Chapter 466

Eleanor Blackwood's delicate brows knitted together. "Who on earth was that woman? What was she doing lurking around here?"

She shot Oliver Hart a pointed glance that spoke volumes.

Oliver immediately understood the unspoken command and hurried after Margaret Sinclair.

He returned moments later, his expression dark with irritation. "That woman was absolutely insufferable," he muttered under his breath. "No manners whatsoever. But I did catch something interesting - she was ranting about Olivia Sinclair. Managed to piece together quite the story."

"Really?" Eleanor's eyes lit up with interest as she leaned closer, her whisper barely audible.

Oliver looked genuinely shocked. "But Miss, I saw her leaving Mr. Liam's estate with my own eyes. Doesn't that raise any red flags?"

This was Newport's most exclusive neighborhood - sprawling mansions hidden behind towering privacy hedges. Liam Blackwood's estate stood alone, isolated from prying eyes.

Eleanor watched Margaret's retreating figure with a disdainful curl of her lip. "She's not even in the same league as Olivia. Hardly worth my attention. But her hatred for Olivia is palpable. Even without knowing the details, we can certainly exploit that."

"Understood. I'll begin immediately," Oliver nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities.

Meanwhile, Olivia Sinclair had been consulting with the director about visiting the designer embroiled in the plagiarism controversy.

She'd discovered the designer was Margaret's exact contemporary - same university, same department, even the same graduating class.

Back in her student days, the designer had been considered a prodigy. Despite humble beginnings, her raw talent and relentless drive had caught the attention of Sinclair Enterprises. They'd offered her the chief designer position upon graduation - an unprecedented opportunity.

What should have been a fairytale success story had instead exploded into a career-ending scandal.

When the plagiarism allegations surfaced, the designer had vehemently denied copying anyone's work. But without drafts or supporting evidence, her protests fell on deaf ears. Ultimately, she'd issued a public apology and vanished from the design world entirely.

Rumors suggested her current circumstances were... less than ideal.

Olivia hadn't realized how dire the situation was until she saw the designer's living conditions for herself. The director hadn't exaggerated in the slightest.

After a three-hour drive to Westhaven's outskirts, followed by an hour's trek on foot, Olivia finally reached a dilapidated shack that looked moments from collapse.

She could hardly believe her eyes. Even with the plagiarism scandal, this was a university graduate - a once-promising talent. How had she ended up in such squalor?

The answer came sooner than expected. An elderly woman with snow-white hair shuffled past Olivia. The octogenarian moved with painful slowness, her hunched frame barely able to support itself. She paused at the door, wheezing from the exertion.

Just then, the yard's rusted gate creaked open. A strikingly beautiful but painfully thin young woman emerged, her movements uneven. Strands of loose hair framed a face that was both delicate and hauntingly lovely.