Chapter 96
Claire Bennett's Scheme
If she hadn't heard the recording in their hands, Naomi Pierce still wouldn't have believed this was real. That man had simply been too convincing.
It really was heaven helping her!
Now that she knew Claire Bennett didn't have any backer at all, she could finally move against Claire Bennett boldly and without worry!
Luna Brooks said, "Naomi, I never expected Claire Bennett to do something like this. I'm afraid everyone thinks she's Mr. Sterling's woman now."
"Exactly. From now on her status and position will definitely be different. Maybe she'll even enter high society and become someone everyone tries to curry favor with," Meng Lifen chimed in from the side.
Hearing that, Naomi Pierce thought of the scene at the engagement banquet that day, when all those rich young ladies and socialites had flocked to flatter Claire Bennett.
Enter high society?
She would never let Claire Bennett have that chance!
In an instant, Naomi Pierce had already thought of a way to deal with Claire Bennett.
She was going to have reporters expose the fact that Claire Bennett had found a fake. If that Mr. Sterling personally came out and slapped her in the face, Claire Bennett would be humiliated beyond belief.
Naomi Pierce said, "Give me that recording."
The two of them immediately sent the recording to Naomi Pierce.
After doing all that, they asked tentatively, "Assistant Naomi, could you help us out and ask Manager Sterling to cut us some slack and let us go back to work at Sterling International?"
They had gone to Naomi Pierce's engagement banquet to look for men and ended up owing a huge amount for their gowns. Now they still didn't know what to do about it.
Naomi Pierce herself couldn't even get back into Sterling International, so how could she possibly help them?
But considering the two of them had been helpful, she didn't completely shut them down. She only said casually, "I'll try asking."
"Thank you, Naomi." Smiles appeared on Luna Brooks and Meng Lifen's faces as they thanked her again and again.
It didn't matter that they hadn't gotten a chance at the engagement banquet. When Naomi Pierce and Ethan Sterling got married, they'd still have another chance!
They had to hold tight to Naomi Pierce's leg!
At that moment, the hospital room door opened again.
Ethan Sterling walked in carrying some things. He was a little surprised to see Luna Brooks and Meng Lifen, but he didn't say anything.
"Naomi, how are you feeling today?"
Naomi Pierce hurriedly signaled Luna Brooks and Meng Lifen with her eyes, indicating that they should leave first.
"Since Manager Sterling is here, we'll be going now."
After saying that, Luna Brooks and Meng Lifen left one after the other.
Thinking of what she had just heard, Naomi Pierce's eyes sharpened a little. She looked at Ethan Sterling and said, "Ethan, do you know we've all been deceived?"
"What do you mean?" Ethan Sterling looked over in confusion.
"Sigh... I never thought Claire Bennett would actually do something like this. Listen for yourself."
After saying that, Naomi Pierce played the recording, and Claire Bennett's voice came from the phone.
"I found a chauffeur, had him pretend to be Julian Sterling, the president of Sterling International, and thoroughly slapped them in the face at Ethan Sterling's engagement banquet..."
Hearing that, Ethan Sterling froze.
The next second, his expression changed at once. Looking at Naomi Pierce with a dark face, he ground his teeth and asked, "Where did you get this? Claire Bennett really lied to us?"
Naomi Pierce bit her lip. "You heard the recording with your own ears. Do you still not believe it?"
Her face full of pain, she said aggrievedly, "For the sake of ruining us, what underhanded trick is Claire Bennett incapable of?"
"She could even fake a video like that... Do you still believe that the person in that video was really me? How could I possibly do something to betray you..."
Although Ethan Sterling had treated her fairly well these past few days, Naomi Pierce could tell that compared to before, there was now a bit more distance between them.
Ethan Sterling's kindness toward her seemed to carry a strong sense of purpose, without a trace of sincerity.
No doubt it was because of the video of her and Kevin Parker.
Anyway, Kevin Parker was missing now, so why not take this opportunity to pin everything on Claire Bennett and clear herself of it?
Ethan Sterling's face shifted from ashen to green. He said softly, "Naomi, don't think like that. Of course I believe you."
Ethan Sterling had originally been half-convinced and half-doubtful, but now that the recording was out, the little bit of suspicion in his heart was completely gone, and he was convinced it had all been Claire Bennett's scheme.
"Don't worry about this for now," Ethan Sterling said gently. "I'll first make arrangements to suppress what happened at our engagement banquet and reduce the impact as much as possible. For now, you should just rest properly in the hospital."
What had happened at their engagement banquet had caused too great an impact. Although they had already used every means possible to suppress it that day, there were still rumors circulating in the upper-class circle.
Those guests who had left early also didn't know that the Bennett family later came bearing gifts.
All of this needed to be arranged.
Ethan Sterling was furious about Claire Bennett's deception, but for now it was better not to stir up any more trouble. He would settle accounts with Claire Bennett after things died down.
Naomi Pierce's eyes flickered, and unwillingness spilled onto her face.
She had finally gotten hold of leverage over Claire Bennett. There was no way she could just hold back and ignore it. She understood the principle of striking while the iron was hot.
But since she had just eased the tension in her relationship with Ethan Sterling, she didn't want to go against him either, so she obediently replied, "Okay, I understand."
...
In the morning, Claire Bennett was awakened by a phone call. After sitting up, she instinctively looked beside her, but Julian Sterling was already nowhere to be seen.
He had probably gone to work.
She hadn't expected to sleep so soundly that she hadn't even noticed when he left.
Her phone was still ringing like it wanted her dead. Claire Bennett pulled herself back to the present and swiped to answer. The next second, an unfamiliar voice came from the phone...
"Miss Bennett, I'm a news reporter from Global Finance. Are you really Mrs. Sterling? Would you be willing to give us an exclusive interview?"
The moment she heard that, Claire Bennett instantly woke up.
"No comment."
With that, she hung up. But the moment she did, new unfamiliar calls kept coming in. "Miss Bennett, may I ask about you and Mr. Sterling..."
Claire Bennett frowned and hung up.
She hadn't expected the next call to come in again.
"Miss Bennett, Mr. Sterling he..."
In the end, unable to bear the harassment, Claire Bennett decisively turned off her phone, and the world finally quieted down.
All of those sudden calls from unknown numbers were asking about her relationship with Julian Sterling. Only then did she belatedly realize that something had probably happened.
Could it be that what happened at Naomi Pierce's engagement banquet had been exposed?
Did everyone think she really was Mr. Sterling's wife?
After the engagement banquet that day, she hadn't thought much of it, and there hadn't been anything unusual over the past two days either. Who would have known all these reporters would get wind of it and come after her today, nearly blowing up her phone?
With things having blown up this much, would it alarm the real Mr. Sterling?
Maybe he already knew about it now!
At that possibility, Claire Bennett's face instantly went pale.
She was screwed!
Acting badass feels great in the moment; afterward comes the crematorium.
Now it was time to pay for the mess she'd made!
She and Julian Sterling had joined forces to use Mr. Sterling's name to deceive people. At best, it was a misunderstanding; at worst, it was fraud!
What if that Mr. Sterling got angry and wanted to sue her and make her pay damages for harming his reputation?