Hiding Behind Her Superficiality by Kyla Olson

Chapter 602

Chapter 602

Chapter 602 Simone’s Visit

“Let’s not panic just yet. I should talk to Elspeth first,” Yelena murmured to herself. After all, she was a talent under Elspeth; if anything happened to her, Elspeth would suffer a significant loss. “Yes. She must know about it now too.”

Suddenly, Yelena’s heart skipped a beat when she finally received Elspeth’s phone call, but she never expected Elspeth to be unconcerned and even pleased with the news.

“Why are you worried? Don’t you realize this is a great opportunity to boost your popularity?” Elspeth asked.

“My fans are denouncing me,” Yelena hoarsely replied. “The damage just isn’t that bad yet.”

There were two camps of her fans: those who were sure she was innocent and those who were on the fence but made it clear they intended to denounce her. During that period, most of her fans had already done so, with several bashing her as they left her.

“That is a fleeting and unimportant fan base, just like those who denounce you does not matter. Furthermore, I don’t think many of your fans are abandoning you. It’s fine. These numbers will build back up in the future.”

After hearing that, Yelena felt her heart slowly settle down. “Do you have a plan in mind then, Elspeth?”

“Someone is pulling the strings this time, which is why you were framed,” Elspeth slyly explained. “We’ll be playing the long game to expose the mastermind.”

“You’re still the best!” Yelena exclaimed. After the call, she finally stopped worrying.

On the other hand, Hank felt envious when he saw how much his girlfriend worshiped Elspeth. “Day and night, you always rely on Elspeth. I don’t even know what you need me for. What can I give you as your boyfriend?”

The contrast between his usual calm and collected demeanor and the pitiful look on his face was so stark that she couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“How could you be jealous of Elspeth?” Yelena asked, chuckling.

After she said that, he wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her into a hug. “I will be jealous of anyone and everyone, including high school classmates you’ve not seen for ten years,” Hank replied.

However, she was surprised by the sudden mention of Federick. “I’m not even close to him, though.”

“I can see that, but he’s clearly plotting something against you.”

Then, Hank’s matter-of-fact tone made Yelena raise a hand to pinch his cheeks. “What nonsense is that? There has never been anything between us. Why would he be plotting? You’re being paranoid.”

Her reply upset him, and he retorted, “Do you think that because you find my analysis wrong or because you think I should not have gotten wary due to his joke?”

When she heard that, she recalled Federick jokingly telling Hank, “Give me your girlfriend,” and it instantly sent chills down her spine. Soon, she realized after reflection that Federick probably meant what he said. “Maybe he just thinks it’s a joke between old schoolmates.”

“Didn’t you say the two of you didn’t know each other that well?” Hank grumbled.

His response had Yelena at a loss for words. “Very well,” she eventually said. “Since you’re upset by it, I’ll stay away from him in the future.”

As he knew she had nothing to do with Federick’s actions or feelings, her promise caused the ugly look on his face to fade away slightly. “There is absolutely no way I would let anyone else have you,” he swore.

The solemn way he handled the joke at that moment made her laugh again.

Following that, their conversation was cut short by a loud knock on the villa door.

So, Yelena ran over to open the door to find Hank’s mother, Simone, standing outside. After what Yelena had just been through, she was understandably shaken upon seeing Simone standing there. After all, Yelena was Hank’s girlfriend. She knew that if what had been said about her was true, the Damazios might refuse to accept her into their family. Although nothing had happened, the rumors existed.

Afterward, Yelena ducked her head and cautiously asked, “Mrs. Damazio, what brings you here?” She had been expecting an interrogation or a few rounds of frustrated questioning.

To her surprise, Simone instantly embraced her. Simone’s tone indicated she was in a bad mood but did not interrogate Yelena, instead sounding concerned. “Does it still hurt, Yellie? You went through all that pain and suffering,” she gasped.

As soon as Yelena heard that, she was filled with warmth. “I’m fine, Mrs. Damazio. Nothing happened to me.”

Yelena’s reassurance calmed Simone down. “That’s good,” she said with a sigh. “I heard Hank say you were once a victim of human trafficking. I was so scared for you that I could not sleep, constantly telling him to look for you.”

Seeing that Simone had dark circles under her eyes despite always prioritizing her skincare convinced Yelena that Simone viewed her as her daughter.

“I’m fine,” Yelena said. “I’m amazing, don’t you know? After being kidnapped, I bumped into an old friend who saved me. I was not hurt at all.”

Simone’s eyes lit up upon hearing that. “Who is that friend? The Damazios owe him a debt for saving you, so we must properly thank him.”

Yelena was about to nod in agreement when Hank drifted over to interrupt the conversation. “If you let your precious daughter-in-law go near that man again, she might run away with him,” he commented.

Simone did not understand what he meant by that at first. It took her a few moments before she eventually understood his implied message. However, she could not get angry at Yelena, so her only option was to direct her anger at Hank. “That would be due to your own incompetence in getting her to stay. If my daughter-in-law runs away, I will never forgive you.”

Her son shrugged when he heard that. It seemed like he had misspoken again.

In the meantime, Simone insisted on taking Yelena out on a shopping trip, as Yelena had suffered during her time away. Ultimately, Hank would follow along as they needed someone to carry their bags. So, he followed them since there was no way he could deny a request from his mother, and it was not safe for Yelena to leave the house unprotected.

Then, Simone led Yelena to the largest shopping mall in Damoria. Most of the mall’s foot traffic was concentrated on the first three levels because most of the stores on the upper floors were luxury stores that most people couldn’t afford.

Ever since Yelena became a star, she rarely went out shopping for her own clothes or accessories. The brands sent nearly every item she owned straight to her door. Thus, she lived quite a lavish life over the past few years. Additionally, she was also a daughter of the Sullivan Family. Her family was wealthy enough that she never had to worry about finances.

Due to how affectionate Simone was, Yelena did not feel good denying her request to head straight up to the fifth floor. The fifth floor of the mall was occupied by custom tailor shops. It was only natural for someone of Simone’s social standing to wear custom outfits instead of wearing the same style of clothes as everyone else.

In the meantime, after spotting Simone, the bored sales associate hovering near the doorway swiftly walked over to welcome them.