Chapter 170

The morning sun cast golden streaks across the penthouse as Evelyn Sinclair stirred awake, her fingers brushing against the empty space beside her. Nathan Blackwood had already left for his early meeting, leaving only the faint scent of his cologne lingering in the air.

She stretched, her mind drifting to last night—Nathan’s whispered promises, the way his hands had traced her skin with possessive reverence. A shiver ran down her spine.

Her phone buzzed.

Lillian Graves: "Emergency meeting at the studio. Preston and Donovan are furious."

Evelyn frowned. Furious? That didn’t bode well.

She dressed quickly, opting for a sleek black pantsuit—armor for whatever storm awaited her. As she stepped into the elevator, her reflection stared back: determined, unyielding.

The studio was chaos.

Preston Whitmore paced like a caged tiger, while Donovan Sharpe scowled at his tablet. The moment Evelyn entered, all eyes snapped to her.

Preston: "You’ve seen the headlines?"

She hadn’t.

Donovan shoved the tablet toward her. The screen blared:

"Evelyn Sinclair’s Dark Secret: Stolen Scripts & Betrayal?"

Her stomach dropped.

Evelyn: "This is ridiculous. Who planted this?"

Donovan: "Does it matter? The press is rabid. Investors are pulling out."

A cold laugh escaped her. "So you believe them over me?"

Preston’s jaw tightened. "We need damage control. Now."

Before she could retort, the door burst open.

Nathan stood there, his expression thunderous. "We’re done playing nice."

Silence.

Then—

Victoria Hayes slithered into view, a smirk curling her lips. "Oh, this is getting interesting."

Evelyn’s nails dug into her palms.

Nathan’s gaze locked onto Victoria. "You have three seconds to explain why your name is all over this smear campaign."

Victoria paled. "I—"

Nathan: "Two."

The room held its breath.

Nathan: "One."

Victoria bolted.

Nathan didn’t chase her. Instead, he turned to Evelyn, his voice a vow. "No one ruins you. No one."

And just like that—the game changed.

Beneath the stage, the Blackwood family sat in stunned silence, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Did they just... reenact the actual events?" Richard murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

"But didn't Daniel mention that..." Margaret trailed off, her worried gaze flickering toward the man beside her clutching a bouquet of roses.

Nathan, too, had made an appearance tonight. After all, this was Evelyn Sinclair’s final performance.

Nathan’s lips curved into a faint, approving smile. "Actually, it's a brilliant move. Even if the other side denies it, they can’t accuse the play of slander. Clever."

Richard and Margaret exhaled in relief.

Sophia, however, gasped. "So they improvised this whole scene? Just like Ms. Monroe always does—spontaneous and raw. No wonder they cast Vivienne. Her acting is flawless. You’d never guess it wasn’t scripted."

The rest of the Blackwoods nodded in agreement.

But the audience around them had already erupted into hushed whispers.

The scandal involving Vivienne’s suicide attempt and Gabriel’s arrest had been headline news. Strip away the complexities, and the stage performance mirrored reality almost too perfectly.

Online, chaos ensued. Netizens had barely processed the breaking news of Gabriel’s release before Claudia’s legal team had spun a narrative painting Gabriel as a lovesick fool who’d made mistakes. The media frenzy had already begun.

Now, this play flipped everything on its head.

Comments flooded social media.

Netizen1: What the hell? Gabriel just got released! If this play is accurate, he’s a straight-up criminal. He shouldn’t be free!

Netizen2: Am I the only one who finds this surreal? Why would Mrs. Harrison collaborate with Vivienne on this? Whose side is she even on?

Netizen3: Justice over blood. His own mother has spoken. The truth is clear.

Netizen4: No way. Gabriel is innocent—his release proves it. I’ll always stand by him. Vivienne’s the problem! Those leaked photos don’t lie.

Netizen5: Are you blind? Those were clearly taken without consent.

Netizen6: Exactly. This scene? Textbook violation. Boyfriend snaps pics of his sleeping girlfriend. Disgusting.

The murmurs grew louder, the theater buzzing with tension. Onstage, the actors held their positions, the weight of their performance settling over the crowd like a storm.

And in the shadows, unseen, a single figure clenched their fists.

This wasn’t over. Not even close.

The online chatter exploded like wildfire.

Netizen1: Come on, taking intimate photos is just a couple's private thing, right? This whole drama feels staged. Rumor has it the "threat" was just a ploy to lure Vivienne back. And the financial scam accusation? Total nonsense. Gabriel's family is loaded! Besides, isn't this level of obsession kind of... darkly romantic?

