Chapter 25
Ethan Kingsley and Liam Kingsley had no time to spare for Lily Wilson. In unison, they said, “We’ll split up, you take one side, I’ll take the other!”
With no idea where Sophia Sterling might be, they could only frantically call for help to track her down.
But before they could separate, Sophia’s social media updated with a new video.
The caption read simply: “Honeymoon.”
At the sight of it, their hands trembled so violently they nearly crushed their phones. After a long silence, they finally tapped play.
In the video, Sophia smiled radiantly, hand in hand with Adrian Pierce as they strolled along the beach. The sea breeze tousled their hair, painting a picture of warmth and romance. Though there was no overt intimacy between them, the scene exuded an unshakable bond, one that left no room for outsiders.
Crack.
Ethan hurled his phone across the room, shattering it beyond repair. But even that did nothing to quell his fury.
Liam was no better, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. His gaze darkened as it landed on Lily.
“If we can’t apologize to Sophia in person, then you’ll apologize to the entire world. Once the news reaches her, she’ll see it eventually.”
Without another word, he opened a live stream.
Within minutes, the直播间 flooded with viewers, unsurprising, given that this was Liam’s first-ever live broadcast. Fans were stunned.
“Speak. Apologize to Sophia,” Liam demanded, his voice icy. Ethan’s silence was agreement enough.
Lily, crumpled on the floor, was already broken. Tears streaked her face as she choked out, “If I apologize… will you let me go? I swear I’ll stay far away from all of you!”
Liam’s expression turned glacial. “Don’t worry. Once you’ve atoned, you’ll have your place.”
Too desperate to read between the lines, Lily spilled every last detail of her schemes. She couldn’t take the torment anymore, she just wanted to live.
At first, viewers pitied her disheveled state. Many recognized her as the girl Liam had thanked onstage at the Golden Rooster Awards. No one could’ve imagined her fall from grace would be so swift.
But as her confessions poured out, public sympathy evaporated. Outrage erupted, and within hours, Lily’s name topped every trending list.
Sophia, scrolling through the news alerts, frowned instinctively.
“What’s wrong?” Adrian set down two coconuts with straws, his gaze flickering to her phone. The headlines made his stomach twist.
“Would you forgive them?” he asked, tension threading his voice.
Sophia turned to him, lacing her fingers through his in reassurance. “Don’t worry. I won’t forgive the harm they caused. But the ones who owe me an apology aren’t just Lily, it’s all three Kingsley brothers.”
“They enabled her. Their indifference hurt me more than her ambition ever could.”
She sighed. “Still, none of that matters now. I just don’t want to be dissected online.”
Public opinion shifted like the wind. Who knew what tomorrow’s narrative would be?
Being the subject of internet chatter held no appeal for her.
