Chapter 8 Don't Ruin Yourself

The Russell family was treating public opinion like their own backyard, hiding whatever they wanted to hide?

Her grievances, Leo's betrayal—should they just be swept under the rug like garbage?

She pulled out her phone and contacted a media contact she knew, getting straight to the point.

But unexpectedly, the person directly refused. "Donna, even if you paid me ten times the price, I wouldn't dare touch this! We're talking about the Russell family here! They have a lot of influence. We still need to survive."

He was someone who knew the inside story and knew Donna had been wronged in this matter.

He tried to comfort her. "Donna, there are men everywhere in the world. Don't let that asshole ruin you."

Donna took a deep breath, "I understand."

She hung up the phone herself, tears falling despite her best efforts. She buried her face in her pillow and cried, but didn't dare make a sound.

It would be a lie to say it didn't hurt.

Three years of feelings—she couldn't just cut them off like that. Even with a last-minute groom replacement, she couldn't accept it calmly.

At the door, Edward listened quietly. When he heard the suppressed crying, he turned and went back to his study, making a phone call with a cold voice. "Within thirty seconds, I want to see the trending topics restored."

The voice on the other end was respectful. "Yes, Mr. Russell."Donna was still upset when her phone suddenly started vibrating like crazy. Several news notifications popped up on the screen one after another, with particularly eye-catching headlines.

#Breaking! The Russell family's Leo caught cheating on the eve of his wedding! HD video leaked, details exposed!

#Shocking! Donna refused to swallow her anger, switched grooms at the wedding!

#In-depth analysis: The family power play behind the Russell family wedding scandal—who was the biggest winner?

Donna's heart skipped a beat.

She quickly opened the trending topics and saw that the related entries that had completely disappeared were not only all back, but also had quite high attention and views, and were climbing at a visible speed. In the blink of an eye, they dominated the top five spots on the trending list.

The comment section was already buzzing with discussion, with the number of comments breaking through a million in just ten minutes.

[If I hadn't witnessed this news myself, I would really doubt those ten minutes were fake.]

[Right, right, they took it down way too fast! I feel so bad for Donna!]

Donna kept refreshing the page, watching those discussion posts, videos, and pictures flood in like a tide, with even more heat than when it first broke in the morning.

Edward watched Donna absorbed in the huge shock of the trending topics' return. He smiled slightly as he slowly walked in. "My family heard I got married and wants to meet you. Want to go to my parents' house tonight?"

Donna's head snapped up to look at Edward, "Go to your parents' house?"

Wouldn't that mean she'd be taking things further with Edward?

She didn't want to!

Besides, anyone who could afford to buy in Grandview Estates had to be either rich or powerful. With everything blowing up online, what if his family didn't like her?

Instinctively, Donna wanted to postpone this meeting.

She looked up and asked tentatively, "This is so sudden. I haven't prepared anything. Wouldn't it be rude to show up empty-handed?"

She dodged Edward's outstretched hand and said uneasily, "What if they don't like me?"

"Everything online is so hot right now. Will they have a problem with me? Will they make things difficult for you?"

"No." Edward interrupted her, saying calmly and gently, "I've already had someone prepare what's needed, and it will be given in your name. When we get there, you don't need to say anything. Just leave everything to me."

"But I can't just wear these clothes. It's my first time visiting—I should be prepared!"

Knowing her inner struggle, Edward pointed toward the closet, "There are plenty of clothes in there. Pick one yourself."

She questioned. "We've only known each other for three days. How would you know my size?"

He didn't answer immediately, but moved closer to her.

As he approached, a crisp pine scent came with him, somehow making people feel at ease.

It wasn't until the distance between them was less than a foot that Edward stopped.

He leaned down slightly, his warm breath brushing past Donna's ear, his voice very low, teasing. "Size? Is that difficult? I measured it myself that night."

Donna's cheeks burned hot, instantly blushing, with the color spreading to her ears and neck.

It wasn't until she got in the car that the heat on Donna's face slowly faded.

The car's interior was spacious, filled with the same crisp pine scent as Edward.

Donna turned to the rapidly retreating street scenes outside the window, pulled out a tissue, wiped off her original lipstick, and took out a new lipstick to apply.

Edward glanced over. This lipstick color was gentler, making her look more reserved and obedient—the image of a good daughter-in-law.

The car stopped in the courtyard of The Russell Manor. A servant ran over to open the car door. After Donna got out, she looked at the hand extended toward her, hesitated slightly, then placed her hand in his.

The moment their fingertips touched, she felt him gently close his palm, wrapping her cool fingertips in his warm palm.

He held her hand and walked steadily through that impressive door.

They reached the main hall.

Inside, several people were already waiting.

"You're here."