CHAPTER 110: CHAPTER 110: DISTORTING RIGHT AND WRONG

Sheila Yardley honestly said, "I borrowed it from a friend."

"Which friend?"

"A colleague from the studio, the TA Quinn I mentioned to you before."

"Why didn’t you come to me?"

"I know your studio’s finances have been tight lately and I felt bad asking you, then Shannon said she could lend me some."

Ryder Griffin nodded and softly said, "Once these two deals are done, pay them back first."

Sheila looked at Ryder with guilt, "How will I ever repay what I owe you in this life?"

"Are you planning to cut ties with me?"

"No, no, I’d never cut ties with you!"

Ryder smiled lovingly and stepped into the elevator, "You should rest early too."

"You too, don’t just focus on work, take care of your health."

After being in a relationship with Ryder for so many years, these hardships haven’t driven them apart; instead, they’ve deepened their bond.

People always say that after weathering storms together, future fights won’t tear you apart.

Seeing how he stood by her when her mother was ill, Sheila realized Ryder is a man she can entrust her life to, and she’s determined to stand by him.

It’s been two days.

The text Shannon Quinn sent to Vincent Rhodes seemed like a message in a bottle lost at sea, with no response.

In these past two days, her heart has been in turmoil, yet her mind lacks clarity.

She has too many worries about the decision regarding the child.

Part of her wants to bring the child into the world and give them all her love; however, reality isn’t as beautiful as she imagined.

She can ensure she loves her child, but she can’t completely shield them from the malice of others.

Those words hurt her ears, let alone a young child.

If the environment is like this, she’d rather give up on having the child.

The reason she wants to discuss this with Vincent is, in part, to gauge his attitude; if he feels indifferent, she doesn’t know whether she should consider divorce or abort the child.

She’s received two more anonymous letters, and this time aside from insults, they altered her old magazine photos online to look like memorials.

Previously, when she saw celebrities getting attacked by haters online, she felt it was far from her world, but now she realizes how malicious people can be when they’re cruel.

"Shannon, why are you still headed to the studio in this cold weather?"

Shannon Quinn was lost in thought in her office when Lynn Kendall entered without knocking.

"Just had a few things to take care of, so I came to check things out."

Lynn smiled and sat opposite her, "Is something bothering you? You’ve seemed distracted these past two days. Tell me about it, maybe I can help you analyze."

Shannon put her tangled thoughts aside and replied with a smile, "What worries could I possibly have? It’s just an assignment from Mr. Lockwood, and I haven’t yet figured out how to approach it, so I’m thinking it through."

She’s somewhat suspicious that Lynn might have been sent by the Yardley sisters to extract information from her.

If she naively treats Lynn as a friend and confides her troubles, she might become a topic of ridicule at their next meal or chat.

"That’s good to hear. I was worried if you were troubled by those rumors. As long as you’re true to yourself, you don’t have to fear shadows when you’re upright. Let them talk, don’t take it to heart."

Shannon couldn’t be bothered to guess whether Lynn’s consolation was genuine or feigned, so she just assumed Lynn was sincerely comforting her. She hadn’t yet asked about the matter with Sheila.

"I heard you took Elaine to the bar last night and something happened?"

Lynn seemed to have an excuse ready, responding without hesitation, "Nothing happened. I just let her drink a little, just some beer, like having a soda."

Had Shannon not already heard from Sheila about the actual incident, she might have believed Lynn’s story at that moment.

"Then why hasn’t she come to work?"

Lynn sneered and mocked Sheila, "People like her aren’t like us. We work to earn a living, but she doesn’t need the money. She can leave as she pleases if dissatisfied."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?"

"Everyone was having a great time, drinking together in high spirits, but she thought we forced her to drink. I bet she told you about it? Who knows how she might be smearing me. Don’t listen to her nonsense; she’s not just another college girl. Do you know who’s backing her?"

Shannon raised an eyebrow, signaling her curiosity.

Lynn paused mysteriously before continuing, "Landon Sutton!"

At the mention of this name, Shannon’s back stiffened, her gaze deepened a bit, but she didn’t show much reaction. Lynn clearly wasn’t aware of Shannon’s acquaintance with Landon Sutton.

"You should know Landon Sutton, right? The organizer of the last fashion exhibition, owner of Sutton Group! You being in the country often should be familiar with his background."

Knowing yet not knowing, Shannon only asked Lynn, "How do you know she has a connection with Landon Sutton?"

"Ah, that night when she thought we forced her to drink, she called the bar’s boss, someone named Grant. Grant is a close friend of Landon Sutton, and Sheila is his distant cousin."

Shannon instantly realized it must be Caleb Grant.

She had asked Ronan Rhodes to help with this, and it was fortunate she had the foresight; otherwise, who knows what could have happened that night.

But the distant cousin claim was likely a cover story by Caleb Grant to defuse the situation. If Sheila truly had such a wealthy cousin, she wouldn’t be worried about her mother’s medical bills.

And though it’s her first time hearing about Caleb Grant and Landon Sutton being close, it’s not surprising—given Ronan’s involvement, their acquaintance makes sense.

But Lynn’s claim that Sheila has a connection with Landon Sutton is likely exaggerated.

"I thought she was just a simple college student, and I put in so much effort to share my experiences with her. Seems she doesn’t care at all and is just here for the experience."

If Lynn said these things to someone unfamiliar with Sheila, they might believe everything from Lynn’s mouth, given how convincing she sounds.

It also made Shannon realize how terrifying gossip could be, as it can twist truths based solely on words.

What seems like a harmless little thing could sometimes influence someone’s life forever.