Love in the Limelight (Astrid and Elio)
Chapter 527

Karin had a bit of cunning to her, but it paled in comparison to Astrid's savvy.

If Astrid kept pressing, Karin was bound to blurt out something that would do her no favors.

"What a waste of space!" Bernice grumbled to herself, utterly fed up with Karin. As far as she was concerned, Karin was a stain on her life, a chapter she'd rather forget.

Her latest scheme had been meticulous, yet she hadn't counted on Robb's thorough protection of Astrid. The fact that they had drones covering every angle was something she had not anticipated. Had she known about the drones, she would've never sent Karin on such a risky endeavor.

Now, it was too late for regrets. The only thing left to do was to shut down the live stream immediately and prevent any more of Astrid's interrogation of Karin from being shown.

Pacing back and forth in front of the window, Bernice suddenly thought of someone. She scrolled through her contacts, found a number she had never dialed before, and called it. The phone was ringing, but the person on the other end didn't seem to be in any hurry to pick up.

As the ringtone played, Bernice's heart fluttered with anxiety.

"Hello," a deep and steady voice answered. Bernice's face lit up with relief. "Mr. Flint? It's me, Bernice. Do you remember what you promised me?"

Flint was caught off guard by Bernice's call, joy rising to his brows, "Of course."

Bernice got straight to the point, "I've got myself into a bit of a pickle and could use your help. If you could do this for me... How about we have dinner tonight?"

Flint, a big fish in the local scene, had an inkling of what Bernice might be referring to.

Under normal circumstances, he'd have agreed in a heartbeat. After all, to him, Bernice was the queen of his heart.

But this situation was sticky because everyone knew Astrid was Elio's girl.

Crossing Elio was akin to signing a death warrant in these parts. Flint didn't fancy tangling with the devil himself at this juncture.

Bernice, impatient with Flint's silence, urged in a softer tone, "Why have you stopped talking?"

Flint finally spoke, "Miss Bernice, I can guess what you're asking of me. Although I have some sway here, I'm not about to cross Mr. Lampard. Your daughter's attempt to poison Ms. Irvine and Mr. Lampard has been confirmed. Mr. Lampard won't let this slide, and I don't want to get involved at this stage. The Lampard family rules these parts, and I can't assist you this time. Goodbye."

Before Bernice could respond, Flint hung up.

Frustrated, Bernice tried to redial, but couldn't get through. She realized she'd been blocked!

She tried other contacts, but nobody was willing to help. They all rejected her with various excuses.

She remembered a time when these same people would do anything just for a glimpse of her, bringing expensive gifts, willing to smooth over any issue for her!

And now, they were all cowering in fear of Elio!

Just a multinational CEO, what kind of power did Elio possess to instill such fear?

Before she could replace an ally, a commotion erupted from the live stream.

Bernice turned to look and saw Karin had fainted.

As Karin lay crumpled among the rocks, Bernice knew she wouldn't rat her out.

The guests and crew were in disarray, but Astrid remained as cool as a cucumber.