The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!-Chapter 177: Apology

"What’s going on? Are Julian Caldwell and Kiki Monroe arguing? They both don’t look too good."

"I’ve never seen Julian lose his temper. He’s always so mild-mannered. What’s happened this time?"

"Did Kiki provoke him? Otherwise, how could someone as good-tempered as Julian get angry?"

"I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Kiki is a very nice person too. Maybe they just had a disagreement. Let’s just watch the show."

...

The discussions around them grew louder, and a trace of panic appeared on Kiki’s face.

Her reputation in the public eye had always been good. She couldn’t let a quarrel with Julian ruin her good name.

Kiki turned to leave. "I just remembered I left something in the dressing room. Let’s talk another day. I’m going now."

Unexpectedly, Julian stood firm, blocking her path.

Frustration welled up in Kiki’s heart, almost to the point of losing her temper. She let out a cold laugh and whispered, "What do you mean by this? Not letting me leave? Do you know how many people are watching us as a joke? You don’t care about your image, but I do!"

Julian looked directly at her, his eyes seemingly burning with an unquenchable fire.

Ian Brooks was still trying to pull Julian away, attempting to prevent his irrational behavior. "Julian, let it go."

With so many people watching, especially since Kiki’s career was on the rise, there was no need to make an enemy of her if not necessary.

"Apologize."

Kiki was almost amused by her anger. In the end, she didn’t try to fight back. She curled her lips into a sad expression. "I didn’t know you’d always make things difficult for me. With so many people watching, I also don’t want others to see us as a joke. You’re still young. Let’s say this is my fault."

"I’m sorry..."

She finished speaking, and a few tears fell, making it seem as if she was being bullied and greatly wronged.

Julian furrowed his brow, clearly feeling that Kiki’s apology wasn’t what he was looking for, but he was quite fearful of girls crying and didn’t know what to do.

Ian Brooks and James Wallace were also at a loss for words, momentarily stunned.

Julian looked complex. "That’s not what I meant. How can you turn the tables like that..."

What he said didn’t matter anymore.

Seeing Kiki cry so pitifully, the onlookers’ hearts had already tilted.

"What’s wrong?"

The sound of high heels approached, and it turned out Claire Brooks had come over herself. She was dressed in professional attire, the black clothing exuding a powerful presence.

"The other members and I have been waiting for you in the car for a long time. Why have you been standing here?"

Her gaze landed next to Julian, then she turned to smile at Kiki. "Hello, Miss Monroe. Is there something wrong now? Seeing you cry so pitifully makes one feel for you. These kids of mine aren’t very old. Feel free to tell me if there’s anything; I’ll handle everything for you."

Kiki already had a retreat in mind, knowing that Claire would definitely stand by Julian, and most importantly, Claire wasn’t someone as easy to fool as those little kids.

She took out a silk handkerchief and lightly dabbed her eyes. "It’s nothing, just a small accident. I’ve already forgiven them."

"Forgiven them?" Claire smiled faintly, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes. "For Miss Monroe to cry so sadly, how can we let this matter end so easily?"

She shifted her gaze to Julian. "Julian, tell me, what happened?"

Julian’s gaze sharpened. "Just now, Miss Monroe was verbally insulting Senior Maya Monroe, which is damaging to Senior Monroe’s reputation. I asked her to apologize, but she twisted the truth and even reversed the situation!"

Claire understood what he meant, surprised it was a dispute because of Maya. Her feelings were mixed, but she still stood by Julian.

"I see. Julian has always been a child full of a sense of justice and can’t stand excessive things."

Julian tugged on Claire’s sleeve, and Claire gave him a warning look.

Maya’s reputation was mixed right now, so it was best not to get too close.

"If it were just the few of us, this matter would be over. But with so many people watching, Miss Monroe, since you said inappropriate things, you should apologize to prevent any misunderstanding among the other staff. You know how quickly rumors spread in our circle; this is also for your consideration."

Claire’s voice wasn’t quiet, enough for the surrounding staff to hear clearly. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Kiki knew Claire was not someone to mess with, and now she had no support to lean on; it was not suitable to continue facing them directly.

If it were just the FREE members, it would be fine, but Claire was a tough character.

The discussions around started again, only this time the target of the criticism was herself. Kiki began to regret not taking the chance to slip away earlier.

"These are all misunderstandings. We’re all from the same company, so of course, I wouldn’t just go against you all for no reason."

"What I said about Maya was inappropriate, so... I’ll apologize here..."

Julian wanted to say something more, but Claire held onto his arm.

She knew that getting Kiki to apologize like this was already difficult, and pushing too hard might lead to trouble.

Kiki couldn’t face the strange looks from those around her. She forced a smile. "I left something behind, so I’ll head back first."

Claire watched her with a smile as if the sharpness from earlier had never existed. "Take care, looking forward to our next collaboration."

After Kiki left, Claire led the remaining members onto the RV.

Claire looked at Julian with a hint of disapproval in her eyes. "You acted too rashly just now. If I hadn’t come in time, you’d have been played around by others!"

Julian lowered his head. "I didn’t expect her to be like this... But, but..." Julian raised his head, determined. "I can’t let anyone insult Senior Maya!"

Claire shook her head. "That Kiki is not simple; she’s very cunning. If she wasn’t concerned about something, it would have been difficult even for me to handle her."

"You should be more cautious in the future and stay away from Kiki. Don’t provoke her or have any dealings with her!"

"If she hadn’t spoken ill of Senior Maya, I wouldn’t have gone over to argue with her!"

"You, you, I think your mind has been clouded by Maya..."

*

Kiki managed to maintain a smile outside, but once inside the car, she couldn’t help but vent her anger.

The expensive bag was tossed lightly into a corner. "Where is Tiffany Lawson?"

Several assistants looked on nervously.