Chapter 349

The screen went black as the recording concluded.

Suddenly, the massive display on stage flickered back to life, revealing a series of damning bank statements under Lila Sinclair's name. One after another, financial records appeared, clearly showing transfers from Lila's account to a private investigator. The evidence was irrefutable, leaving no possibility for denial.

Lila's face drained of all color. This wasn't how tonight was supposed to go. Hadn't she been promised recognition as the Sinclair family's closest ally? How had everything unraveled so completely?

Her carefully constructed composure shattered like glass.

"Lila has gone too far! Such underhanded tactics are unforgivable."

"Gambling everything for status and wealth - she thought her scheme was foolproof."

"The sheer audacity!"

"Did Olivia Sinclair organize this entire gala just to publicly destroy Lila? That's brutal."

"Lila's reputation is in ruins."

"Worse than that - I doubt she'll ever show her face in society again."

"Olivia's strategy was masterful! First making Lila believe she'd gained the Sinclairs' favor, then crushing her at the height of her triumph."

The murmurs in the crowd grew louder.

"Honestly, Lila brought this upon herself. No one forced her to play these dirty games."

"Now I understand why Marcus and Ethan were absent earlier. This explains everything."

Natalie stood frozen, her mouth slightly agape. She nudged Evelyn sharply. "Did you know about this?"

Evelyn gave a subtle shrug. "After the incident, something felt off. I asked Olivia to investigate. When I heard about this gala for Lila, I knew it wasn't what it seemed."

Natalie scoffed. "Lila actually thought she could fake a robbery and play the hero? The delusion!"

"She saw how close you've become with the Sinclairs and got greedy."

Evelyn's response was a cold, humorless laugh.

On stage, Olivia spoke again, her voice cutting through the murmurs. "The Sinclair family recognizes only one person - Evelyn Hartley. No schemes, no manipulations will ever change that. To anyone considering similar tactics - think carefully. Are you prepared to face the full wrath of the Sinclair family?"

Her icy glare swept across the room, the unspoken threat hanging heavy in the air. Several guests who'd been entertaining their own schemes suddenly found them far less appealing.

Theodore whistled low. "Olivia Sinclair certainly knows how to make an impression! I've never seen someone destroyed so thoroughly. She gave Lila hope just to rip it away. That's psychological warfare at its finest. Look at Lila and her parents now - they're utterly humiliated."