Chapter: 20

A sigh of relief escaped Larry, quickly replaced by tension at the thought of confronting Lilliana.

"You're asking me to cross Mr. Hewitt? Are you aware of who backs Lilliana?" Larry said.

Jeopardizing his career was daunting enough, but defying Alan was a whole different level of fear!

"That's your concern. Find a solution. You have one day. By tomorrow night, I expect a public statement proving Nora Andrews’ innocence,"

Three Drops said.

The line went dead.

In frustration, Larry kicked a trash can, his mind racing. He had one day to absolve Nora without infuriating Lilliana and Alan. How was he supposed to navigate this minefield?

Kaitlin wrapped up the final task of the day and relished the prospect of a break. She reached for her coffee, only to find the cup empty. Beside her, Phoebe, who had insisted on staying until Kaitlin finished, had succumbed to sleep on the couch.

“Phoebe, wake up. It's time to head home." Kaitlin gently nudged her.

Blinking awake, Phoebe stretched. “Did you finish everything? You must be exhausted."

"It's done. Let's get out of here," Kaitlin replied, her voice steady despite the long day.

They shared a cab ride home, as Phoebe had arranged for Kaitlin to stay nearby.

Just as they alighted, Phoebe's phone rang, slicing through the stillness of the evening. It was Nora, her voice bubbling with relief and excitement.

“Phoebe, they've cleared me! The judge himself has declared I didn't plagiarize. I'm free of those accusations at last!"

Phoebe, suddenly wide awake, clutched the phone tighter. “Are you serious? That's incredible news!"

From the other end, Nora's voice wavered with emotion, a stark contrast to the darkness she had faced from the online community.

"Come back to the studio when you feel up to it," Phoebe encouraged after a brief conversation.

Once the call ended, she turned to Kaitlin, her eyes sparkling with admiration and surprise.

“Kaitlin, did you have a hand in this? It's resolved so quickly! How did you pull it off?"

Kaitlin's smile widened; she was amused by Phoebe's flurry of questions. "What matters is the outcome, not the path. Nora's reputation is restored, and our studio is back on track. It's just my way of showing gratitude for all you've done for me."

"That's what friends are for, Kaitlin. Having you by my side is a blessing. I couldn't have navigated this storm without you!" Phoebe expressed warmly as they strolled through the tranquil night, arm in arm, celebrating their enduring friendship.

After a late night, Kaitlin allowed herself the luxury of sleeping in, only waking up around noon. Upon checking her phone, she found it flooded with messages from Three Drops.

“Kay, mission accomplished. How's that for efficiency?"

“Are you in the middle of something? Did you see the news?"