The Villain Mom Awakens — Going Viral by Parenting on a Reality Show-Chapter 316: Conspiracy Theory

’What a classic dog-eat-dog drama.’

Christina Lynch explained frantically, "I didn’t want this to happen! It’s all her fault—she seduced me on purpose! This is the last time, I swear to you. You have to delete the photos, and you can’t leak this to the media..."

His forehead was beaded with sweat as he pleaded, "This is really the last time. I’ll go home and straighten up. I’ll be a good husband and a good father."

Naomi Kenway couldn’t help but laugh. "Best Actor Lynch, are you misunderstanding something? I already told you I was just taking pictures of the scenery. What good does it do to make these vows to me? Go tell them to Renee Jennings."

"Renee Jennings... No!" Christina Lynch said frantically. "Renee Jennings can’t find out! At least... at least she can’t find out right now..."

Then, as if remembering something, his eyes lit up. "Right, you hate Renee Jennings, don’t you? You should be happy I’m doing this. You could say I’m helping you get a little revenge, couldn’t you? So, all you have to do is keep your mouth shut..."

Before Christina Lynch could finish, Naomi Kenway cut him off with a look of disgust. "Don’t imagine I’m as filthy as you are."

Christina Lynch gritted his teeth in frustration. "What is it you want? Name your price. How much money to delete the photos? If you want industry resources, I can get you those, too. I’ll do my best to get you whatever you want."

"And you can really give me anything I ask for?"

A contemptuous look flickered across Christina Lynch’s face, and he seemed to relax slightly. "I knew it. You’re just after money. So, go on. How much do you want?"

"One billion."

"One billion?!" Christina Lynch couldn’t control his volume. "You’re insane! You’re completely money-crazed!"

"What? After all these years of acting, and with the great tree of the Lynch Family to lean on, you’re telling me Best Actor Lynch can’t even come up with a billion?"

Of course Christina Lynch could come up with it, but doing so would be a devastating financial blow, one that would cripple him.

"You want one billion for two photos? I think you’re just screwing with me!" Christina Lynch’s chest heaved, he was obviously livid.

"If you can’t pay, then forget it. It’s not like I’m twisting your arm. I just didn’t realize your brilliant future wasn’t even worth one billion. Oh, well." Naomi Kenway finished speaking and turned to leave.

"I really can’t come up with a billion..." Christina Lynch cried out. "Wait! What is it you really want? What will it take to keep you from talking...?"

"What will it take?" Naomi Kenway let out a soft laugh. "We’ll see. It depends on my mood."

Hearing Christina Lynch’s persistent footsteps behind her, Naomi Kenway added, "Come any closer and I’ll post the photos online right now."

Christina Lynch was forced to stop in his tracks, his gaze dark as he watched Naomi Kenway walk away.

’What does she mean, it depends on her mood...?’

Christina Lynch’s eyes burned with resentment; it felt as though a ticking time bomb had been planted in his heart.

He turned to look at the sobbing, grief-stricken woman, his eyes filled with resentment.

Naomi Kenway followed Summers, met up with her bodyguards, and got into the car to go home. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

’I can’t believe I stumbled right into such a huge drama. Usually, Renee Jennings and Christina Lynch were as inseparable as conjoined twins. Who would have thought he was cheating on the side with the lead actress from his own show.’

’Naomi had a vague impression of the lead actress, Rosalie Hughes. She’d heard Rosalie was being propped up by investors and had been flooded with prime resources the moment she entered the industry.’

"Best Actor Lynch seems so respectable, I never thought he was such a player behind the scenes. You really can’t judge a book by its cover," Summers remarked with a sigh, handing her a bottle of water. "Nina, didn’t you say you were thirsty a minute ago?"

Naomi Kenway took the water from Summers, frowning slightly as the words she had just overheard echoed in her mind.

’What did that woman mean? That Christina Lynch’s schemes were so ruthless he forced Victor Vance out with nothing?’

’As Naomi Kenway mulled over that sentence, she felt the faint scent of conspiracy in the air...’

*

Renee Jennings stared at the pregnancy test in her hand, her brow furrowed. Still not pregnant...

She angrily tossed the pregnancy test into the trash can. Out of sight, out of mind.

Renee Jennings called Christina Lynch, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Nathaniel, are you coming home for dinner tonight? You’ve been buried in work on set for the past few days. Mona and I miss you so much."

Christina Lynch’s voice was laced with impatience and exhaustion. "Don’t you have anything better to do? Can you stop calling me every day like you’re checking up on me? You were constantly embarrassing yourself during the last variety show taping, and I barely managed to quiet down the public outcry. Can you please just leave me alone for a little while?"

Thinking of everything Christina Lynch did for her, Renee Jennings was deeply moved. "Don’t be angry, okay?"

"Then I’m hanging up..."

Suddenly, Renee Jennings froze. She had heard a woman’s flirtatious voice from Christina Lynch’s end of the line. She shouted, "Christina Lynch, where are you? Who’s that with you?! Start a video call right now!"

Christina Lynch paused for a few seconds. "What are you getting worked up about? Where else would I be besides the set? That was just another actor from the show. It’s not nice to be so loud, you scared her. A video call... I can’t. I signed a confidentiality agreement. It would be a breach of contract to video call you while we’re filming."

A moment later, a woman’s voice came over the line. "Hi there! I’m Phoebe Jacobs. I play Liam’s sister in the show. You can just call me Fifi."

Renee Jennings vaguely recalled that there was a supporting actress named Phoebe Jacobs in Christina Lynch’s cast, and her suspicion subsided a little. She laughed and said, "Oh, it’s you, Fifi. It’s my fault, I got the wrong idea."

For some reason, Christina Lynch’s tone suddenly changed. "I’ll be home for dinner tonight, Rachel. Just wait for me at home. The director’s calling for me, so don’t call me again for a while."

After hanging up, Renee Jennings was left with a complicated feeling. She felt that something wasn’t quite right, but she couldn’t put her finger on what it was.

A jarring ringtone shattered Renee Jennings’s train of thought. She looked at the caller ID: it was the teacher from Nathan Lynch’s kindergarten class, a Mr. Cross, who often called to update her on Nathan’s development.

Renee Jennings answered impatiently, her voice carefully modulated to match her gentle public image. "Hello, Mr. Cross?"

Misty Cross’s voice was filled with anxiety. "Mona’s Mom, can you come to the kindergarten right away? I just tried calling Mona’s dad but the call wouldn’t go through, so you’re the only one I could reach."

"What happened?" Renee Jennings asked.

"Mona got into a fight at the kindergarten!"

"What?!"

Renee Jennings rushed to the kindergarten in a panic. On the way, she tried calling Christina Lynch twice, but the calls wouldn’t connect. Usually, Christina was the one who handled any incidents involving Nathan Lynch. Now that he was unreachable, she was left to deal with the mess.

Misty Cross received Renee Jennings’s call and came to the school gate to meet her, then hurriedly led her inside.

"Mr. Cross, there must be some kind of misunderstanding, right? Our Mona is normally so obedient. He’s the kind of kid who brings home crabs he finds at the beach to take care of them. How could he possibly hit someone?" Even now, Renee Jennings couldn’t believe it. She felt there must have been some huge mix-up; Nathan Lynch had never hit anyone in his life.