Chapter 87

At the hospital.

"Rodger, I can't believe the kind of filth those people are posting about Violet online." Sebastian's anger flared, his voice sharp and restless.

When the internet turned on Emilia before, he barely blinked. Sometimes, he even found it amusing.

Now that Violet was in their crosshairs, all he wanted was to call Emilia out for every ugly comment.

Rodger barely responded. His eyes stayed glued to a video of Emilia in a black suit, her umbrella resting on her shoulder as she faced down a crowd.

He seemed almost mesmerized by what played out on his phone. He kept watching, replaying the same scene-never once looking away from Emilia.

There was something different about her now. When had she started radiating this kind of strength?

He could not tear his eyes away from the intensity she showed in that video.

"That so-called clarification has to be a forged one. Emilia's behind it, trying to ruin Violet on purpose,"

Sebastian remarked,growing more agitated with every word. He itched to take action and confront Emilia.

After venting for several minutes, he finally noticed Rodger had checked out of the conversation.

"Rodger?" Curious and annoyed, Sebastian stepped closer. Rodger was still watching the same footage of Emilia, her boldness on full display.

The men in the video-his own hires meant to stand up for Violet-had not managed to stop Emilia at all, and now they were coming back to demand more payment. The realization pushed Sebastian's temper to the limit.

Without warning, Sebastian yanked the phone from Rodger's grasp. "Rodger, are you just going to ignore me?" "Give it back," said Rodger, scowling as he reached for his phone.

Noticing Rodger's annoyance, Sebastian hesitated before returning the phone, but he couldn't help adding,"Do you seriously not care about Violet? She saved your life, you know."

"I don't need you throwing that in my face," Rodger retorted, growing more irritated.

"So what do we do now? If we keep stalling, Violet's going to get buried under all this hate." Sebastian ran a hand through his hair.

"Release some juicy industry gossip to shift the attention. Delete any clarification videos, and get people talking about how they're fake," instructed Rodger, hisvoice flat and cold.

He gave Sebastian a pointed look. "You're supposed to be next in line for the entertainment company, but you can't even handle a mess like this?"

"I'm freaking out here, alright? Besides, I thought you were supposed to have my back." Sebastian let out a weak laugh.

Running the family business had never appealed to him. All he wanted was a life filled with luxury and freedom from responsibility.

Rodger shook his head. "You're not a kid anymore. You can't expect me to clean up after you forever."

If Sebastian were a girl, he could have been pampered into adulthood, eventually marrying into a wealthy family and living a worry-free life.

But as things stood, Rodger figured that if anything happened to himself down the line, Sebastian might at least be able to step up.

"I get it, Rodger," Sebastian responded.

"Head over to the dance academy and bring Violet back yourself. I want you to make sure nothing happens to her." Rodger fixed Sebastian with a grave look.

If he hadn't hurt his hand and had to keep a low profile, he would have gone to get her in person. Sebastian nodded right away. "I'll take care of it."

Before he could step outside, someone pushed open the door to the hospital room.

Violet walked in, her face mostly hidden beneath a black cap and mask, but her eyes were puffy and rimmed with red.

"Did someone mess with you? Tell me what happened," said Rodger, his worry spiking as he moved toward her.

"No." Violet tried to hold it together, but the moment she reached for him, tears started spilling down her cheeks.

His chest tightened at the sight, and his tone softened though there was a flash of anger behind it. "Is Emilia causing trouble for you?"