Chapter: 99

Now, both sides of Lilliana's face were equally swollen.

The room erupted in gasps. No one had expected Kaitlin to act so brazenly, especially in front of everyone, including Alan.

Stunned, Lilliana eventually regained her composure, boiling with anger. "Kaitlin, what do you think you're doing? How could you disgrace me like this?" she cried out.

"Don't rush to conclusions. I'm merely demonstrating the simplest way to test your accusations," Kaitlin replied, seizing Lilliana's hand and drawing her toward the door for all to see clearly.

Lilliana's cheeks flushed a deep red. Her skin, always delicate and well-cared-for, stung from the harshness of Kaitlin's slap, which was already causing a slight swelling.

“Look at her face, everyone. See the marks on both sides. Do they look the same to you?" Kaitlin challenged the crowd.

A pang of anxiety struck Lilliana's heart. She hadn't anticipated Kaitlin pulling such a cruel stunt.

Their hand sizes differed significantly. Kaitlin's long, large hands covered more area, leaving distinct marks.

One glance at the reddened, swollen patches was enough to tell they were the work of two different assailants.

Alan fixed a stern gaze on Lilliana. "Well? What's your excuse? Enjoying your little performance, are you?"

As the head of the Hewitt family made his stance clear, the rest quickly aligned themselves.

Sometimes, the truth mattered little.

"Lilliana's quite the actress, isn't she?"

"No wonder Mr. Hewitt was on her side before. She knows how to play her cards."

“She's really overplayed her hand this time."

Surrounded by snickers and sneers, Lilliana felt the heat of the slap and the sting of humiliation equally.

She sensed a pair of eyes on her from afar, cold and calculating, like a predator lying in wait.

Realizing the precariousness of her situation, she made a desperate move.

With a resonant thud, Lilliana dropped to her knees at Alan's feet, gripping his leg tightly.

“Alan, how can you do this to me? Just because there's someone new, you'd discard me like trash? Your heart is so cold!"

Her dramatic plea stirred a commotion, sparking suggestive murmurs among the onlookers.

Phones emerged from pockets as people began recording, eager to capture the scandal unfolding before them.

The air buzzed with anticipation and whispers.

Alan was known as Osewood's celibate president, a figure both famous and untarnished by scandals involving women. Rarely did his name appear in the tabloids.