The Year She Stopped Being Crazy for Him novel Chapter 209

When his gaze landed on her again, it carried a deeper, more calculated weight. "Didn't get enough to eat at dinner?"

Muttering a noncommittal 'yeah', Natalie carried her drink over to the living room couch. She sprawled out and waited for her crab casserole.

She had actually eaten plenty at dinner; she was just starving from burning so much mental energy.

She couldn't be bothered to explain any of that to Hassan. Reclining on the sofa, she scrolled through her phone. The video of her underwater dance had blown up even more than the last one, but the backlash had multiplied right alongside it.

Countless comments were demanding that Natalie be blacklisted from the industry. People accused her of buying paid troll farms to exploit disabled individuals and step on Gardenia to elevate herself, calling her utterly soulless.

There were a few voices defending her, but they were instantly drowned out by the mob.

Sensing something was off, she took screenshots of the most frequently appearing accounts and sent them to a specialist to investigate.

A few minutes later, she received a reply.

[These are all bots from X-Mark Media. I can't trace the buyer, though. Who did you piss off?]

Natalie took a deep breath and locked her phone.

Who else could have bought them, if not Gardenia?

She narrowed her eyes and shot back a quick message.

If it was a war of paid troll farms, she could play that game, too.

The next day, at the launch event.

By the time Natalie arrived, the venue was already packed. She quietly slipped into a seat in the back corner.

The massive screen displayed the host and several staff members.

Not long after, Hassan stepped up to the podium to give his speech. Standing right beside him was the brand-new robot they were unveiling.

Gardenia stood faithfully by his side, assisting him with the presentation.

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