Chapter 77

Liam's brow furrowed as he watched the viral clip of Olivia's radiant smile - that same smile which had once been his alone, now freely given to another man.

"Mr. Blackwood, the PR team has prepared several crisis management strategies—" Sebastian began, spreading documents across the desk.

Liam held up a hand. "Not yet."

He replayed the footage, studying every frame. Olivia was signing, her expression tender. Though her hands were slightly blurred, Liam recognized the familiar movements. Her message cut deep: "My marriage is miserable. When you marry, choose love, not obligation."

"Is that Alexander she's speaking with?" Liam asked through clenched teeth, though he already knew the answer.

"Indeed," Sebastian confirmed with a nod.

"I see." A dangerous smirk twisted Liam's lips. Olivia had shared intimate details of their marriage with Alexander. While he never doubted her fidelity, this betrayal stung worse than any physical affair.

Sebastian cleared his throat. "Your instructions, sir?"

Liam's gaze remained fixed on the frozen image of Olivia's smiling face. "Find out who orchestrated this."

"I beg your pardon?" Sebastian blinked, expecting orders to remove the video or confront Olivia directly.

"Trace the origin of this trending topic. Identify every account spreading it. Map the entire network." Liam's voice remained eerily calm. "Assemble a dedicated team. I want them working from my office within the hour."

The gravity of the situation finally struck Sebastian. Over the years, countless false rumors had circulated about Liam - minor celebrities seeking clout, business rivals spreading misinformation. Never had he paid them any mind. Yet this first public scandal involving Olivia had halted all other Blackwood Enterprises operations.

Their investigation led inexorably to Victoria Clarke. Despite her attempts to hide behind shell companies, Blackwood's resources uncovered damning evidence - chat logs showing Victoria had paid marketing firms to promote the rumor.

"Victoria is a Hayes by blood. Why would she attack her own cousin and Mrs. Blackwood?" Sebastian mused aloud while presenting the final report.

"Bad blood with Alexander," Liam replied tersely.

The Hayes family's internal strife was no secret. Victoria, wielding considerable influence yet lacking the competence to achieve her ambitions, often resorted to underhanded tactics. Even her limited business dealings had only succeeded through Evelyn's connections - connections Liam himself had facilitated.

As Liam considered Evelyn's potential role in manipulating Victoria, his expression darkened. The possibility that Evelyn might be pulling strings from the shadows couldn't be dismissed.

"Leave the report," Liam ordered coldly.

Managing online rumors was typically straightforward. Even without Liam's intervention, Alexander's PR team could have contained the damage. The real challenge lay in dealing with the mastermind behind it.

After a moment's consideration, Liam forwarded an investigative report about the fire incident directly to the Hayes family patriarch.

Meanwhile, Alexander had already seen the trending rumors and texted Olivia assurances that his PR team was handling the situation. He even offered to explain everything to Liam personally.

Olivia hesitated before responding that no explanation was necessary. She found it difficult to articulate why, but she assumed Liam - so accustomed to media scrutiny - would dismiss this as trivial gossip.

Focusing on work, Olivia prepared for Whitmore Holdings' important client meeting. Though she'd originally planned to skip it due to her speech impairment, not wanting to tarnish the company's image, circumstances demanded her presence.

Isabella returned from the preliminary discussions looking troubled. "Olivia, there's an issue. The clients insist on meeting you personally."

Olivia gestured for clarification.

"They've raised concerns about certain contract details," Isabella explained, handing over marked documents. "Points we couldn't adequately address."

Scanning the pages, Olivia immediately identified the oversight - critical issues she'd somehow missed. These clients were sharp; their questions exposed weaknesses her team couldn't defend.

She signaled her readiness to join the meeting.

"Are you certain you don't need preparation time?" Isabella asked, startled by Olivia's swift decision.

Olivia shook her head firmly. Delay wouldn't help.

Though the documents were incomplete, Olivia had every answer memorized.

Entering the conference room, Olivia nodded politely to the assembled executives.

"This is Olivia Sinclair. She communicates through sign language but understands everything perfectly," Isabella announced. "I'll be interpreting today."

Standing beside Isabella, Olivia fought back nerves. Would she meet Whitmore Holdings' exacting standards?

The clients surprised her with warm smiles.

"We're quite familiar with Ms. Sinclair's exceptional work," one remarked.

"Her restoration projects at Gregory's studio are legendary," another added.

Olivia's eyes widened at their recognition.

Just as she began to relax, the lead client leaned forward. "The question remains - will you uphold Gregory's legacy... or diminish it?"