Chapter 554

 554:
For a brief moment, silence hung in the air.
Then, a voice rose from the crowd. “The video is not fake. I see myself in the footage. I was standing right there at exactly 8:15. I remember because a waiter accidentally spilled red wine on me.”
Carol’s eyes widened in fury as she frantically scanned the crowd, trying to pinpoint the speaker.
But with so many guests packed together, it was impossible to tell.
She recognized that voice. It was one of Millie’s friends!
Damn it! Millie again! This had to be her doing!
And then, as if a floodgate had opened, more guests began speaking up.
“I see myself too. I was checking my phone at that time, and the timestamp matches.”
Someone else, eager for drama, chimed in, “Who hasn’t heard the gossip about Jeffery and Linsey looking alike? That’s why I even noticed Linsey tonight. I was watching from 7:50 onward, and I never saw her leave that corner.”
“Yeah, same here! I kept quiet earlier because I thought maybe I was misremembering.”
“Now it’s obvious which footage is fake, isn’t it?”
“How embarrassing—an influential family like the Lawsons framing an ordinary guest for theft.”
And then, a more daring voice threw out a wild guess. “You know… what if Linsey is actually Cruz’s illegitimate daughter? Maybe Carol framed her out of hatred!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd. The whispers grew louder, speculation running wild.
Carol felt like the ground was crumbling beneath her. “All of you, shut up!” she shrieked, her composure finally snapping. The mention of an illegitimate daughter had hit a nerve. Her breath came in short, furious gasps as she glared at the guests. “Shut up! My dad has no illegitimate daughter! If any of you keep spreading these ridiculous lies, I’ll make sure you regret it!”
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Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Jeffery could no longer stand by. He quickly caught hold of Carol, who was on the verge of collapsing, his voice firm yet urgent as he tried to steady her emotions.
“Carol, take a deep breath. Don’t let this get to you. Let’s go home first, okay?”
The guests, unsettled by Carol’s sharp threats, exchanged displeased glances.
“Carol, do you really think you hold all the power here? Look around. Everyone at this banquet can see how much Linsey resembles your brother. You’re the only one who refuses to acknowledge it!”
The words struck Carol like a bolt of lightning. She stiffened, her face draining of color.
“What… what did you just say?”
Her mind spun in chaos.
Linsey looked like Jeffery?
That was impossible.
That wretched girl—how could she ever compare to him?
No. There was no way.
Her brother belonged to her alone. Her father could never have an illegitimate daughter!
Jeffery, noticing the deepening pallor on Carol’s face, felt a surge of unease.
Without a second thought, he tightened his grip and tried to lead her away.
Just then, a sudden disruption echoed through the banquet hall’s sound system.
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