Chapter 1844 Rumors and GossipNow 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.
novelbinAs 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 favor.
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 their 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.