Chapter 450

No one dared to contradict Margaret Sinclair, which only fueled her arrogance. She shot Olivia Sinclair a mocking glance. "Well? Any more pathetic excuses? Sure, Oliver might have been a bit harsh destroying your daughter's sandcastle, but it was to teach her a valuable lesson about honesty. You should be grateful, not threatening to throw a child into the ocean! What kind of monster are you?"

"Oliver, darling," Margaret turned to the boy with sickening sweetness, "what punishment do you think these awful people deserve?"

The boy puffed out his chest, mirroring Margaret's haughty demeanor perfectly. "They should get on their knees and beg for my forgiveness. I'm being generous by giving them this chance."

Despite his young age, the cruelty in Oliver's eyes was unmistakable.

Olivia had initially given Margaret the benefit of doubt, knowing her public reputation as a philanthropist who'd adopted numerous children. Perhaps this was just a mother's instinct to protect. But that illusion shattered quickly. No child raised by this woman could possibly develop any decency.

A chilling realization struck Olivia - Margaret and Oliver were two sides of the same coin, equally rotten at their core.

Her icy gaze remained fixed on the pair as the crowd murmured around them.

Margaret's face flushed with anger. "Don't test my patience! I've been more than reasonable. You should be setting a better example for your daughter instead of acting like some deranged animal!"

The onlookers began voicing their disapproval. "How unreasonable can you be?"

"Who would have thought such an elegant-looking woman could be so cruel?"

"Thank heavens Margaret is here to protect poor Oliver from this madwoman!"

Olivia absorbed the baseless accusations in silence. When the murmurs died down, she addressed Margaret and Oliver with a razor-sharp smile. "Trying to bully my daughter, were you? How fortunate that I recorded her building that sandcastle from start to finish. Would you like to see the proof that she created it entirely by herself? My daughter's talents clearly exceed your limited imagination - though I suppose envy is the curse of the mediocre."

Her words landed like a slap. The beach fell deathly silent.

Margaret paled. "That's impossible! She's just a child!"

Olivia's laugh was cold and mocking. "Just because you can't imagine it doesn't make it untrue. My daughter accomplishes things that would never occur to someone like you. Thankfully, her talents don't include bullying or lying like your little protege here."

Her barbed words finally broke Oliver's bravado - the boy looked ready to cry. Margaret, torn between humiliation and rage, weakly protested, "He's just a child! Must you be so cruel?"

Olivia crossed her arms, her voice glacial. "I wasn't looking for a confrontation. I would have handled this quietly if you hadn't tried to blame my daughter for your boy's misbehavior. But when it comes to my child, I draw the line. The truth is undeniable now - will you still refuse to apologize? All that talk about being a decent person - was that just for the cameras?"

She let the words hang before delivering the final blow. "If you were half the person the media claims, you wouldn't defend wrongdoing or make excuses for bad behavior. The way you're acting now makes me seriously question how you're raising all those adopted children of yours."

Just as Olivia predicted, Margaret's face turned scarlet with humiliation. Cornered and unable to defend herself, she could only glare at Oliver in frustration.