The Billionaire's Maid Bride novel Chapter 608

Behind Sophie was a young girl who tugged at her sleeve, silently pleading for her to drop the matter.

Sophie turned, her tone firm but controlled. "Look, Allison, I get it. You're a big deal, a star, and I'm just a journalist. But your bodyguard snatched my camera. I need it back now, or we'll see whose name trends on Twitter first!"

Allison stood unadorned, her natural beauty striking even without a trace of makeup. Her lips, pale but commanding, needed no lipstick to convey authority. Her gaze, piercing through designer shades, sent a shiver down Sophie's spine.

With a slight smirk, Allison nodded to Emma. "Did you get all that? Quite the fiery reporter, threatening me with a viral showdown?"

Emma toyed with her brooch, an ornate peacock emblem that doubled as a hidden camera.

Sophie's face went pale, realizing the ramifications if her editor found out about her blustering threats that could drag the magazine through the mud.

She hadn't anticipated Emma's covert recording.

Despite the fear gnawing at her, Sophie retorted, "So what if you got that on video? You took my property, my camera. That's theft, plain and simple. I will call the cops, and the headline 'Allison's Bodyguard Assaults Reporter' sure sounds clickable to me!"

Allison's attention shifted to Penelope, who sat nearby, her eyes gleaming with schadenfreude. It was Penelope who had orchestrated the reporters' arrival, hoping to capitalize on Allison's apparent neglect of their ailing mother, Grace.

Penelope rose, feigning concern. "Oh, Allison, there you are. I was just out for a stroll when I spotted Ms. Grace feeling unwell. I rushed her to the hospital. The doctors say it's serious. You mustn't lose hope."

Allison, disgusted by Penelope's charade, asked Emma, "Which rag does that reporter work for?"

Emma, having done her homework, replied promptly, "The Citrus Daily."

Allison instructed Tom, "Contact the editor of Citrus Daily. I want a public apology for their employee's invasion of my privacy and image rights. If they don't comply, they might as well shut down."

Tom nodded. "Understood."

Sophie, pale as a ghost, stammered, "What... what do you mean?"

But her defiance persisted. "You think you're untouchable? We'll see about that. Cross the Citrus Daily, and we'll make sure the dirt sticks."

Allison's response was a cool smile. "Well, I hope you'll still be around to try."

She glanced at the timid, younger reporter behind Sophie, clearly an intern out of her depth. At Allison's steady gaze, the intern blurted out, "I'm sorry, okay? I just wanted a scoop. I didn't mean to cause trouble. I apologize."

Allison pressed, "Who sent you here? How did you know Grace was in the OR?"