Chapter 449

"Mommy, I never said that! Never!" Isabelle protested, her voice trembling with indignation. Olivia Sinclair tightened her embrace around the little girl, whispering soothing words. "I was right beside you the whole time, sweetheart. You didn't say anything wrong. He's lying through his teeth."

It shocked Olivia how effortlessly such a young child could fabricate stories. Just then, murmurs spread through the gathering crowd. "Wait, isn't that Margaret Sinclair? The famous philanthropist?" someone gasped. "There must be some mistake here."

"It is her! She wouldn't harm a fly - she's taken in dozens of orphaned children!"

"You should just walk away. Don't make a scene."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She hadn't expected this well-dressed woman to be a public figure. Margaret appeared young and affluent, but the Sinclair name didn't ring any bells among the elite families. Several onlookers had already started recording the confrontation on their phones.

Isabelle buried her face in Olivia's neck, tiny hands clutching her mother's blouse. "Mommy, please take me home," she whimpered, her voice muffled against Olivia's shoulder. "I'm scared."

Olivia stroked her daughter's golden curls reassuringly. "Don't worry, my love. Mommy will handle everything."

The crowd's recognition seemed to inflate Margaret's ego. She tilted her chin up imperiously, looking down her nose at Olivia. "You wealthy socialites think you can push everyone around," Margaret sneered. "Apologize to Oliver right now, and we'll consider this matter closed."

Olivia's temper flared hotter. Gently setting Isabelle down, she pointed to the destroyed sandcastle. "My daughter was playing peacefully over there moments ago. There was no conflict between her and Oliver until he deliberately stomped on her creation. Multiple witnesses saw everything. I never laid a finger on him. So tell me, how should we resolve this?"

Her voice remained steady, each word dripping with controlled fury. Margaret's cheeks flushed scarlet. She glanced sharply at Oliver, silently demanding an explanation.

The boy rolled his eyes dramatically before launching into his fabricated story. "The contest rules say everyone builds their own castle! But her mommy helped her! That's cheating!" he declared with practiced conviction. "I had to destroy it - those are the rules!"

"I made this all by myself," Isabelle piped up, her small voice surprisingly firm. "Mommy's castles are much prettier than mine."

Margaret strutted over to examine the demolished structure. Turning back to Oliver, her face broke into an approving smile. She ruffled his hair affectionately. "Good boy, standing up against cheaters. Imagine learning to cheat at such a tender age! What kind of adult would she become?"

Olivia's hands balled into fists at her sides. "Miss Sinclair, where's your proof my daughter cheated? This beach was packed with people! Everyone saw Isabelle building that castle alone!"

Margaret planted her hands on her hips, her voice dripping with theatrical outrage. "Are you calling me dishonest? Accusing me of slander? Everyone in Newport knows my reputation for integrity! Look at this sandcastle - it's practically professional work! There's no way a toddler could create this alone!"

The crowd murmured in agreement, their earlier certainty wavering. Some remembered seeing Isabelle working diligently, but now doubts crept in. Perhaps the mother had secretly helped when no one was watching. A few children tried to speak up for Isabelle, but their parents quickly silenced them. Nobody wanted to cross the influential Margaret Sinclair.