Chapter 71
Alice heard Chloe’s voice and knew, without turning around, what the “white lotus” was up to. She’d been the target of Chloe’s schemes for years; she could practically smell them coming. Without looking back, she grabbed the hem of her designer dress, subtly tugging it aside as Chloe. approached. Chloe, aiming to trip her, instead caught her heel on the flowing fabric. She stumbled, losing her balance spectacularly, and went down like a spilled glass of Merlot, right into a towering champagne fountain situated smack dab in the middle of the opulent ballroom. The cascading bubbly crashed down on her, soaking her completely.
The whole thing happened so fast, nobody saw it coming. Alice remained perfectly still, a flicker of icy amusement in her eyes as Chloe screamed, a bedraggled, champagne–soaked mess. Years of Chloe’s manipulations hadn’t changed a thing- except that Alice was finally done playing the
victim.
The shattered fountain drew everyone’s attention.
“Chloe, are you okay?!”
Luke and Noah, Alice’s brothers, rushed to her side. Luke, stepping over shattered glass, hauled Chloe up.“How did you fall so carelessly?”
Chloe, drenched and stinging from cuts and scrapes, seethed inside. Alice should be the one looking this pathetic! She looked up at Alice, eyes brimming with manufactured tears, her voice choked with false innocence.“Noah, I… I just tripped. Nobody pushed me.”
Alice’s lips curved into a sardonic smile. She’d anticipated this play.
Noah noticed Chloe’s pointed glare at Alice. Could Alice have done this? He frowned.“Chloe, since it was an accident, be more careful next time. Luke, get her to the hospital.”
Chloe stared, dumbfounded. That wasn’t the reaction she expected. She’d intended that pointed look at Alice to implicate her, to play the innocent victim. This wasn’t going according to plan. Luke, though, looked unconvinced. His tone hardened. “Chloe, tell me the truth. Did Alice make- you fall?”
Chloe hesitated, then mumbled, “Sixth brother, please don’t ask. It wasn’t Alice. I just fell.” The
subtext was clear.
Luke scoffed, turning to Alice.“Why would you hurt Chloe? Is it because I brought her to the gala and not you?” He couldn’t think of another reason.
Alice raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.“Sixth brother, I had an invitation. I didn’t need anyone to bring me.” Her voice dripped with confidence.
Luke felt a pang of unease. “Don’t act innocent! You’ve always resented Chloe for stealing your spotlight. You wanted to humiliate her!”
Alice let out a short, sharp laugh. “What spotlight? She had nothing worth stealing.” Chloe’s face darkened. Luke was speechless.
Chloe, a mutual friend, chimed in sarcastically, “Even a blind person could see that Alice was the star of the night. As a wildly popular streamer, she was the main attraction! Chloe didn’t even have an invitation. Who was stealing whose spotlight?”
Another friend, Daniel, added, “Are the Windham family’s brains wired differently? Alice was the celebrity; who’s using whom for clout?”
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The comments stung Luke,
stung Luke, painting him in an increasingly unfavorable light- Chloe, frustrated, looked at Luke with fresh tears welling up.“Sixth Brother, please stop. It was my fault. I tripped. It had nothing to do with Alice.” She touched her wrist. “But… my bracelet… it’s broken. It was so expensive.”
Luke saw the damaged bracelet and glared at Alice. Are you satisfied now?”
Alice’s response was effortless.“Those jewels were gifts from me, Chloe. Broken things are broken. Why are you so petty, Sixth Brother?”
Luke’s face twisted.“It’s not the same! Alice, if you refuse to confess, let’s check the security footage!”
Chloe looked nervous. “Sixth Brother, please, let’s not make a scene.”
Noah frowned. Sixth Brother, Chloe said she fell. Just get her to the hospital.” “No! I need to find out the truth!” Luke was determined to see Alice humiliated. Seeing Alice’s unconcerned expression only fueled his anger.
Alice.“Alice,
Noah looked at Alice. Alice, what really happened?” Could she really be responsible? Alice’s eyes were cold.“I don’t care. Check the footage.”
Soon, hotel security provided a USB drive. Luke snatched it.“This will show the truth!” He was certain the video would incriminate Alice.
The footage showed Chloe stepping on Alice’s dress, but Alice moved out of the way just in time. Chloe, caught off balance, fell.
Alice watched impassively. “So?”
Noah saw it too and looked at Luke coldly. “Did you see that? It wasn’t Alice! Chloe tripped. herself!”
Luke, seeing the clear evidence, felt his cheeks burn. He mumbled, “Alice should have stayed still! Then Chloe wouldn’t have fallen!”
The room gasped. What a bizarre statement.
Noah yelled, “Luke, are you crazy?!”
Alice tossed the contents of her drink in Luke’s face.
Luke roared, “Alice, what are you doing?!”
The next instant, Alice threw her glass. This time, Luke dodged it, and the glass smashed against Chloe.
Alice sneered, “Sixth Brother, why did you dodge? Didn’t you realize that dodging would cause. Chloe to get hit? How selfish can you be?”
Luke sputtered, “Alice, you deliberately framed me!”
Alice’s gaze was laced with disdain. “I simply returned the favor.”
Chloe exclaimed, “That’s rich! You said Alice shouldn’t have moved, but you dodged like a ninja. Hypocrite!”
Daniel, Alice’s coach, added, “It was clearly Chloe who tripped Alice on purpose, trying to humiliate her, and ended up hurting herself. Serves her right!”
Chloe nodded.“Chloe owe Alice an apology!”
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* Chapter 71
How could the Windham family miss such an obvious truth?
Noah turned to Chloe.“Why would you step on Alice’s dress?” The incident was undeniably suspicious.
Seeing her deception unraveling, Chloe bit her lip and feigned helplessness. “I was trying to catch. up to Alice and accidentally stepped on her dress. I didn’t mean to.”
Luke insisted, I know Chloe didn’t mean to, but Alice let her get hurt on purpose.”
Alice’s eyes shone with mockery.“I’m used to this outcome. It always goes this way.” Noah felt a surge of guilt.
his eyes cold. “Luke, apologize
Alice!”
He slapped Luke across the face,
face, his
Luke was stunned. “Second Brother, it was Alice’s fault!” Why was “he” the one getting punished?
