When She Ended It With Divorce (Chiara and Titus) novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Somebody had captured the heated exchange between Chiara and Elaine on video and uploaded it to the internet. By that evening, the footage had gone viral, igniting a fierce wave of criticism and outrage across social media platforms.

Chiara’s identity was soon uncovered by the public. The official social media pages of the Lynch Group were inundated with furious messages.

People openly labeled her a bully, calling her out by name and demanding a public apology to Elaine.

“First things first, get that hashtag off the trending list. We aren’t issuing any statements just yet,” Heather instructed firmly, ending her phone call. She glanced over at Chiara, who sat on the sofa, her expression blank and stunned.

Heather crossed the room and gently took Chiara’s hand in hers. “This will be okay,” she reassured softly. “I’ll handle everything from here.”

A bitter, almost resigned smile flickered across Chiara’s lips. “I didn’t push her. She grabbed me first. The video conveniently left that part out,” she murmured.

“I know the truth,” Heather said, squeezing her hand with quiet conviction. “Don’t stress. Just trust me to sort it all out.”

Lost in her swirling thoughts, Chiara’s phone suddenly lit up with Titus’s name flashing on the screen.

Heather peeked at the display and asked quietly, “Are you going to answer?”

Without hesitation, Chiara sent the call straight to voicemail and then blocked his number across every platform.

Heather smiled softly and affectionately ruffled her sister’s hair, a small gesture of comfort amid the chaos.

Meanwhile, at the Goodman Group headquarters, Paul was frantically trying to contain the escalating scandal. But Elaine’s rising reputation as a dancer only fueled the story’s rapid spread beyond his control.

Her loyal fans were already rallying behind her, their collective power impossible to ignore.

“Mr. Goodman, we’ve successfully removed the trending topic,” Paul reported cautiously. He paused, carefully choosing his next words. “Regarding Mrs. Goodman…”

Titus stared coldly at his phone, his face darkening with every unanswered call. Then he fixed Paul with a steely glare. “How did she end up in Halinston?”

Paul shifted uneasily in his seat. “I apologize, Mr. Goodman. I take full responsibility for the oversight.”

He couldn’t shake the feeling that keeping tabs on the CEO’s wife wasn’t exactly part of his job description.

At that moment, Elaine posted a statement on Twitter: [Hey everyone, thanks for your concern! It was just some fun between friends that got a bit out of hand. Nothing to worry about.]

Instead of calming the situation, her message only fueled the fire.

The hashtag they had just removed shot back up the trending charts, joined by new ones like [Lynch Heiress Pushes Friend], [Lynch Power Play], and [Chiara Must Apologize].

“Mr. Goodman, this is…” Paul started, but trailed off, clearly at a loss for words.

Titus’s lips pressed into a hard line as he pulled out his phone and dialed Elaine.

“Titus?” Elaine’s voice was hesitant and soft as she answered.

“Who gave you permission to post on Twitter?” he demanded sharply.

After a few seconds of silence, Elaine responded, hurt evident in her tone. “I was only thinking of you. She shoved me first, so why are you yelling at me?”

Titus pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration evident. “And why did you sneak back? Your leg will never heal properly if you keep pushing it like this.”

Catching the concern beneath his reprimand, she shot back defiantly, “It’s my leg. I’ll come back whenever I want.”

“What made you go see her in the first place?” Titus’s voice turned cold.

Missing the chill in his tone, Elaine explained, “After what happened with her grandfather, I felt I needed to make things right with her.”

“But you already gave her my watch to return,” he reminded her, his voice still frosty.

Elaine paused, absorbing the weight of his words. “She didn’t accept my apology. She told me to leave, and I just… I couldn’t accept that.”

A heavy silence stretched between them.

A knot of anxiety tightened in Elaine’s chest. “Titus, are you angry?”

He exhaled quietly. “Stay out of it, Elaine. What’s between her and me is private. I don’t want anyone else involved. Is that clear?”

Elaine fell silent, but Titus didn’t wait for a response. He ended the call abruptly.

Fuming, Elaine stared at her phone for a moment before throwing it aside in frustration.

“What’s wrong?” Sharon asked, startled by Elaine’s sudden outburst.

“Can you believe it?” Elaine fumed. “Titus just warned me because of that bitch. Who does she think she is?”

Sharon hesitated, then spoke cautiously, “Maybe you were a bit too obvious this time. People might start noticing what you’re doing.”

“I was only trying to help clear things up for her,” Elaine said with a cold laugh.

Turning to Chiara, Heather asked gently, “Are you okay?”

Chiara glanced down at her stained clothes and gave a wry, almost amused smile. “I’m fine. It’s just… ridiculous, really.”

Heather’s heart ached for her. “Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s get you home.”

Though her face remained unreadable, a cold numbness was spreading through Chiara’s chest.

Suddenly, Titus’s voice cut through the tense silence. “What’s going on here?”

Heather spun toward him, her patience snapped. “Do you need me to spell it out? Look at her!”

Paul held his breath, impressed by the Lynch sisters’ fearless stance.

Titus’s gaze stayed fixed on Chiara, who deliberately ignored him. He stepped forward, raising his hand as if to reach for her.

“Get out of my way,” Chiara said, her voice rough and strained.

The atmosphere shifted instantly. Titus’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her paint-splattered face. “What did you just say?”

Heather watched Titus warily while Paul swallowed nervously.

Finally, Chiara met his gaze, her eyes cold and full of resentment. “Take your woman and leave. Are you deaf?”

Paul took a sharp breath. “Mrs. Goodman, Mr. Goodman was concerned—”

Chiara’s icy glare cut him off before he could finish.

A chill ran down Paul’s spine, silencing him completely.

“Let’s go, Heather,” Chiara said firmly.

Heather gave her a reassuring look and took her arm gently. “Let’s get out of here,” she murmured.

They had only taken a few steps when Titus suddenly appeared, hoisting Chiara over his shoulder.

“Put me down, Titus. You bastard. Let me go!” Chiara screamed, struggling against his grasp.

After a moment’s hesitation, Paul hurried forward and opened the car door.

Heather quickly recovered and chased after them. “Where are you taking her?” she cried out desperately.