Chapter 103

Olivia's last glimmer of hope for Liam was now shattered, just like the broken sculpture. But the nightmare wasn’t over yet.

As Olivia and Daniel descended the stairs, they were ambushed by a swarm of reporters.

The media had been covering the exhibition, but rumors of a girl falling down the stairs had turned the scene into chaos.

Olivia wondered how the news had spread so fast. Was this Liam’s way of punishing her?

But there was no time to dwell on that. Daniel quickly shrugged off his coat and draped it over Olivia’s shoulders.

She shook her head firmly, pushing it away. She gestured that she was nobody—just an ordinary girl who wouldn’t be affected by the cameras. But Daniel, with his status, would face scrutiny if he were caught in the scandal.

He gave her a reassuring smile. "Don’t worry about me. I’ll handle it. But you need to stay out of this mess."

The moment they stepped outside, reporters swarmed them.

Despite the confusion, the sight of Olivia and Daniel together sparked a frenzy of questions.

"Are you students here? Can you tell us what happened inside? Was there a fight that led to the girl falling?"

"Is the girl connected to you in any way?"

"Was this a love triangle gone wrong?"

Daniel seized the opportunity to guide Olivia through the crowd.

Reluctantly accepting his help, she used her slender frame to slip past the reporters, leaving them to focus on Daniel.

With practiced ease, he faced the cameras, his expression unreadable. "First, I’m not a student here. Second, we know the girl, but I can’t explain what happened. Third, if you have questions, take them to the police. Harassing a bystander won’t get you answers."

His calm, authoritative tone defused the situation quickly.

Meanwhile, Natalie and Isabella caught up with Olivia.

Knowing about Evelyn’s fall, they didn’t bombard her with questions. Instead, they surrounded her, offering comfort and checking if she was hurt.

Warmth spread through Olivia’s chest, melting the icy dread in her limbs. For the first time in a while, she felt like she belonged.

Once she had calmed down, Olivia typed out the details of what had happened, her phone’s text-to-speech function narrating her words.

"I was leaving when Evelyn called out to me. The next thing I knew, she was falling. At the time, I thought maybe she was dizzy or lost her balance. Before she fell, I felt something rush toward me, so I grabbed the railing and pressed myself against it. It all happened so fast—I didn’t have time to react and pull her back. Now, I wish I had been quicker. Maybe I could’ve stopped her."

Despite their history, Olivia didn’t wish harm on Evelyn.

She remembered how she had lost her voice—an accident. No one wanted tragedy in their life.

Evelyn had always been proud of her beauty. If this fall scarred her, how would she cope?

Olivia felt a pang of pity, though not true sympathy.

Isabella, however, frowned and pressed Olivia for more details.

Confused but obliging, Olivia reenacted the scene with Natalie’s help.

Isabella’s expression darkened. She pulled Olivia aside and whispered, "I think Evelyn didn’t just fall. She might’ve tried to push you, but you reacted in time, and she lost her balance instead."

Olivia’s stomach twisted. She and Evelyn had their issues, but attempted murder? That was extreme.

Isabella tightened her grip on Olivia’s hand. "It’s just a theory, but it makes sense. Why else would she fall like that? If I’m right, once she wakes up, she’ll blame you for everything."

"Olivia, you—" Isabella hesitated, concern flickering in her eyes.

Olivia forced a smile and gestured that she would handle whatever came her way.

Isabella sighed, unconvinced.

With the exhibition abruptly canceled, all they could do was go home.

Back in her apartment, Olivia couldn’t shake Isabella’s words. Her thoughts spiraled as she kept checking the news for updates.

But nothing new surfaced. She decided to wait for Nathaniel to finish his task so she could request the security footage.

Late that night, sharp knocks jolted her awake.

Heart pounding, Olivia crept to the door and typed a message on her phone.

Then, a cold voice called out. "Olivia, open the door."

It was Liam. His tone was icy, his mood clearly foul.

She hesitated. He was probably here about Evelyn.

When she didn’t move, he spoke again, sharper this time. "I know you’re there. Open up, or I’ll let myself in."

With no choice, she unlocked the door.

Liam strode in, his tall frame dominating the space. The chill of the night clung to him.

As he passed, Olivia shivered.

His gaze locked onto hers, frosty and unreadable.

She quickly gestured that she had nothing to do with Evelyn’s fall.

Liam’s jaw tightened. Then, to her shock, he said, "I know you didn’t push her. It was Daniel. He’s always hated Evelyn, and in their argument, he shoved her by accident. This isn’t your fault, but you need to come with me to apologize. It started because of you."

Olivia’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her hands moved frantically—No, Daniel wasn’t even there when it happened! He only came after she fell!

Liam exhaled sharply, then suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her close.

His dark eyes burned into hers, emotions swirling too violently for her to decipher.

His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "If it wasn’t him, then are you saying it was you?"

A sharp clarity cut through Olivia’s panic. Her chest tightened with indignation.

So that was why he blamed Daniel.

Tears pricked her eyes as she signed furiously, "You don’t believe me. You think I did it, but you’re worried about the scandal. So you’re pinning it on Daniel and still expecting me to apologize? Liam, you know me. I would never do something like this!"