Chapter 76

Lainey was in a state of near panic, completely blindsided by the turn of events.

It was,in a way,perfect.

The plagiarism scandal had blown over, and to top it off, she had even been mistaken for Enigma.

Of course, she couldn't admit it outright.

Who knew when the real Enigma might appear?

She forced a weak laugh and protested, "How could that be? You girls really know how to joke around."

Her ambiguous response, however, said more than her words ever could.

The scene quickly turned chaotic, with compliments flying everywhere.

When Lillian arrived, she was utterly entertained by the absurdity unfolding.

Hell yes.

Let it get even messier.

The bigger the drama, the more amusing.

She was curious to see how Lainey would handle this in the long run.

With that, Lillian looked away and went upstairs.

When she met Eleanor, emotions naturally ran high.

After some polite conversation, Lillian got back to her matchmaking. "Nolan has done a lot for yòu lately.Don't you think it's time you gave him some thought? He has been a bachelor in his whole life, and he finally got a crush on someone." Eleanor nearly choked on her coffee, quickly clamping a hand over Lillan's mouth, °Quiet. The competiion is about to start."

Muffled and wide-eyed, Lilian could only blink and nod, signaling her compfiance.

Lainey secured first place.

Eleanor raised a brow and pressed the intercom."Listen up. I won't be taking on apprentices this year.And second and third place can join the company."

Besty froze in disbelief.

Not taking on apprentices at all was one thing, and that rumor had circulated before.

But skipping the first-place winner entirely to reward the second and third? That was unthinkable.

Still, she knew better than to question it.

Execution came first.

So she relayed Eleanor's message exactly as it was.

Lainey, who had been reveling in her victory, felt her face darken with rage.

What was the point of all her scheming and risks if this was the outcome?

Anger bubbled up inside her, and she was about to snap when laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Enigma! Your acting is so over the top!"

"Seriously, we all get it already!"

Acting?

What were they talking about?

Lainey paused, confused for a moment, until the word Enigma clicked in her mind.

Ah,they were still caught up in that earlier misunderstanding! A grin spread across her face as an idea struck her. She lifted her hands and formed a heart with her fingers toward the audience. "Love you all!"

She didn't verbally admit it, but thé gesture spoke volumes and was enough for the crowd to take it as a silent acknowledgment.

This was amazing!

Today,they had truly seen the real Enigmá in áction.

The moment Lainey stepped off the stage, she was swarmed by reporters.

"Miss Gilbert, did Besty's sudden announcement about not accepting apprentices come from your suggestion?" one shouted, with his camera flashing.

Before Lainey could answer, her passionate fans jumped in to explain.

"Of course! Miss Gilbert is Enigma herself. Who else would make that kind of decision?"

"Right! Think about it. Why would second and third place get rewards, but not the first? It makes perfect sense now."

"Enigma probably joined just for fun and didn't expect things to get so big, so she had to quickly change the rules."

Within moments; the crowd had pieced together a seamless argument.

Soon, everyone was convinced that Lainey was undoubtedly Enigma.

Yet, Lainey simply raised the microphone and said calmly, "No comment."

Sometimes silence says it all, and today, her words, or lack thereof, were a quiet confession.