Chapter 417

Olivia simply chuckled. "Fine, I'll be waiting."

With that, she turned on her heel and walked away, her designer heels clicking against the marble floor.

Fuming, Oliver stomped his foot like a petulant child. As he spun around, his blood ran cold when he spotted Sebastian watching him from across the courtyard. The older man's icy gaze was like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head, instantly extinguishing his bravado.

Oliver ducked his head and tried to scurry away, but Sebastian's long strides caught up to him effortlessly. "I warned you not to interfere between Liam and Olivia," Sebastian said, his voice dangerously calm. "Why did you confront her like that?"

"Fine! As long as she stays away from Liam, I won't bother her again," Oliver muttered, avoiding Sebastian's piercing stare.

Meanwhile, when Olivia arrived at the Ellington estate, she was struck by the eerie silence that greeted her. The palatial mansion stood empty despite its grandeur, not a single servant in sight.

The Ellington wealth didn't surprise Olivia. Their fortune had been established generations before Beatrice's time, built on legitimate business ventures and old money.

Just as she began to feel uneasy, the butler materialized silently and gestured for her to follow. They moved through the cavernous halls, their footsteps echoing in the oppressive silence. When they reached the vast living room, the butler vanished without a word, leaving Olivia completely alone.

Frowning, Olivia checked her watch. After fifteen minutes with no sign of Beatrice, she pulled out her phone. "Where are you? Should I come to you?" she texted.

The reply came moments later: "Second floor study." Olivia hesitated, then climbed the sweeping staircase.

What she found on the second floor landing made her blood freeze. Beatrice lay motionless on the marble floor, a dark pool of blood spreading beneath her head.

Olivia's hands shook as she fumbled for her phone. Before she could dial, strong hands grabbed her from behind, wrenching her arms painfully.

Victoria appeared at the top of the stairs, her shriek piercing the silence. "Olivia! How could you push my mother?"

Olivia's breath caught in her throat as she stared up in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"

Victoria threw herself dramatically beside Beatrice's prone form. "Mom! Wake up! Please!" she wailed, tears streaming down her face. "You only wanted to apologize, but she demanded you disown me! When you refused, she pushed you!"

Olivia's stomach churned as realization dawned. The texts hadn't come from Beatrice at all. The horrifying truth hit her - had Victoria staged this entire scene? Had she harmed her own mother?

"You monster!" Olivia gasped. "She's your mother! How could you?"

Victoria's face twisted with rage. "Liar! You're the one who attacked her! You couldn't accept her apology and lashed out!"

Olivia took in Victoria's perfectly staged performance, understanding the depth of the trap. Forcing herself to breathe evenly, she said, "This won't work, Victoria. The police will see through your flimsy story. Is ruining your life really worth this petty revenge?"

The air crackled with tension as the two women locked eyes, one calculating, the other horrified. Somewhere in the mansion, a clock ticked ominously, marking the seconds until the real truth would be revealed.