With these thoughts in mind, Ariana couldn't help but recall the sudden surge in their vote count during the online voting earlier that day.

Could Holden be behind this?

Ariana couldn't say for certain. She felt that Holden didn't have a compelling reason to assist her, but she couldn't pinpoint who else might be involved. She decided to shake her head, dismissing the idea for now.

Across town, Holden had just concluded some business matters and was en route to his residence when Shawn approached him.

"Mr. Fredrick, there's a situation involving Miss Pierre. Would you like to take a Look?"

Shawn extended his phone towards Holden, the screen ablaze with the incriminating article concerning Sadie.

“Somebody has exposed Miss Pierre for manipulating the audience voting, specifically targeting Miss Edwards's team. I've already verified it, and it's indeed Miss Pierre's doing."

Holden fell silent for a moment, then pushed the phone away with a trace of annoyance. His brow furrowed as he finally spoke, "Go and manage public opinion."

"Understood. To what extent should we control it?" Shawn inquired professionally.

"Don't permit it to blossom into a full-blown scandal," Holden replied, his tone steady and even.

After all, Sadie was his publicly acknowledged fiancée, and even though he harbored no genuine feelings for her, his conscience compelled him to take action. However, his personal feelings also dictated that he couldn't offer her unwavering support. Thus, he instructed Shawn to just quell the situation.

In that moment, Shawn added, “By the way, I've located the address you asked me to investigate. It's right here in Eleymond, tucked away in a remote corner not marked on any map. It's a modest tailor shop in a quiet town, run by the son of an elderly lady who's been in business for over four decades. However, their livelihood doesn't depend on the shop; it's only occasionally open."

Shawn handed over a handwritten address, and Holden accepted it, his gaze contemplative.

At that moment, Holden's phone rang.

He glanced at the screen and saw that it was Sadie.

A subtle furrow formed on his brow before he picked up the call.

Immediately the call connected, Sadie's voice quivered from the other end.

"Have you seen the news going around the internet?"

Before Holden could utter a word, she broke down in tears. Her voice trembled as she hurriedly explained, "Don't believe any of it. It's all fabricated. Someone is intentionally framing me. I haven't committed any wrongdoing.."

"That's enough," Holden interjected sternly.