Chapter 84 Photo Scandal

Chapter 84 Photo Scandal

Olivia stumbled back like a startled deer, her cheeks flushing pink.

"I'll go wash an apple."

Watching her hasty retreat, Charles chuckled softly.

So she wasn't completely unaffected after all.

The day he was moved to a regular room, Wilder walked in carrying a thermal lunch box just as he spotted Olivia tucking in Charles's blanket.

"I didn't see anything!"

He froze mid-step, then tactfully backed out and shut the door.

"Wilder's got the wrong idea."

Charles said deliberately.

Olivia's hands stilled.

"He's reading too much into it."

"But I'm not reading into anything."

Charles looked at her, his gaze as serious as if he were making a vow.

"Olivia, I know you're still on the fence."

"That's fine, I can wait—wait for you to hear me out, wait for you to give me another shot."

He paused, his voice soft as water.

"But could you... not shut me out anymore? Even if you just let me look at you, that'd be enough."

Olivia's heart lurched.

Once again, she thought of Bodhi's words, of the sketchbook Charles had hidden for four years, of how he didn't hesitate to take that knife for her.

Those feelings she'd deliberately buried began sprouting like spring buds.

But she still shook her head.

"Charles, I need time."

"However long it takes."

Charles jumped in immediately, afraid she might change her mind.

"A month, a year, forever... I'll wait."

Looking at the stubborn determination in his eyes, Olivia suddenly felt her throat tighten.

She turned and walked to the window, gazing down at the busy traffic below.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just... there's more than four years between us. There's so much I don't know about. I'm scared of falling for you again, only to end up completely destroyed like before."

Charles looked at her slender silhouette, his heart both aching and tender.

He knew he had scared her too badly.

"Okay, we'll take it slow."

He said softly.

"I won't push you."

Olivia's shoulders shifted slightly, but she said nothing more.

Sunlight streamed across her, bathing her in a warm golden glow.

Charles lay in bed, watching her profile, suddenly feeling his chest wound begin to itch—a sign of healing.



He thought maybe the wounds between them could heal the same way, bit by bit, slowly mending.

But he didn't see that Olivia's eyes, gazing out the window, had quietly filled with tears.

Charles was, after all, a celebrity in Harmony City.

The news of his stabbing had caused quite a stir in Harmony City, so naturally, word of his recovery quickly spread through the city's elite circles.

But what came next was a set of photos that exploded across all social media platforms late one night.

In the photos, Selene wore Charles's black dress shirt, leaning against the headboard in the Green Villa's bedroom.

Charles's profile appeared in the background, their poses intimate as if they'd just woken up together.

The caption was even more jarring—"Four years of engagement, finally tying the knot."

Public opinion went absolutely crazy!

Harmony City's social media platforms and forums looked like a bomb had gone off!

All kinds of voices clashed and collided in total chaos!

The hashtag #Charles and Selene Getting Married# shot straight to the top of trending.

The comment section instantly exploded with every kind of opinion.

Some figured this was just how things worked between wealthy families.

[Of course, social status matters most in the end. Ms. Peterson and Mr. Green are perfect for each other. That Olivia from before was just a fling!]

Others dug up old news about Olivia and Charles, starting to ask questions.

[I remember there were rumors about Mr. Green and Ms. Smith having a thing? Now that these photos are out, Ms. Smith looks pretty pathetic. Was she just being used as a stand-in?]

Even worse, some went straight after Olivia.

[Some nobody designer thinking she could bag Mr. Green? She should take a good look in the mirror and see if she's even in his league. Probably just trying to use Mr. Green to get famous.]

But there were people pushing back, too.

Some folks analyzed the photos carefully.

[Don't these photos look kinda off to you? Mr. Green's profile looks super stiff, and Selene in that shirt seems way too staged, like it's all set up.]

People with inside info chimed in, too.

[Word is, Mr. Green and Ms. Peterson's engagement has been a sham for ages. Mr. Green's always had someone else. These photos are probably Ms. Peterson's own little production!]

Others stuck up for Olivia.

[Ms. Smith made it in this industry on her own talent—why would she need to gold-dig? Plus, love's complicated. Judging everything based on a couple of photos is pretty shallow.]

Meanwhile, the Green Group's PR team was pulling all-nighters, but Bodhi held them back.

"Don't rush to set the record straight."

He sat in his wheelchair, looking at the obviously doctored photos on his tablet, like he'd seen this coming.

"I want to see how this plays out."

At the hospital, Olivia scrolled through the nasty and suspicious comments on her phone, her face stone-cold.

The photos were shot from sneaky angles, showing only half of Charles's face.

But she still recognized his bedroom in the Green Villa—

Four years ago, when they were together and video-chatting, she'd seen Charles lying in that exact spot.

"Don't buy into any of this."

Charles had somehow woken up. He struggled to sit up, his chest wound flaring up again.

"These photos are bogus. I've never even seen these pictures before."

Olivia turned off her phone and poured fish soup from the thermos into a bowl.

Her movements were so calm you'd think nothing had happened.

"Drink your soup first."

When she fed him the soup, the spoon hit his lips harder than usual.

Charles could feel her anger, but had no clue how to explain.

Those photos looked way too real—even the lamp on his nightstand was positioned perfectly. Clearly, Selene had been planning this forever.

"Olivia."

He grabbed her wrist, his eyes desperate.

"Just hear me out..."

"About what?"

Olivia yanked her hand back, her voice going ice-cold.

"That this is just another misunderstanding? Charles, don't you think you have way too many misunderstandings?"

She turned to leave, but Charles caught her.

This time, he used real force, pulling her off balance so she stumbled and landed on the edge of the bed.

"I know this looks bad."

Charles was breathing hard.

"But I swear on everything, I've got nothing going on with her! These photos are fake—she made them up!"

Olivia looked at his bloodshot eyes, feeling something twist painfully in her chest.

She wanted to believe him, but those photos were burned into her brain like hot pokers, along with all the "proof" people online had dug up.

There was a photo from four years ago of Charles and Selene arm-in-arm, heads together at some fancy business event.

And a Christmas family photo, Selene had posted it from the Green Villa last year, with Wilder and Katya in it too.

Everything seemed to scream that they were the real deal in everyone else's minds.

"I'm beat."

She stood up, avoiding his eyes.

"Get some rest."

The second the door shut, Charles collapsed back onto the bed, his chest bandages bleeding through again.

He knew that this time, with Selene making such a huge scene, she really meant to tear them apart for good.