It would be a major win to be able to spy on Shermaine while they were on the lookout for her next move.
Clarissa was glad to let Matthew handle the matter, and hoped for the best.
However, it was not an effort that would bear fruit instantaneously.
Meanwhile, Clarissa was touched by another turn of event.
Clarissa’s alleged drug abuse sparked a myriad of discussions online. Even though it did not top the chart of trending topics online, it still made its way among the trending list of topics.
It had not been an easy journey for Clarissa to build her name, and now it was down in the dumps because of the alleged drug abuse scandal.
Despite the vilifications by the keyboard warriors, a few celebrities in showbiz, notably Ryler, Justin, Yaala, and Jamie had shown unwavering support for Clarissa. Almost all actors or actresses who had collaborated with her previously were vocal about supporting Clarissa except for Shermaine.
Among them, Yaala and Ryler were the most influential as they were adamant that not only was Clarissa innocent in the matter but she was framed by malicious people instead.
Ryler was the first to back Clarissa up on Twitter while Justin, Yaala, and the others followed suit by retweeting his post to show support to Clarissa as well.
In showbiz, drug abuse was a deadly taboo. Anyone who was allegedly affiliated with drug abuse would be isolated. Showing support for a celebrity with a drug abuse scandal was pretty much a suicide mission.
With Ryler’s steadfast support, there was a change in the public’s perception of the matter, favoring to believe that Clarissa was innocent.
Clarissa was moved beyond words, and it was a huge favor which she may never be able to repay.
They had helped her out last time and continued to show staunch support for her.
Clarissa retweeted with words of appreciation.
She had even taken the initiative to call each and every one of them personally to thank them.
When it came to Ryler, she felt like words of gratitude were too formal between the two of them.
“I knew you’d call. Why are we being this formal with each other? Why didn’t you look for me when you got into trouble, girl? For goodness’s sake, I only found it out from the manager.”
Clarissa was embarrassed and replied, “I was too preoccupied with things. The matter had been clarified anyway. My conscience is clear, Ryler.”
“Yes, you are. But I think that someone has employed netizens to attack you online. The trend is really bizarre.”
“Exactly, Ryler. Somebody is working against me.”
“Shermaine Smallwood?”
Ryler knew it was Shermaine even before Clarissa mentioned it.
It was clear as day that she had done it because of Matthew.
“I suspect that she’s behind this but I don’t have any evidence against her.”
“You’d better be careful. I’m going back to D City in a few days. Let’s meet up and talk more then. What about you and Mr. Tyson though? Aren’t you guys going to settle down already? I don’t want to nag but Grandma asks me to talk you guys into tying the knot every time she calls.”
It would be a heart-wrenching moment for Ryler whenever it came to that topic. Not only was his sweetheart marrying another man, but he also had to egg her into doing it sooner, rather than later.
Despite the stinging pain, he tried his best to look out for her as her big brother. I’m going to get used to this.
“Huh…”
Clarissa heaved out a heavy sigh at the mention of marriage.
“Why? Is there a problem with you? Or with Mr. Tyson?”
She kept mum for a moment before saying, “It’s complicated.”
“How complicated can things get though? Does he not want to get married?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“So, are the Tysons against it?”
Ryler was spot-on. Gauging by her silence, he knew he had gotten the right answer.
“Why are the Tysons against it?”
It was a rhetorical question. He knew full well why they were against it.
It definitely has to do with the damned social status for these high and mighty families.
However, Ryler thought that Clarissa was a really decent girl and that they had no reason whatsoever to despise her.
The woman merely chuckled. “Ry, this is no surprise for me, but you have to promise me that you won’t tell Grandma this. Otherwise, she’s going to worry.”
“Yes, I understand. So are you guys going to relent and not get married then? Or is Matthew using this as an excuse to not get married to you?”
“No, he wants to get married. It’s me. I’m the one who’s afraid, on top of this disapproval from the Tysons. It’s not his fault, really. Now that things are at a stalemate, I don’t see the sense in rushing things. I think I’d be better off letting things run its course instead. Things are going to turn really ugly for both of us if I mention marriage right now. Ry, I don’t want to put him in a difficult situation.”
Ryler tightened his grip around his phone. He was aggravated, but for the most part, he felt his heart aching for her.
Clarissa could sense that something was not quite right at Ryler’s end and hurriedly added, “Don’t worry, maybe the scales will tip in my favor when the time comes. As long as my conscience is clear, I believe that we will get through this. I’m the type to be showered with abundance and wealth, according to the fortune-tellers anyway. So, quit worrying about me.”
