Chapter 87 Counterattack

Chapter 87 Counterattack



"That's not for you to worry about."

Olivia remained seated, her tone calm.

"At least he won't use lies and threats to keep me around. Even if we don't make it to the end, we'll part ways with dignity—unlike some people who only know dirty tricks."

She picked up her tablet, opened an image, and slid it across to Selene—

It was a close-up of Charles's shirt collar from the photo, zoomed in to clearly show a string of scrambled pixels.

"This level of photo manipulation might fool some random people online, but that's about it."

"I've already contacted a forensics lab. In three days, this report will hit every media outlet."

Selene stared at the image, her face going paler by the second.

She never thought Olivia would know about this stuff.

"What are you trying to do?"

Her voice shook with barely concealed panic.

"Nothing much."

Olivia put away her tablet and stood up.

"I just want everyone to know the truth—that your engagement to Charles is fake, these photos are fake, and your love for him is fake too."

Selene slumped in her chair, watching Olivia's figure disappear through the doorway. The coffee cup slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor, brown liquid splashing across her black dress, the two colors bleeding together.

Olivia walked out of the café into the warm sunshine that made her feel pleasantly drowsy.

She pulled out her phone and texted Wilder.

"When the forensics report comes in, don't release it yet."

Because Olivia felt that Charles shouldn't have to put up with these false accusations any longer.

In some battles, Charles needed to win them by himself.

At the hospital, Charles was propped up in bed reviewing documents.

Hearing the door open, he looked up to see Olivia walking in with a paper bag.

"Where'd you just go?"

He set down his papers, his expression softening.

"Met with an old friend."

Olivia placed a cake from the bag onto the table—his old favorite brand.

"Brought you something sweet."

Charles looked at the cake and suddenly smiled.

"You used to always say sweets were bad for my teeth and wouldn't let me have too many."

"Things are different now."

Olivia unwrapped the packaging and handed him a fork.

"Patients need to keep their energy up."

Instead of taking the fork, Charles caught her hand.

"Olivia, did Selene come see you?"

Olivia nodded. After meeting with Selene, she suddenly felt completely at peace.

"She told me to leave you."

Charles's expression darkened.

"Ignore her."

"I did."

Olivia pulled her hand free and handed Charles the fork.

"But I told her I'd produce evidence proving those photos were fake."

Charles watched her serious profile and suddenly felt like his chest wound didn't hurt anymore.

"Why would you do that?"

"Because I don't want other people using lies to define our relationship."

Olivia's voice was soft.

"I've thought it through. Whether or not we end up together, it should be clean and honest."

Charles's heart skipped a beat as he looked at her, his eyes seeming to fill with starlight.

"Olivia..."

"Eat your cake first."

Olivia avoided his gaze.

"When you're better, there's still a lot to deal with."

He had to face the board's questioning and completely untangle the mess with the Peterson family. And then there was having a real conversation with Olivia about the four years they'd lost...

Outside the window, a breeze stirred the curtains with early summer warmth.

Charles knew that even though Olivia hadn't said it out loud, she was already moving forward.

And he just needed to wait patiently—wait for her to completely let go of the past, wait for her to be willing to take his hand again.



The dialogue now flows more naturally while maintaining the characters' personalities and the story's emotional tone.

This time, he would never let go.

Meanwhile, the humiliation was far from over.

Selene rushed to her car after leaving the café.

Sitting in the driver's seat of her Bentley, her long red nails dug deep into the leather upholstery.

Olivia's casual attitude, her pointed questions—each one seared into Selene's heart like a hot brand.

She pulled out her phone, meaning to look at the forged photo in her gallery, but accidentally opened an encrypted album instead.

Suddenly, Selene's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the photo at the bottom.

The image showed Mia in a faded T-shirt, sitting on the edge of a hotel bed, her eyes red and swollen, bruises visible on her wrists.

Selene suddenly remembered that Mia and Olivia had gone to the same school.

Roommates, even.

If Olivia hadn't butted in back then, insisting on taking Mia to the police, her brother Noah Peterson wouldn't have had to flee overseas and stay away all these years!

She'd been left to run the Peterson family businesses alone, which was why she couldn't even handle one Charles!

Well, if Mia still had some use...

Then she shouldn't get to enjoy the Peterson family's money for nothing while showing up again in Harmony City.

With that thought, Selene immediately switched to her contacts and dialed a mysterious number. The call connected quickly.

"Mia."

Selene's voice turned ice-cold.

"Haven't you had enough of the good life yet?"

After three seconds of silence, a hoarse voice responded.

"Ms. Peterson, what do you mean?"

Mia was currently lying in a Harmony City hospital bed, continuing treatment for the stress-related disorders she'd developed years ago.

Four years—she'd gone from a top university student to an unemployed housewife, all thanks to the Peterson family.

Back then, she'd been dazzled by Noah's sports car and roses, thinking she'd found her way into high society.

Until she walked in on him in a warehouse, counting inventory of contraband with foreign labels!

She'd tried to run, but Noah grabbed her by the hair and slammed her against the wall.

"You stupid bitch! You saw something you shouldn't have—you can't tell anyone about this stuff!"

Later, she'd barely made it back to her dorm, where Olivia and Lily had taken care of her and helped her gradually recover. But soon after, her advisor called her in for a meeting, claiming she was behaving inappropriately and affecting the school's reputation, forcing her to sign withdrawal papers.

Of course, Mia knew the Peterson family had pulled strings, but she didn't even have the strength to fight back—

Noah's lawyer had threatened to sue her for extortion, waving around a list of gifts she'd received.

"Isn't Olivia your good roommate?"

Selene's voice dripped with malicious temptation.

"She took such good care of you back then, but what about now?"

"She's become a famous designer, spending all her time with Charles, completely forgetting about you, hasn't she?"

Mia gripped her phone tighter, instantly understanding what Selene wanted.

Selene knew she was back in Harmony City and wanted to use her against Olivia again.

"What do you want me to do?"

The nightmare was starting again, and Mia's voice shook.

Selene smiled, like she'd found a lifeline.

"Simple. Help me get Olivia's design plans."

"She's currently bidding on the Rainbow District cultural center project. I don't care if you have to steal or lie—just get me that final proposal."

"Do that, and I'll have Noah clear up all the 'misunderstandings' from back then, plus give you enough money to start over."