Apparently, the mastermind had been ready to seize the opportunity. Perhaps, her every move had been monitored long ago.
It was even possible that there were moles within Skylight Corporation.
Unaware of Sydney's thoughts, the man on the other end of the phone cringed at her question and nervously whispered, "I'm just a secretary who can't possibly know much. I only know that a woman told us to enlist paparazzi to keep an eye on you and wait to capture a scandalous moment."
Just as she suspected!
Sydney's eyes narrowed icily.
Her intuition was proved correct.
The mastermind was really a woman.
And she had been laying the groundwork for some time.
"When did you start to stalk me?" Sydney inquired further.
The secretary scratched his head. "I don't know the exact time. It was the editor-in-chief who ordered the surveillance, not us secretarial assistants. I can only give you a rough answer. It was about a week ago."
"A week ago," Sydney snorted, "That's longer than I anticipated."
The secretary cringed. "Our editor-in-chief was concerned that a shorter timeframe wouldn't yield any results and thus arranged for the staff to start a week ago. That way, the paparazzi would have ample time to stalk you and snap potentially misleading pictures."
"Should I commend you for your thorough planning?" Sydney sneered.
The secretary grinned, "You're joking. This was our editor-in-chief's idea and has nothing to do with me. At first, the paparazzi didn't catch anything. That woman was displeased and called yesterday, urging him to act faster. According to her, fabricating something was acceptable if he couldn't get any. But before he could do that, the paparazzi informed him of you entering the hotel with a man, and the rest is history."
Sydney remained silent.
The secretary had told a clear story, and she knew what had happened afterward.
The editor-in-chief delivered the photo to the woman, and the latter was pleased.
Then, the woman asked the Squirrel team to edit the photo, publish it with a misleading caption, and spread false rumors to tarnish her reputation. The woman aimed to make Julien break up with her.
Unfortunately, the woman was probably unaware that Julien knew that she had gone to the hotel with Luke.
The woman's effort was all futile.
A glint of coldness flashed in Sydney's eyes as she asked, "Who is that woman?"
The secretary shook his head. "As I said, I'm just a minor secretary. I really don't know. I've told you everything. It is our editor-in-chief who has contacted her the whole time. I asked him out of curiosity, but he seemed quite wary, unwilling to reveal her identity. He only mentioned that her family is influential and not to be trifled with and that they seem to have some connection to the Flint family."
Though the secretary didn't disclose the mastermind's identity, the information he provided was still quite revealing.
Sydney bit her lower lip and murmured, "She has a connection with the Flint family..."
She had previously surmised with Sean that the mastermind wasn't afraid of Julien, indicating a far-from-ordinary background.
Yet, she never anticipated a connection to the Flint family.
'What's the nature of this relationship?
'Kinship or something else?'
This led her to suspect the editor-in-chief had lied.
Regardless, she was determined to uncover the truth about this enigmatic woman.
The secretary placed the phone on its cradle, raised a hand to mop the perspiration from his forehead, and let out a subdued sigh, his entire being relaxing.
He had assumed Sydney was a gentle and somewhat meek person.
To his surprise, her aura was so strong.
Even over the phone, she gave him a lot of pressure.
Her voice, although even and measured, carried an oppressive weight.
Sure enough, Mr. Flint's woman was exceptional.
"Dale." The secretary's ruminations were interrupted as the office door swung open. A middle-aged man then came in.
Short and fat, he had a protruding belly, a big head, and large ears. The flesh of his cheeks and jowls crowded his eyes into mere slits. The top of his skull was largely barren, save for a few tenacious strands of hair that fluttered with every movement.
Despite being clad in an expensive suit, he cut an unflattering figure.
This man was none other than the editor-in-chief of the Squirrel team, Mr. Guzman.
And Dale was the secretary who had just talked to Sydney over the phone. Dale snapped back, stifled his roiling emotions, and bowed to the man. "Mr. Guzman, you're back."
"Mm, pour me a cup of coffee," Mr. Guzman commanded as he patted his ample stomach, ambled to his desk, and settled into his chair. Once seated, he fixed Dale with an inquisitive stare. "I asked you to fetch a file, but you've been in my office for a long time. What have you been up to?"
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