?<strong>Chapter 214:</strong>


    Joelle was resolute in her refusal of Adrian’s sympathy, so she stifled a sniffle and feigned indifference, masking the turmoil within. “I’m just hiding here for a bit.”


    “You didn’t do anything illegal, did you? Is it so serious?” Adrian responded with a detached air.


    He attempted to guide Joelle outside, but she rebuffed his gesture, shaking off his hand with determined resolve. “I’ll just stay here for a while. You go ahead with your business.”


    Adrian gave her a long, thoughtful look. “I’lle back to see youter.” Joelle remained silent.


    With his departure, her racing heart gradually decelerated, finding a moment of peace. Upon his return from social engagements, Adrian discovered that Joelle had already left. After asking around, he learned that Rafael had stopped by half an hour earlier.


    The following day, Joelle met with the man at the police station, apanied by herwyer.


    “You have caused significant harm to my client. We demand an additional public apology on top of the existing financialpensation to restore my client’s reputation,” said thewyer.


    The man maintained an unflinching demeanor, as if impervious to the consequences. “Forget about the financialpensation. A public apology is out of the question. Have you ever seen me spreading rumors?”


    Joelle asked, “Aren’t you the one who uploaded the recording online?”


    “Yeah, I uploaded it. So what? I didn’t make anything up.” Thewyer emphasized, “It was your deliberate editing of the recording that caused my client to be cyberbullied.”


    The man chuckled. “All I did was post the recording. I didn’t tell anyone to insult you. And now you’re ming me for the insults? Are wealthy people always this irrational?”


    Joelle remainedposed, navigating the situation with a quiet grace and unwavering dignity. “Let’s handle this step by step. About the violin I sold, you imed I overcharged. Here are the documents I received from the market regtion department, along with their certification. It clearly confirms that pricing my violin at 360,000 dors is both fair and reasonable.”


    The man didn’t bother to look at the documents, maintaining an air of arrogance and superiority. “You must have bribed someone. I don’t believe a word of it!”


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    The police officer knocked on the table impatiently. “You used her of overcharging, and now that there’s evidence, you say she bribed someone. Is it her fault she has money? If you want to settle this, speak reasonably. If not, stop making a scene.”


    The man sprang up, shouting, “You two must be colluding! You’re bullying me!”


    The police officer was fed up. “Stop shouting!”


    “Officer, please allow me to speak with this gentleman privately,” Joelle said.


    Before leaving the room, the police officer cautioned the man. Joelle slid the document toward him once more. “Of course, if you have any issues with this certification, you can file awsuit with the market regtion department. But I must warn you, causing trouble, spreading lies about public officials, and inciting chaos online could lead to your arrest. You im I have money, and I admit I’ve never struggled in life. You said I bribed someone and bullied you, but I believe hiringwyers to protect my rights is the right course of action. Do you think I’m afraid of this cyberbullying? People need to express their feelings, and I don’t mind being their target. Typing away at a keyboard doesn’t affect my life. But for you, it’s a different situation, isn’t it?”


    The man gulped anxiously, his eyes darting. “What do you mean by that?”


    Joelle stayed calm andposed. “This is the purchase record from our store. We sold only two violins for 360,000 dors. One was bought by a teacher over fifty, and the other by a friend of mine for her child. Which one is your girlfriend?”


    The man appeared noticeably ufortable after Joelle finished speaking. Joelle fixed her gaze on him. “Initially, I thought about refunding and canceling the sale if you couldn’t ept the price. But after reviewing our store’s purchase records, I found it hard to believe. Your so-called girlfriend never made any purchase from us. So, who’s the one lying?”


    The man pressed his lips together and stayed quiet for a long time. All of a sudden, he snatched the certification from the table and swallowed it whole.


    No one could intervene, and he nearly choked, frantically pounding his chest. Joelle hadn’t anticipated him sinking to such a low level. But it was merely a document; she could easily obtain another. His desperate act only served to confirm his guilt.


    “Even if I lied, what does it matter? You still overcharged! I refuse to believe your violin is worth that much!” Joelle’s gaze remained steadfast. “I’ll give you onest chance. Either you publicly apologize, or I’ll make the entire recording public.”


    “What? You have a recording too?” The man was utterly stunned.


    If she went ahead and released the recording, it would spell disaster for him. Joelle reclined in her chair and looked at the time. “You have ten minutes to make your decision. Choose wisely.”


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