Chapter 277

Michael Anderson frowned as he stared at his phone, swiping through the photos that Stella Johnson had taken the day before. After going over them a few times, he raised his head, his voice serious. “Stella, take a look. Sure, this picture isn’t as dramatic as the rumors, but the vibe between them? It’s kinda off. There's still this subtle intimacy that could totally be misread. If you post it like this, it’s not a solid clarification—could even backfire and give the gossipers more ammo to twist things.” Stella froze for a second, then took the phone and examined the image carefully. In the photo, Charles Hart sat across from Grace Carter. Grace was leaning in, smiling, and even though Charles looked pretty neutral, the shot still felt oddly suggestive. No touching, sure—but the body language alone could feed the rumor mill. “You’re right, Michael. I didn’t think it through. I was just so desperate to get the truth out there... didn’t realize how the photo itself might be misleading.”