Selena burst into tears at that moment, her voice soft and fragile as she sobbed with a look of grievance.
Mark handed her a tissue and stepped in to smooth things over. "Alright, it's only a paper. Everyone, calm down."
It wasn't only a paper. It had never been only a paper. Catherine kept her eyes fixed on Michael, refusing to look away until she got his answer.
In the quiet private room, Selena's soft sobs became even more noticeable.
Michael finally released the tension in his body. He looked away and said, "The paper has already been published. There's no way to change it now. I'll arrange compensation afterward."
Catherine smiled, but the smile on her face looked painfully pale. It wasn't relief, and it wasn't sarcasm toward herself. It was the silence of someone who had spent a
