The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 476

Meanwhile, under the same sky, the mood inside the grand, European-style mansion was tense and uneasy. Olivia sat at the dining table with her parents, the silence between them almost suffocating.

Steven broke it first, his voice sharp as he stared at his phone. “How did those videos and photos from five years ago end up online?” The screen was filled with headlines calling Charlotte a lunatic and a murderer.

He’d worked so hard to bury that scandal, spent a fortune erasing every trace. If this blew up now, everyone would learn about his daughter’s dark past, and The Main Group’s upcoming financing deal could fall apart.

Elizabeth’s face tightened. She shot a nervous glance at Olivia, who looked perfectly relaxed, nibbling her toast as if nothing was wrong.

“I honestly don’t know,” Olivia replied, her tone innocent as she looked up. “Dad, maybe it’s one of our competitors. Maybe they dug up all this old dirt to ruin your financing.”

Back then, that story had been everywhere until Steven spent a ton of money wiping every mention of Charlotte off the internet.

“It wasn’t you?” Steven looked hard at Olivia, his suspicion obvious.

“No way.” Olivia pouted, trying to look hurt. “I swear, if I was the one who posted that stuff, I’d get hit by a car as soon as I walk out that door.”

Elizabeth snapped at her. “Don’t say things like that.”

“I’m not worried, because it wasn’t me,” Olivia insisted, her big eyes steady. “Dad, don’t you trust me?”

And technically, she wasn’t lying. She hadn’t posted the videos. That was all Melissa’s doing.

“Everything’s set up,” Elizabeth replied with a smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Steven assumed Jesse was traveling for medical treatment, but only Elizabeth and Olivia knew the real reason. This was about getting rid of Charlotte for good. With Jesse out of the way, there’d be no one left to contradict their story. Charlotte could fight all she wanted, but it would be pointless.

Once Charlotte was finished, Olivia wouldn’t have anyone standing in her way. Not when it came to school, and certainly not when it came to inheriting the company.

“That’s good,” Steven said, nodding. His voice turned heavy. “Jesse really suffered because of all this.”

Steven had cleaned up Charlotte’s mess once, and now he was dealing with it all over again. The frustration was written all over his face.