Chapter 456

Olivia Sinclair stood firm in her decision, and after much persuasion, the director finally relented to arrange the meeting. The dinner was scheduled for Saturday evening at eight.

She brought little Isabelle along as her companion.

When the appointed hour came, Olivia deliberately kept the other party waiting fifteen extra minutes before making her entrance. Just as her fingers touched the gilded doorknob, angry voices spilled through the door.

"Do you take me for a fool? Threatening me won't work! Consider our conversation over. I'm leaving!" A chair scraped violently against the marble floor.

The door swung open just as Margaret Sinclair stormed out, nearly colliding with Olivia in the doorway.

Both women froze in momentary shock.

Margaret recovered first, her lips curling in disdain. "What an unfortunate coincidence."

"Ms. Sinclair," Olivia greeted with practiced politeness, though her smile didn't reach her eyes. "How curious. First you harass my daughter at the beach, now you're targeting my company."

Ice formed in Margaret's gaze. "Targeting? Your company's actions are despicable! Your employees plagiarized my work and tried to buy my silence with money. Did you really think I'd just drop the lawsuit?"

Olivia shook her head. "I'm not here to bribe you. Whether you withdraw the lawsuit or not is entirely your decision."

Margaret faltered momentarily before turning her glare toward the director of Sinclair Enterprises. Her laugh was sharp as broken glass. "So this is your new CEO? Not very impressive. Actually, she seems even more foolish than the last one. You've made a powerful enemy today - I won't forget this."

The director shifted uncomfortably and whispered to Olivia, "Miss, you should know Ms. Sinclair isn't someone to trifle with. She's a respected philanthropist in Newport with considerable influence. Perhaps a more diplomatic approach..."

Olivia studied Margaret's venomous expression and scoffed. "If we yield now, she'll only demand more. Do you honestly think an apology would satisfy her? From the moment I heard about this situation, I knew there was more beneath the surface."

With a resigned sigh, the director stepped back. The board had made their position clear - if Olivia failed to resolve this crisis, Sinclair Enterprises would face dissolution.

Taking Isabelle's small hand in hers, Olivia swept into the private dining room and took her seat with regal poise.

Margaret, incensed at being ignored, snapped, "What's the meaning of this? Did you summon me here just to insult me? Don't expect me to stay quiet about this!"

In a dramatic flourish, Margaret pulled out her phone and launched a live broadcast. Thanks to her carefully cultivated image as Newport's golden-hearted socialite and her prestigious academic background, thousands of viewers flooded her channel within seconds.

Her entire demeanor transformed instantly. Tears welled in her eyes as she addressed her audience in a trembling voice. "My dear friends, today that same unethical company contacted me again."

"I assumed they wanted to negotiate a settlement for their plagiarism case. Of course I refused - such corporations have no place in our community. But no, they invited me here for a far more sinister purpose. They wanted to publicly humiliate me!"

The camera panned to show Olivia calmly sipping her wine, Isabelle quietly coloring beside her, creating a striking contrast to Margaret's theatrical performance.

Viewers' comments began flooding in, the digital audience quickly taking sides in this unfolding drama. Olivia watched the numbers climb with detached interest, knowing the real battle was just beginning.