Clarissa’s joke managed to crack a good laugh out of Ryler.
“So are you a fortune teller now? Could you enlighten me on what awaits me in this life then?”
“That’s easy. You’re going to be rich and famous.”
“That’s really creative,” Ryler mocked. “I’m really busy right now. I hope to see the famed Mr. Tyson when I get back to D City later. Since you treat me like your big brother, I should have the right to care whether you’re happy or not, right? Please say yes, at least for the sake of Grandma.”
“Um… Okay, I guess. Let’s see how things go when you get back here.”
Clarissa delved deep into her thoughts after hanging up the phone, so much so that she was still ruminating over their conversation when Matthew was home.
She had only snapped out of her thoughts when he circled her into an embrace. The cold wind and the feeling of his frosty lips made her shudder.
“Hmm…”
Clarissa gently pushed him away and looked at him with a demure smile. “Why aren’t there any movements or even a single sound when you’re back?”
The man pinched her waist gently, “Is this good enough?”
A tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks. “You’re spacing out because you miss me?”
“Yes, very terribly. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
Matthew planted a deep kiss on her lips. The duo was locked in yet another passionate exchange before he finally let her go.
Clarissa panted lightly in his embrace and said coyly, “Ryler is coming back to D City in a few days. He wants to meet you.”
“Why not!” A glint fleeted across the man’s eyes.
She had not expected him to agree to it in a heartbeat, and ironically a sense of trepidation washed over her. The woman found herself explaining, “I’ve always seen him as my big brother. He says it’s only normal that he looks out for me, especially concerning marriage.”
“I understand. Why are you so nervous though?”
Clarissa knitted her brows. “I’m not nervous. It’s just that I’m worried about you two getting into a row. Did you see Twitter today? Ryler, Yaala, Mr. Yates, and the others voiced out and supported me, saying that I’m innocent in the matter. I think that’s the main reason the discussion online is finally favoring me. This is not the first time they’ve done this for me, and I just feel like calling them over the phone is just not good enough to express how thankful I am. What do you think? How can I really thank them enough?”
Matthew still had his hands wrapped around her waist as he leaned against the sofa casually. The man’s lips curled into a mischievous grin.
“Why don’t you beg me for an idea? I’ll tell you how to truly thank them then.”
Clarissa was rendered speechless by his same old trick.
However, she was really at a loss and relented.
In just the blink of an eye, she beamed brightly and edged herself closer to Matthew. The woman circled her hands on his chest in a flirtatious manner.
Coquettishly, the woman pleaded, “Uncle Matthew, sir… Please. Could you tell me how I should thank my friends properly?”
Matthew’s body stiffened momentarily and his gaze darkened.
“What did you just say, darling? Could you repeat? I didn’t quite catch you just now?”
Clarissa rolled her eyes to herself but kept the coy smile on her face. She deliberately blinked repeatedly, fluttering her lashes.
“Mr. Tyson, sir… Please tell me how should I thank my friends? I beg you… pretty please.”
Matthew broke into a hearty chuckle like he had just heard the joke of the century. Clarissa’s cheeks were hot with embarrassment as the man could not seem to stop laughing. She hurriedly covered his mouth and protested, “Stop laughing. What’s so funny? I’m gonna get mad if you don’t stop, mister.”
Clarissa muffled his laughter with the palm of her hands.
It did stop the man from laughing. However, he licked her palm in an unexpected move, spooking Clarissa and caused her to retract her hands right away. Her cheeks puffed red from feigned fury as she pouted.
Matthew titled his brows innocently, “What’s the matter, Clare?”
“Drop the act! Hurry up and tell me what to do.”
She switched from a flirtatious and coy manner to a shrewd woman in just a split second. Despite so, the man still found her threatening manner irresistibly adorable.
His heart softened at the sight of her. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for this woman.
He circled Clarissa back in his embrace with a loving smile on his face, and pinned her underneath his body with a turn.
“Clare, how can you be so adorable?”
Clarissa pouted. “I know I’m really adorable. There’s no need to remind me every five seconds. Get away from me. We’re still in the middle of a serious talk. Tell me what I can do! Just get away from me if you have no idea what to do either. Don’t waste my time.”
“I do, really. But I think I need to do some exercise to wake my brain up so that I can recall better.”
“Pfft!”
Clarissa knew the man only had one intention in his mind, and he would do anything to achieve his goal.
She smiled in a coy manner. “Let me help you then!”
Matthew’s eyes twinkled in delight. However, what happened next stumped him. The woman proceeded to grab him by his ears and shook his head. “Let me move your head help you recall better!”
