My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 301

“Wow, who is this Isabella Austin, some kind of princess? I can’t believe she managed to get so many media outlets and influencers hyping her up.”

“Replying to the comment above—my family has some dealings with the Austins, and trust me, their power is insane. They’re old money, been wealthy for generations. Honestly, what they spend on a whim is enough to set a whole family up for life. Plus, Isabella is the only granddaughter in her generation—her parents and grandparents dote on her like she’s royalty. She’s a real-life princess, no exaggeration.”

“Adding on—I'm just here for the celebrity gossip, but after a little digging into Isabella Austin’s background, I was floored. Her family, the Austins from Cabinda? They own BluePeak Ventures, which is worth over fifty billion. And her boyfriend is Andrew Lane—you all know how powerful the Lanes are. Rumor has it they’re about to get engaged, a total power couple. Apparently, they’ve been together since high school and were each other’s first love.”

“Man, this is straight out of a soap opera: the brooding CEO, the evil ex trying to sabotage the sweet heroine, and then he goes all out to defend her. Turns out, I’m just one of those online bystanders watching the drama unfold.”

Emily Blair scrolled through the posts, her mood unruffled.

She’d heard far worse in her previous life—vicious curses and insults, her phone constantly bombarded by anonymous messages, nonstop calls from strangers, blocking them as fast as she could and never keeping up.

Compared to that, this was nothing. She could handle it.

At least now, Vivian Martin was no longer just a fake name used by Isabella Austin, but a real person who had actually existed.

At least, Desire was no longer Isabella Austin’s scapegoat.

But just because she could handle it didn’t mean everyone else could.

Ever since the trending topics blew up on social platforms, her phone hadn’t stopped buzzing with messages from classmates and friends, most of them from Elizabeth Wilson.

She didn’t want to accept Isabella’s carefully staged goodwill.

If she took the trophy, it would be as good as swallowing poison.

If she accepted it, she’d never shake off the accusations online—she’d be guilty in their eyes no matter what.

Arianna’s eyes softened with sympathy. She shook her head, trying to reassure her. “You should stay offline for a while. Those trolls aren’t even real people half the time. Don’t let it get to you. This trophy is yours, fair and square.”

She reached out and gently squeezed Emily’s hand. “And for what it’s worth, I truly believe you deserve to be the champion. I really do want to see this trophy in your hands.”