Chapter 77



Jake’s forehead creased as he watched the video of Kallie’s once-familiar smile, a smile that had once been reserved for him but was now shared with someone else.

“Mr. Reeves, please take a look…” Edgar began, laying out several public relations strategies.

Jake gestured for Edgar to wait. “Hold on.”

He replayed the video clip, watching closely. In it, Kallie was communicating through sign language, her smile soft and gentle. The video focused on that smile, although her hand movements were somewhat blurred. But Jake, familiar with Kallie’s signing, understood her message: “My marriage is quite unhappy, so when you decide to marry, choose someone you love, not someone others pick for you.”

“Is that Brent she’s talking to?” Jake asked, though he already recognized him.

“Yes,” Edgar confirmed with a nod.

“Fine…” A cold smirk formed on Jake’s lips. Kallie had shared personal details about their marriage with Brent. Despite Jake’s trust in her fidelity, this revelation stung deeply.

“So, Mr. Reeves?” Edgar prompted, sensing the growing tension. It was unusual for him to linger this long without clear direction, and he was becoming concerned about how Jake would handle the situation. Kallie had recently visited the office to bring Jake lunch, and everything seemed fine between them. But this incident had clearly shaken Jake, and Edgar feared that Kallie was in for a difficult time.

Jake finally spoke. “Go find out who started this.”

g Ɐ lnσ ν𝓮 ℓs․com, your storytelling home “What do you mean?” Edgar asked, surprised, assuming Jake would want to focus on removing the video or addressing Kallie directly.

“Find out who’s behind this trending topic, who’s spreading these rumors, and how deep this network of interest runs,” Jake instructed calmly but firmly. “Get a dedicated team on it and set them up in my office immediately.”

Edgar hadn’t realized the full gravity of the situation until now.

There had been countless false rumors about Jake over the years, many of which he had ignored. Even minor celebrities trying to gain publicity through lies had never caught his attention. But this time, Jake was taking the first public rumor about Kallie very seriously. He had paused all other operations to focus solely on uncovering the truth behind this.

All leads eventually pointed to Stella. Despite her attempts to hide behind various companies, the Reeves Group’s resources allowed them to track her involvement, revealing chat records showing Stella had paid for marketing services to promote the rumor.

“Stella is also a Hayes. Why would she spread rumors about her own cousin and Mrs. Reeves?” Edgar mused aloud after delivering the final report.

“She and Brent don’t get along,” Jake replied.

It was no secret that there were tensions within the Hayes family, and Stella, who lacked significant influence, often sought ways to boost her status. However, she had neither the skills nor the authority to achieve her ambitions. Even her limited transactions had been facilitated by Sarah, thanks to Jake’s influence.

As Jake considered Sarah’s possible role in manipulating Stella, his expression darkened. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that Sarah might have been pulling the strings behind the scenes.

“Leave the report here,” Jake ordered sternly.

Dealing with online rumors was usually straightforward. Even without Jake’s involvement, Brent’s team could have quickly handled the situation. But the real challenge was in addressing the person behind the rumors.

After a moment of thought, Jake sent an investigation report about the fire incident directly to the Hayes family.

Meanwhile, Brent had already seen the swirling rumors and sent Kallie a text, assuring her that the public relations department was handling it and she had nothing to worry about. He even offered to speak with Jake to clear things up.

However, after a moment of consideration, Kallie responded that there was no need for him to explain anything to Jake. She didn’t elaborate, finding it difficult to explain her reasoning. Kallie assumed that Jake, accustomed to rumors and gossip, wouldn’t be concerned with such a trivial issue.

Focusing back on her work, Kallie was preparing for an important day at the Hayes Group. It was the first time they were receiving clients, and while she had opted not to attend personally due to her inability to speak, she didn’t want to risk tarnishing the company’s image. Instead, she had Irene and other colleagues handle the negotiations.

However, Irene returned shortly with a concerned look. “Kallie, we have a problem. The clients are insisting on meeting with you.”

Kallie was surprised and gestured for more details.

“They have some concerns about the details…” Irene explained, handing Kallie the documents. “These points weren’t addressed properly.”

Kallie scanned the documents, realizing that she had overlooked some key issues. The clients were sharp, having quickly identified the gaps. It made sense why Irene and the team had struggled to handle it.

Kallie gestured that she would join them in the meeting room.

“Kallie, are you sure you don’t want to take a moment?” Irene asked, startled by Kallie’s swift decision.

Kallie shook her head. No further delay was necessary.

Though the documents were incomplete, Kallie had all the answers mapped out in her mind.

Upon entering the meeting room, Kallie greeted the clients with a nod.

“This is Kallie. She has vocal cord issues and cannot speak, but she understands everything perfectly,” Irene explained. “I’ll be interpreting her sign language for the meeting.”

Kallie stood beside Irene, offering a polite smile, though she felt a pang of nervousness. She feared she might not live up to the Hayes Group’s expectations.

However, the clients returned her smile warmly.

“We’re quite familiar with Kallie’s impressive work,” one of them said.

“Yes, her restoration work at Hayden’s studio is widely known!” another added.

Kallie was pleasantly surprised by their recognition.

As she offered a grateful smile, one of the clients spoke up again. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do! Will you uphold Hayden’s reputation or diminish it?”

.

.

.