Chapter 75

"Miss Russell, please go ahead," said the voice on the other end, carrying a note of curiosity.

"You've heard of Brinley Moore, haven't you? The one tangled up in real estate." Milly reclined against the leather seat, eyes flicking to the blur of city lights streaming past the window. A sly smile curved across her lips. "She's signed up for an international exhibition race."

"An exhibition race?" Reporter Johnnie Quinn's tone spiked with disbelief. "Does she even know how to handle a race car?"

"Maybe she does, maybe she doesn't." Milly's low laugh carried a teasing edge, every word laced with implication. "Funny how someone with no racing background suddenly decides to jump behind the wheel. The only reason she landed that spot is because Austin pulled strings. This whole thing screams publicity stunt, just a flashy way to draw attention and inflate her project's profile."

Johnnie narrowed his eyes. "And you can actually prove that?"

Milly let out a sly laugh. "Prove it? Please. A real estate developer strutting onto a professional racetrack? Don't you find it absurd? Drop it anonymously, splice together her glossy construction -site shots with a few from the circuit, then add snide little captions. That'll stir things up fast."

She leaned back, voice dripping with calculation."And make sure to tie it back to her racing-themed project.Suggest she's willing to gamble her life just to grab headlines. That'll have people in an uproar."

Johnnie sounded persuaded. "Tha's quite a scoop,Miss Russell.Once it's done..."

"I will pay you generously," Milly interrupted coolly,her voice edged with warning. "But don't forget-this must never circle back to me or Colin."

"Relax, I know how the game works."

When the call ended, no sense of triumph came.Instead, a sharper unease pressed at Milly's chest.She quickly dialed another number, one she'd saved from a late-night exchange on a racing forum-a fringe figure drifting from one racing team to another,scraping together cash by peddling gossip and inventing scandals about drivers.

"I need your help," Milly said, her tone dropping into an icy register. "I want you to spread a little rumor through the racing circle." The voice that answered on the other end dripped with flattery. "What kind of rumor are we talking about?"

"About Brinley Moore," Milly said coolly, her gaze fixed on her reflection in the darkened car screen,her eyes gleaming like shards of ice. "Make it sound like her participation in the exhibition race isn't about passion at all-it's because her real estate project is bleeding funds. She's clawing for investors and hoping the racing crowd will bite."

Milly let the words hang in the air before lowering her tone, every syllable sharpened with intent. "And don't keep it vague. Tell them she can't even read the flags.She once misinterpreted a blue flag as yellow on a private track and nearly rear-ended the car ahead.Swear you saw it yourself-that way, no one questions it."

A hesitant voice slipped through the receiver. "Isn't that a little... far-fetched?"

"The wilder the rumor, the faster it spreads," Milly sneered, her tone dripping with malice. "The more absurd it sounds, the more eager people will be to believe it. Make sure it feels like privileged insider talk,laced with contempt for her fake sophistication."

"Got it! I'll handle it right away!" the voice on the other end replied with enthusiasm. Once the call ended, Milly sank back into her chair,exhaling a long breath as tension gave way to satisfaction.

Her gaze drifted to the window, where the gleaming Moore Group skyscraper cut into the skyline. A faint,triumphant glimmer lit her eyes.

So Brinley wanted victory, did she?

Very well. She would ensure Brinley's defeat was a public and humiliating one.

By midafternoon, the headline "Real Estate New Force Brinley Moore Racing for Publicity" had climbed to the top of the local trending list at a startling speed.

The faceless account that lit the fire had posted a barbed message dripping with provocation. "Insider leak: Brinley Moore, a businesswoman behind a racing -themed real estate project, is set to appear in the international exhibition race. But whispers in the industry say she's clueless about racing and only secured her entry because Moore Group's CEO,Austin Moore, pulled strings. Shouldn't she stick to concrete and blueprints instead of chasing attention on the track? Is this a cash-grab stunt, or merely a desperate attempt to gain attention?"

The hashtag with Brinley's name lit up, fueling gossip. The post highlighted two images set side by side. One showed Brinley on-site in her work clothes, streaks of dust across her face, her hair undone, every bit the gritty developer in the middle of construction chaos.

The other blazed with glamour-a sleek poster for the international exhibition race, a professional racer captured in sharp colors and roaring energy.

Set in pointed contrast, the images formed a jarring mismatch, whispering ridicule at Brinley's daring self-belief.

Within minutes, the comments section detonated.

"A real estate developer stepping onto a race track?Quite the stunt, isn't it?"

"I always figured her project was a gimmick-now she's trying to play influencer?"

"With Mr.Moore behind her, it's no wonder-she gets away with anything she wants."

"Poor Colin-dumped by Brinley, only to watch her end up with Mr. Moore."

A torrent of hostile remarks surged online,drowning out the rare voices that dared to question whether the so-called leaks were even genuine. Almost at once, the nation's largest racing forum exploded with an anonymous thread flaunting a scandalous headline: "Unbelievable! Real Estate's Rising Star Can't Even Recognize Track Flags Yet Dares to Race?"

The story spread like a wildfire-slipping from entertainment tabloids to investment boards and finally infecting the racing community itself.

In Colin's apartment, Milly reclined carelessly on the edge of the sofa, one ankle crossed over the other,her fingers tapping idly against her phone.Each fresh notification lit her screen with another cruel comment or surging hashtag. The corners of her lips curved into a slow, triumphant smile, her eyes gleaming wwith spite.

This was the outcome she had schemed for-a public frenzy sharp enough to shred Brinley's carefully built image into pieces.

Milly's lips curled into a venomous whisper. "Brinley,this is only the start. When your reputation crumbles,let's see if Colin or Austin will still be by your side."

The muffled sound of footsteps drifted in from the living room-Colin had come back.

Milly swiftly hid her spite behind a harmless smile,gliding into the kitchen to make dinner as though she hadn't just set a media frenzy ablaze.