When Love is a Question Mark
Chapter 157: Behind the Headlines

Chapter 157: Behind the Headlines

Lily lowered the phone, her mind racing. The sense of relief was undeniable, but questions lingered. Why would Lopez Digital Studios get involved in such a direct way? And how did they acquire such incriminating evidence?

Her phone buzzed again, pulling her from her thoughts. It was a message from Victoria:

"Have you seen the news? We’re cleared!"

Lily replied quickly: "I saw. Call me when you can."

Victoria called within seconds.

"I can’t believe this," Victoria said, her voice a mix of disbelief and excitement. "This could’ve dragged on for weeks, but now we’re completely off the hook!"

"It’s a miracle," Lily said. "But we need to figure out why Lopez Digital Studios stepped in. Have we ever worked with them before other than the partnership in the movie film?"

"Not that I know of," Victoria said. "But whoever’s behind this, they just saved us a fortune in legal fees and PR damage control."

"And more importantly, our reputation," Lily added.

Victoria paused. "Do you think we should reach out to thank them?"

"Not yet," Lily said. "Let’s watch how this unfolds for the next day or two. Meanwhile, keep monitoring the news and social media. Let me know if anything changes."

"Got it," Victoria said. "I’ll update you as soon as I have more."

After Lily ended the call with Victoria, she stayed seated, her thoughts refusing to settle. She couldn’t shake the question of why Lopez Digital Studios had gotten involved so suddenly—and with such precision.

Her mind turned to Zinnia Lopez. If anyone could offer some clarity, it was her. Without hesitating further, Lily picked up her phone and dialed Zinnia’s number.

The call connected after a couple of rings. Zinnia’s bright and teasing voice greeted her immediately.

"Oh my! You seem to be missing me a lot these days," Zinnia said with a playful laugh. "No handsome man around to keep you company, my dear?"

Lily smirked, leaning back in her chair. "Yeah, I’m feeling sad right now," she replied, playing along. "I was supposed to be enjoying a handsome view, but instead, I’m caught up in chaos thanks to breaking news at the resort I’m staying at."

"Oh no," Zinnia gasped dramatically. "That sounds like a nightmare. Poor Lily, surrounded by drama instead of dreamy men. What happened?"

"Well," Lily said, her tone steadying, "your company just released a report clearing the resort’s name in that toxic spill scandal. Did you know about this?"

There was a slight pause before Zinnia spoke again, her tone thoughtful now. "Oh, that news. I actually asked my dad about it earlier. He said our news section has been working on that case for a while now."

"A while?" Lily echoed, her curiosity deepening. "How long are we talking?"

"Apparently, since the last time something like this happened," Zinnia explained. "You remember the earlier scandal, right? A similar spill, but our rivals reported it as a pure accident. My dad didn’t buy it, and our team started digging into it right after."

Lily frowned. "I do remember that. But what made them dig so deep this time?"

"Well," Zinnia said, "the patterns matched, and it got suspicious. They finally found evidence proving it wasn’t an accident."

"And?" Lily prompted.

"And," Zinnia continued, "the real culprits were the transport company and a rogue environmental group trying to frame the resort. Our team managed to get everything together in time to release the truth before the resort’s reputation could take a serious hit."

Lily let out a slow breath, processing the information. "So they’ve been sitting on this for months, waiting for the right moment?"

"More or less," Zinnia said. "But here’s where it gets messy. From what my dad told me, while investigating, they found out that this particular resort wasn’t just a random target. It’s part of a bigger pattern—something to do with rivalries in the industry. Anyway, I figured it must be chaotic over there right now."

"It definitely is," Lily admitted, her mind racing with the implications.

Zinnia sighed. "I’m sorry your getaway got ruined, though. You deserved some peace and quiet, not all this drama."

Lily forced a small laugh. "It’s not your fault. If anything, your team might’ve saved the day."

"True," Zinnia replied with a grin in her voice. "But next time, remind me to send you to one of my family’s private resorts instead. Less drama, more handsome views."

"Deal," Lily said, a real smile breaking through. "Thanks for taking my call, Zinnia. It really helped me put things into perspective."

"It is," Zinnia agreed. "And I can only imagine what it must be like over there right now. It’s probably chaotic at the resort with all this news breaking."

Lily glanced around and noticed groups of people gathered near the main lobby. "You’re not wrong about that," she said. "It’s been nonstop activity here since the news broke."

"Well," Zinnia said, "at least you’re not the one being blamed, right?"

Lily hesitated, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Not directly, no. But I do have a vested interest in this place."

"What do you mean?" Zinnia asked, her tone curious.

Lily decided to dodge the question for now. "Never mind that. I’m just glad your company stepped in when they did."

"I’m glad too," Zinnia said. "I just hope this clears up things for everyone involved. It’s never easy to bounce back from something like this."

"True," Lily said. "But thanks to your team, they’ve got a fighting chance."

"Well, next time we meet, you owe me dinner for making your life easier," Zinnia teased. "Somewhere fancy. I deserve it."

Lily laughed softly. "Deal. Thanks for picking up, Zinnia. You always know how to make me feel better."

"Of course," Zinnia said warmly. "Take care of yourself, and let me know if there’s more chaos—I love a good drama. And don’t let this ruin your mood too much. You’ll be back to enjoying those dreamy views in no time."

"I hope so," Lily said with a soft chuckle. "Talk soon."