Chapter 465

Olivia sensed that Margaret wasn't frightened; the woman was practically vibrating with excitement. Through the screen, Olivia caught the glacial chill in Liam's piercing gaze and merely smirked. What else was there to say? She simply mouthed "good luck" to Margaret.

Liam halted directly before Margaret.

The blonde tilted her head up eagerly, her voice dripping with saccharine sweetness. "Sir... Is there something I can help you with?"

Then came the sharp clatter of a phone hitting marble. A choked gasp followed.

The live stream audience had expected a romantic moment between Margaret and her dashing rescuer. Instead, they watched in stunned silence as Liam's hand closed around Margaret's delicate throat, his voice arctic. "Did you forget our conversation this morning?"

The chat froze for three heartbeats before exploding into chaos. Some viewers tore into Margaret while others panicked, demanding someone call emergency services.

Just as suddenly, Liam released her.

Margaret collapsed onto the cold floor, still reeling. Liam's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "Sebastian, remove her immediately. She's giving me a migraine."

And with that brutal efficiency, Liam's security team ejected Margaret - all captured live for her streaming audience. The viewers who'd been shipping them moments ago now realized their fantasies had spiraled out of control.

An awkward silence blanketed the chat, broken only by gleeful critics seizing their moment. "Pathetic! Did she think this was some cheap romance novel? The man clearly tolerated her out of politeness before she became unbearable."

"Am I the only one who finds Margaret's entire persona manufactured? She's got a different mask for every occasion."

"Absolutely. And her cult-like followers attack anyone who points it out."

Margaret scrambled upright, humiliation burning her cheeks. Liam had shown zero restraint. She comforted herself that he couldn't possibly know about the live stream - he wouldn't have been so cruel otherwise.

She wanted to end the broadcast immediately, but the damage control couldn't wait. After an agonizing pause, she finally spoke.

"I... I realize I've offended him deeply." Her voice trembled with practiced vulnerability. "Please don't follow my example, everyone. I only wanted to befriend him. He's wealthy and kind-hearted - I thought he might sponsor the orphans and elderly I care for. But his reaction..." Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. "This is entirely my fault. I overstepped terribly."

The criticism evaporated instantly. However disingenuous Margaret might be, her charity work was legitimate. She had, after all, done genuine good.

As the comments turned sympathetic, Margaret's shoulders relaxed. She offered a few closing remarks before hastily ending the stream.

Olivia stared at her darkened screen, her mind racing with questions about Liam and Margaret's connection. Before she realized it, her fingers had navigated to Liam's contact.

Her thumb hovered over the call button... then withdrew. This wasn't her business to meddle in. And she certainly had no right to demand explanations.

Meanwhile, Eleanor Blackwood struggled to locate Liam's current residence. She arrived at the imposing gates just in time to witness a disheveled Margaret being escorted out by stone-faced security.