Chapter 3

The Smith family's alliance with Robert was all about getting access to the Taylor family behind him,  a business marriage that never involved feelings.

A week later, the engagement party went ahead as planned.

The banquet hall was brightly lit and packed with guests.

Robert wore a sharp suit, standing next to Eleanor, who was impeccably made up.

Somehow, Eleanor had shown up at the engagement party as a "special friend."

If you didn't know better, you'd think she was the star of the show.

Olivia stood in a corner wearing her formal dress, watching Robert's fake smile, her face completely emotionless.

Then the MC asked Olivia to come on stage and exchange engagement rings with Robert.

Olivia gave a cold laugh, grabbed the microphone from the MC, and her voice echoed through the speakers across the entire hall. "Before we exchange rings, I want to show everyone something."

She pulled out her phone and connected it to the hall's big screen.

The next second, the image that appeared caused an uproar.

In the video, Robert and Eleanor were tangled up having sex in a hotel room.

Eleanor's voice was dripping with seduction, and Robert's sweet talk was even more disgusting.

There wasn't a trace of sympathy for her "serious illness," nor any guilt toward his fiancée.

Everyone was stunned, with only the obscene sounds from the video echoing through the banquet hall.

Robert's face went instantly pale. He rushed onto the stage, trying to grab the phone. "Turn it off, turn it off now!"

Olivia was prepared. She dodged smoothly to the side, keeping the phone firmly in her hand, the screen still playing.

She looked up at Robert, her eyes completely cold, filled only with icy mockery. "Robert, I tried to call off this engagement nicely, but you refused. Now that it's come to this, you forced me to do it."

Robert looked at the guests whispering below, hearing their barely concealed snickers. He felt all the blood in his body rushing to his head, his rationality completely shattered.

"You bitch!"

He raised his hand to slap Olivia across the face, but his palm had barely lifted when it was caught firmly by a cold, strong hand.

Christopher had somehow appeared in front of Olivia, his eyes cold. "Robert, have you made enough of a scene?"

"Father, it was her, she..."

Christopher raised his eyelids and asked coldly, "Did she tie you to Eleanor's bed?"

Robert was speechless.

Every scene in the video showed him willing, even taking the lead. Any defense now would only make him look more ridiculous.

Eleanor, below, had lost all her usual fragility. Her face was deathly pale, her hands gripping her dress so tightly her knuckles were white.

The guests' stares felt like needles piercing her - contempt, mockery, and undisguised blame - making her barely able to stand.

Eleanor's vision suddenly went black, and she collapsed. Robert panicked, ran over, picked her up, and rushed toward the hospital.

He didn't forget to turn back and threaten. "Olivia, if anything happens to Eleanor, I'll make you pay with your life!"

Olivia rolled her eyes.

She'd seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless.

The engagement party drama stayed on trending topics for three days. Hashtags like #RobertEleanorVideo# and #OliviaCallsOffEngagement# remained at the top.

Robert and Eleanor's names were nailed to the pillory of public mockery.

But Robert didn't dare lash out at the online ridicule, so he took all his anger out on Olivia.

Smith Group projects failed one after another. Partners either suddenly broke contracts or were snatched up by the Taylor family. Even bank loans were secretly blocked.

To secure life-saving investment, Olivia spent half a month going to business dinners, downing glass after glass of alcohol until her stomach churned, before finally covering her mouth and rushing to the bathroom.

She leaned against the cold tile wall, bent over, and vomited until her eyes were bloodshot, her face white as paper.

Splashing cold water on her face finally helped Olivia clear her head a bit. If she couldn't find an investment soon, her father would not only mortgage the company but force her to apologize to the Davis family.

Just thinking about having to bow her head to that fake face made Olivia clench her fists.

She took a deep breath and was about to straighten up when a pair of fancy high heels suddenly appeared before her eyes, the rhinestones on the toe caps glaring.

Olivia slowly looked up, meeting Eleanor's poisonous gaze.

Her face had lost all its usual softness. Her makeup was perfect, but couldn't hide the viciousness in her eyes - like a snake flicking its tongue.

"What are you doing here?" Olivia frowned, instinctively stepping back half a step as the discomfort in her body surged again.

It was getting hot, making her irritable.

"To watch you beg like a dog."

Eleanor laughed lightly, her voice full of malice. "Olivia, you ruined me. Now it's my turn to let you taste what it's like to be completely destroyed."

She stepped aside, and two large men immediately emerged from behind her, staring at Olivia with lewd eyes, holding a video camera.

Olivia's heart sank, her blood nearly freezing, her body completely weak.

When had she been drugged?

"I found you two 'friends,'" Eleanor's voice was like ice chips. "They'll 'take good care' of you. Make sure they get clear shots of you acting like a slut. Tomorrow morning, these videos will spread through the entire circle, and everyone will see just how cheap you are, Olivia."

The two men closed in, their disgusting presence overwhelming.

Olivia's body grew weaker, her consciousness starting to drift, but her survival instinct made her bite down hard on her lip, using the pain to stay alert.

Looking at Eleanor's smug face, she suddenly laughed coldly. "Eleanor, you think this will destroy me?"

"What else?" Eleanor raised an eyebrow and said, "No one's coming to save you, even if you scream your head off. Just accept your fate."

As soon as she finished speaking, Olivia suddenly used all her strength to grab a glass ashtray from the nearby sink and smash it hard at the nearest man.

A sharp crack, and the man screamed, covering his head and backing away, blood flowing through his fingers.

Taking advantage of the moment, Olivia stumbled toward the bathroom exit. Behind her came Eleanor's furious shouts. "Catch her! Don't let her get away!"

The hallway lights were so bright she could barely open her eyes. The drug made her steps unsteady, nearly fell several times.

Olivia didn't know how long she'd been running until she pushed open a private room door and fell into an embrace with a familiar cedar scent, finally unable to hold on any longer, going limp.

"Christopher... save me..." She vaguely saw the person in front of her. The coolness from his body brought her a hint of comfort.

She couldn't help but lean closer, wanting to get closer to him.

Christopher saw the people chasing Olivia, turned and carried her into the room.

Everyone in the room was stunned.

"Mr. Taylor, is this Ms. Smith?"

Olivia's face was pretty well-known in their circle.

Olivia wasn't behaving herself; her hands wandering over him. His face darkened. "Everyone out!"