you have the password?”
But Lainey wasn’t letting go. “Don’t tell me you still have feelings for that jerk!” She quickly shot a glance at Manuel. “Well, I know for sure that it’s impossible. He’s a total jerk.”
Ainsley sighed. “Lainey, I know everything. You missed the show. Kaitlin was totally doomed today. Everyone saw that scandalous video of hers!”
Serina, sensing the tension, pulled Lainey away, leaving Ainsley and Manuel alone.
Ainsley looked down at the mess of bags scattered on the ground and couldn’t help but wonder how Lainey had managed to bring them all up here.