Netizen2: What kind of toxic novels have you been reading? Name them so I can avoid that trash. If this happened in real life, the police would be involved, period.

Netizen3: Regardless of the aftermath, the fact remains—he took those photos without consent. Men like him are revolting!

Netizen4: I’ve been through this too, and I was naive. When I confronted him, he looked at me with those puppy-dog eyes, claiming it was "because he loved me too much." He wanted to "preserve our memories" for when we grew old. I didn’t make him delete them. Guess what? After we broke up, those photos ended up on shady forums. His "love" turned into locker-room bragging rights.

Netizen5: Vivienne might’ve been oblivious, but you? You should’ve known better. Thinking you’re so special that he’d never cross the line? That’s not love—that’s delusion. When a man loves you, it’s real. When he stops, the cruelty is just as real.

Netizen6: Even if this leaks, who can prove it’s real? Deepfake tech is insane these days. Demand concrete evidence or stay quiet.

Netizen7: We’re born with nothing. Everything else is temporary. Life’s too short to obsess over others’ opinions. Live for yourself.

Netizen8: Preach! But ladies, always protect yourselves. No matter how perfect he seems, no matter how his charm melts your heart—stay guarded. Real love doesn’t put you at risk. If he does, his priorities are clear: you’re expendable.

Netizen9: As a guy, I’d never risk taking private photos. Lose my phone? Get hacked? The internet’s a minefield. Any man who does this is unhinged.

Netizen10: Gabriel’s forced proposal always gave me bad vibes.

Netizen11: Wait—what if the proposal was a last-ditch effort to pay off gambling debts? The threats only started after she refused?

Netizen12: Or maybe he proposed out of love, then threatened out of spite. Both scenarios fit, no?

Netizen13: So… this whole exposé is fabricated?

Netizen14: I’m not saying that. Maybe the truth just unfolded this way. This isn’t Evelyn Sinclair’s scripted drama. I’ll reserve judgment.

The revelations about the blackmail and gambling were so abrupt they barely registered as the main talking point. Isabelle Laurent and her team hadn’t anticipated this twist, but the truth was out—mission accomplished.

Backstage, Isabelle Laurent clicked her tongue in amusement before turning to Evelyn Sinclair. "Your word has become gospel truth. You're like a human authenticity stamp now. If you hadn't exposed that scandal, nobody would've questioned a thing."

Evelyn's lips twitched. Would people actually believe me if I praised their performance during the post-show interview? The mere thought made her shoulders tense with pressure.

Julian and Genevieve barely suppressed their laughter. They couldn't deny the observation - it was as if Evelyn's judgment carried the weight of a divine decree.

Meanwhile, Seraphina Delacroix and Claire Harrison's performance was reaching its crescendo. The trainer led the retired police dog, Sven, backstage where Evelyn's group waited. Both Evelyn and Julian greeted the enthusiastic canine, who responded with vigorous tail wagging.

"Thank you in advance," Evelyn murmured, scratching behind Sven's ears.

"Don't be nervous," Julian said solemnly.

The trainer chuckled. "No need to worry. Sven's seen everything. He's practically vibrating with excitement - hasn't had a proper mission since retirement and misses the action terribly."

Sven puffed out his chest proudly, his entire body thrumming with anticipation.

As applause erupted from the audience, their cue arrived.

Elsewhere, Claudia Bennett had just driven Gabriel Ramirez to the broadcast studio when her lawyer called. After watching the live broadcast replay, her vision tinted red with fury.

"How could your mother do this to you? She's systematically destroying your reputation! Doesn't she trust you at all? We need to confront her immediately!"

Gabriel stared at the trending topics with a stony expression. Every effort he'd made to salvage his image was being systematically dismantled.

The lawyer noted they were fortunate this was merely a performance. Netizens remained cautiously observant rather than outright condemning. They needed to seize this opportunity to clarify during the live broadcast before things escalated beyond repair.

Claudia agreed wholeheartedly. Since Vivienne Monroe had shown such ruthless disregard, she'd make sure the world knew about the woman's thieving ways. Her fingers absently traced the pearl necklace at her throat - a silent reminder of past betrayals.

Vivienne sought to ruin Gabriel while playing the victim and climbing the social ladder. Claudia would never allow her godson to be trampled for someone else's ambition.

"Gabriel, stop dawdling!" Claudia snapped when he didn't immediately exit the car.

Gabriel hesitated, suddenly hyperaware of the surveillance cameras surrounding them. The thought of sitting alone in the vehicle under their unblinking gaze made his skin crawl. With no alternative, he followed Claudia toward the studio.

By the time they arrived, Evelyn and Julian's performance was already at its midpoint, the audience completely enthralled.