Second Chance: Marrying into Wealth Chapter 202

I said, "I'll keep trying to get in touch and wait for a response."

The blueprints signed by someone named Gearhead landed in my inbox. The moment I saw them, I had a good feeling, but since I'm not an expert in this field, I just printed them out and handed them to Christopher.

Judging by Christopher's expression, I knew I had made the right call.

I immediately sent a reply to Gearhead, but I never got a response.

Christopher glanced at the blueprints. "Since they sent it to our email, they must be interested in collaborating. Let's not rush. I'll have someone look into the email address and see if we can make any headway."

The name Gearhead was completely new to the industry.

Christopher and I both believed that Gearhead was hiding their identity. Given the thoroughness of the design, they were likely a seasoned professional, possibly a big name in the industry, forced to stay anonymous for some reason.

The meeting was wrapping up when Douglas finally called Christopher.

At the start of the meeting, as per Christopher's instructions, I had called Douglas again, but it went unanswered, possibly on purpose.

Considering Douglas's performance and attitude from the initial car performance tests to now, Christopher's strict work standards would have typically led to Douglas being reassigned or even fired.

Christopher didn't answer the call immediately. He glanced at the caller ID, his already cold expression turning even darker.

"Reschedule the meeting with Stanley Ortiz to tomorrow morning."

With that, he took his phone and left.

I suspected Christopher was genuinely angry this time, and Douglas's position was in jeopardy.

Stanley was a top headhunter, and if he wanted to recruit someone, he rarely failed. Companies eager for talent were willing to pay a premium, so getting Stanley involved wasn't easy.

I followed Christopher out of the meeting room and returned to my desk.

A fresh copy of Echo Magazine was on my desk, featuring a story about Quinlan.

Marlowe, the editor-in-chief of Echo Magazine, was truly talented.

The magazine serialized a story about a character named Elena.

Elena was a pseudonym. Those familiar with Quinlan's story would recognize it without needing a name, while those who didn't know would avoid complications by using a pseudonym.

When I sent the material to Marlowe, she remarked that I had used all my skills to make Quinlan appear pitiable.

"Though you're not much, you did a good job as a cousin, making Quinlan seem very pitiful and moving."

I replied, "It's not my writing that evokes sympathy; it's because everything I wrote is true."

Marlowe paused before responding, "The newspaper will be out soon."

Seeing the content now, she had made slight modifications to my original material, making it even more tear-jerking.

She knew how to evoke empathy and sorrow better than I did.

The story detailed how Elena's parents favored boys over girls, were lazy, and gambled away their time, leaving young Elena to care for her mischievous brother. When he got hurt, Elena was blamed and beaten, only to be forced to work the next day.

Another incident involved Elena's brother playing with fire, nearly causing her death. Her parents only cared about her brother, forgetting about Elena, who was saved by a kind neighbor but left with permanent scars. Her parents blamed her for the fire and refused to treat her injuries.

Such unfair events kept happening to young Elena.

The second phase of the serialization covered Elena's adulthood, her academic achievements, and her parents' refusal to let her study, even trying to marry her off for money.

I had already organized the material, but seeing it in the magazine still made my hands shake with anger and sorrow for Quinlan.

Due to Yosef and Yasmin's videos leading a boycott against Echo Magazine, the magazine's sales plummeted, except for those with annual or monthly subscriptions.

To reach as many people as possible, Marlowe likely funded three free issues.

Despite the boycott, people read the free issues, and many saw the magazine.

With online promotion, more people learned about Quinlan's story.

Some even called the magazine to verify, receiving confirmation and learning that Elena, the pseudonym, was an assistant at Echo Magazine who resigned because of Marlowe.

Though Marlowe published the story, it was under the guise of a concerned employee to avoid public backlash.

Marlowe's negative reputation hadn't cleared, and the news that Quinlan resigned because of her put her back in the spotlight, with more people criticizing her.

Marlowe must have anticipated this outcome and wasn't happy, but she couldn't back out now.

She was probably cursing me behind the scenes!

What puzzled me about Christopher was his lack of reaction to Marlowe's situation. Even if it was to tame her, this seemed excessive.

As for the third person in the imagined love triangle, Jason, I had seen him at the company a few times. Twice, in empty hallways, he looked at me as if he wanted to say something but didn't.

His complex expression left me confused, but I eventually dismissed it.

Christopher might have secretly communicated with Marlowe, but it was kept low-key.

Once the three issues were published, public opinion was set.

Marlowe finally called me. "Melinda, as you wished, my reputation hasn't improved!"

I wasn't remorseful. "But it hasn't gotten worse, has it?"

Compared to Yosef and Yasmin's vile behavior, Marlowe seemed less hateful, and her reputation might have even improved.

I kindly suggested, "Now's the time to strike while the iron's hot. Record an apology video and post it online. You know how to guide public opinion and emotions better than I do."