5
A sudden roar of laughter erupted in the banquet hall.
Everyone was staring at me with malicious eyes.
“She looks so innocent, but who knew she was so wild behind closed doors? I wonder
what her price tag is for a night!”
“I heard Alex Thorne had a kept woman for five years. Could it be her?”
“Now it looks like Alex Thorne dumped her, so she’s moved on to the Harrison heir. What
a maneuver!”
09:51
<
hu, 19
60%
Countless voices echoed in my ears, again and again.
I shook my head, pointing at Celeste and screaming hysterically.
“This isn’t true! That audio is incomplete! That’s not what I meant!”
Celeste looked at me triumphantly.
“So, you admit that’s your voice speaking in the clip, don’t you?”
“I can’t believe Miss Davis, so beautiful, was doing such sordid things in secret!”
Celeste’s words left me utterly speechless, unable to argue.
My chest heaved uncontrollably, my emotions spiraling out of control.
I looked around. Everyone at the banquet was pointing and whispering about me.
It was as if… as if Celeste’s video was true.
For a moment, I was completely disoriented, lost my bearings.
I stared blankly at Alex Thorne.
A flicker of guilt, a complex expression, crossed his eyes.
1 truly couldn’t understand it. How could the esteemed CEO of Thorne Corp resort to such low–down tactics against someone as defenseless as me?
Suddenly, Liam Harrison’s cashmere coat was draped over my shoulders.
His warm hand suddenly gripped mine.
“I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”
Those few words seemed to possess a magic that gradually calmed me down.
I instinctively squeezed Liam’s hand, as if it offered a powerful sense of security.
09:52 Thu, 19 Jun
<
“If Ms. Hayes thinks she can force me, Liam Harrison, to withdraw from this project with these methods, then she seriously underestimates me
“Today, we’re here to compare proposals, not character or morals. And whether or not my employee has done these things, so what? Who here dares to stand up and claim they’re spotless?”
“If anyone here dares to stand up and claim they’re spotless, then 1, Liam Harrison, have plenty more to say! Wouldn’t you agree, Alex Thome?”
Liam finished coldly, finally calling out Alex’s name.
But precisely, no one dared to stand up!
The entire banquet hall fell silent in an instant.
Not only did no one dare to step forward, but many of the onlookers started quietly backing away.
Alex Thome finally dared to look at me directly, staring for a long moment before finally muttering, “It was just a joke.”
“That audio clip was also faked. It’s not real.”
1 froze for a moment.
I never imagined that something that felt so utterly hopeless could be dismissed with a single sentence by Liam.
1 could already envision how I would be maliciously speculated about in the industry after today.
But now, everyone around me dared not even look me in the eye, only sneaking sidelong glances.
Only Celeste still wouldn’t give up.
“Mr. Harrison, your employee has caused such a scandall! The project team surely won’t choose her proposal, will they?”
Liam calmly led me to a quiet corner of the banquet hall and helped me sit down. He even thoughtfully got me a slice of cake, poured a glass of red wine, and tucked the loose strands of hair behind my ear.
Finally, he said to Celeste, almost dismissively,
“Whether or not we get the project isn’t up to you, and it’s not up to me. It’s about the
proposal!”
