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Chapter 1844 Rumors and Gossip
Now that the dust had settled from the whole dramatic incident, Rochelle definitely took the biggest hit from the
news, no doubt about it.
She was struggling to come to terms with how everything played out.
As Rochelle delved into the matter, she discovered that Luke had been the one to contact her before things
escalated.
As for Bella's kidnapping, Paul eventually filled her in about the whole story, but not until much later.
In hindsight, Luke had likely intended to rope Rochelle to his side, and Elisa had likely been the ultimate target.
To Luke, involving Bella was just a pawn in the game, with Elisa as the ultimate prize.
However, the entire plan fell through. Every time this messed-up operation crossed her mind, a surge of anger
would rise within Rochelle.
But then, seemingly out of nowhere, a brilliant idea struck her like lightning.
Perhaps she should ride the wave, strategize around it, and leverage it to her advantage, flipping the odds in her
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With that thought, Bella prepared a delightful spread of dishes to welcome Paul when he dropped by for the second
time.
She cautiously brought up the subject during their meal, carefully watching Paul's reactions.
"Never mind Elisa kicking me out; I can handle that here. But what irks me is how she belittles me to get at you.
And on top of that, she's playing political games, trying to outmaneuver you, right?"
Rochelle put forth her idea carefully, reading Paul's expressions.
Noticing his initial annoyance, she pressed on, "Here's my thought: Elisa Benett might be a tough opponent for now,
but that doesn't mean we can't outmaneuver her through a different route, right?"
"Take Bella, for example. Who can say what that guy had put her through during her kidnapping? Who knows if he
messed with her mind, scarred her soul, or even physically offended her? It's no news that people get swayed by
rumors; they'll believe any story, no matter its authenticity. We can start by throwing around some bogus stories
about Bella, aiming to sully her reputation and even hinting at the possibility of a traumatic incident during her
kidnapping; it could seriously mess with her mind and emotions. Who knows, she might choose to walk away from
her position. If Bella isn't there to back up Elisa, let's see how long she can keep up that high-and-mighty act!"
With her words hanging in the air, a sense of unease crept in as she turned to Paul, awaiting his response.
Rochelle wasn't sure if Paul would be on board with her plan.
An uneasy silence hung in the air, broken by Paul's suggestive smile.
His hand slid over Rochelle's back, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.
"You're quite the sneaky one, Rory, my playful accomplice," he teased, tapping Rochelle's nose.
From his reaction, Rochelle gathered that Paul was on board with her idea, and she felt content.
Things then took a steamy turn between the two of them.
Later that night, Paul had arranged for someone to put the plan in motion.
And so, under the shroud of night, rumors and gossip spread like wildfire.
When Bella entered the office the following day, she was greeted with... well, not a friendly reception – more like a
flood of curious and somewhat uneasy glances from her colleagues.
Some were grinning, some seemed smug, and others were outright mocking.
Those in her department, with more discreet reactions than their counterparts from other departments, lowered
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmtheir heads, avoiding curious glances.
Their peculiar responses left Bella puzzled, and at that moment, she overheard a conversation between two
colleagues in the pantry.
"Hey, you know? The head of the project department got kidnapped by some guy, and Ms. Benett stepped in to
rescue her."
"Seriously? That's risky business!"
"Yeah, I heard the same thing. The kidnapper was her ex-fiancé. They were discovered together, all alone, and
looking quite disheveled... Honestly, it's hard not to think there's more to this. Ms. Benett is defending her
reputation. But my take is that she's making a big effort to paint herself as the rescuer and the one with the high
moral ground here by spinning the story to save Ms. Wickam's reputation."
That's when it all clicked for Bella – she finally understood why she'd been getting those odd and downright crazy
looks since morning.
While Bella could handle them backstabbing her, she drew the line at Elisa.
And so, she strolled into the pantry.
The second the two of them laid eyes on her, panic set in, and they unconsciously made a dash to escape the
situation.
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