The perfectly made-up face, bearing a six or seven-point resemblance to mine, was filled with impatience and disdain.
The silk dress draping her frame, the diamond necklace resting against her collarbone, the crocodile leather handbag hanging off her arm—any one of these accessories were worth more than I could ever imagine.
She took a slow sip of coffee, savoring the moment, before finally getting to the point.

"But since we are sisters, if you need money, I suppose I can give it to you. One hundred thousand dollars. You take my place and look after someone for me."
The press conference had turned into a spectacle, spiraling into a complete farce.
People’s gazes shifted toward Linda, their expressions growing more skeptical by the second.
Even the cameras and microphones began turning toward her.
"Miss Dawson, is there any truth to what Mr. Hughes just said?"
"Was it really Miss Burns, not you, who stayed by his side when he lost everything?"

"Does that mean all your accusations just now were fabricated?"
Linda couldn’t defend herself.
Feeling helpless, she turned to Liam, desperation written all over her face.
"Liam, you know me better than anyone. I’ve been with you for so many years. How could I possibly do something like this?"

Liam lowered his gaze to where she sat in the crowd, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Don’t be afraid. Didn’t you say you had solid proof? The lawyers are here. Everything that happened today has been fully documented as evidence."
His tone was soft, almost soothing.
But Linda looked as if she had seen a ghost. Her entire body trembled violently.
The press conference was officially over.
I gathered my notes, turned, and stepped off the stage.
Liam followed silently behind me.
"It’s raining outside. Let me drive you."
The downpour was relentless, sheets of water cascading from the sky.
I thought about it for three seconds before deciding there was no need to make things harder for myself.
As I slid into Liam’s Rolls-Royce, I caught a glimpse of him from the corner of my eye.
There was a flicker of something in his gaze—subtle, but unmistakably pleased.
Only when I pulled out my phone did I realize the entire fiasco from the press conference was broadcast live.
And now, it was trending.
Under multiple hashtags, the comment sections were a warzone.
"So, Linda stole credit for what that reporter did? That’s beyond shameless."
"Stole credit? A woman who climbed the ladder by sleeping around—who’s to say who’s lying?"
"Fact-checked—the so-called explicit photos were edited."
"Even if they weren’t, she took money for the job from the start. She did what she was paid for and left. What’s there to feel sorry for?"
"Am I the only one who thinks Liam is the real victim here? Both women were lying to him."
A lump formed in my throat, a strange, suffocating weight pressing against my chest.
I quickly turned off my phone and glanced out the window.
Raindrops streamed down the glass, forming tiny rivers that blurred the city lights into a chaotic swirl of color.
Compared to three years ago, the skyline hadn’t changed.
But everything between Liam and me had.
Back then, the Hughes family brought in the most renowned specialists.
After two surgeries, Liam had finally regained his sight.
Linda, terrified that I would reach him and tell the truth, hired round-the-clock security to keep me under strict surveillance.
But on the day he could finally see again, they brought me to the hospital themselves.
From behind the closed door of his hospital room, I couldn’t see him.
But I could hear him.
His voice, raw with uncertainty.
"Linda!"
"I’m here, Liam."
Her voice was soft, filled with carefully controlled emotion.
"I was so worried about you."
She had altered her tone just enough to match mine.
And Liam, desperate and eager to grasp onto the only person he thought had stayed by his side, didn’t notice the difference.