Chapter 66

"Happy birthday, Ms. Elysia Rosewood," Zane said, raising his wine glass and taking a sip of the red wine.

Elysia also wanted to raise her wine glass, but before she could, Zane snatched it from her hand. "Kids aren't allowed to drink," he said, then called a waiter, exchanged the wine for a glass of orange juice, and handed it to Elysia. "Drink this instead."

Elysia's face reddened.

Justin looked at Zane, dazed. He is the business legend, Zane! he thought. I never expected to meet him like this. Compared to him, I'm as small as an ant.

Zane asked, raising an eyebrow, "Who are you?"

Somewhat flattered, Justin replied, "My name is Justin Jenkins. I'm Elysia's classmate."

Zane nodded slightly, but said little more. A moment of silence ensued, broken by Justin. "You guys keep talking," he said, then, feeling awkward at their lack of response, left without looking back.

Once Justin had gone, Zane turned to Elysia. "I heard you rejected the Davis family's marriage proposal."

"Did Alice tell you?" Elysia asked.

"Yes," Zane replied.

"If you already know, why are you asking?"

Zane's gaze became earnest. "I want to hear it from you."

Their eyes met, and Elysia avoided his gaze, her heart pounding. She lowered her eyes, trying to appear natural. "Yes, I rejected it. Are you going to comfort me?"

Zane looked at her casually. "Why would I comfort you? You did the right thing. The Davis family isn't suitable for you."

"Then who is suitable for me?" Elysia asked.

Zane placed his hand on her head, his voice softening. "You're still young. It's not the right time to talk about these things."

Elysia looked at his hand, speechless.

Emma, witnessing this scene, was consumed by jealousy. Zane is the cover star of numerous magazines, the dream husband for many women, she thought. Why is he treating Elysia so specially? What if I were in her place?

Unfortunately, Emma had no time to dwell on this. The large screen in the center of the stage lit up, playing a video that instantly captivated everyone's attention.

"Isn't that the Rosewood family's eldest daughter?" a wealthy lady said, pointing disdainfully at the girl on the screen. The video showed what had happened at the hotel that day; Elysia had been unaware of it.

Emma, too, looked at the screen, recognizing the content. As more eyes turned towards her, she felt humiliation for the first time. Elysia must have done this, she thought. But this was my plan! Why am I the subject?

Emma had planned to lure Elysia to the hotel, film her being violated, and release the video on her birthday to ruin her reputation. The plan backfired; Emma herself had been violated, forcing a temporary halt. She hadn't expected the plan to resume, with her as the target. How did Elysia know about my plan?

One lady said, "What kind of eldest daughter is she? She's just the Rosewood family's adopted daughter."

Another chimed in, "The Rosewood family is truly unfortunate to have a daughter like her."

A third added, "If I had a daughter like this, I would have disowned her long ago. And she's not even their biological daughter! Even if she were, after committing such an immoral act"

Humiliated, Emma lowered her head, clenching her fists.

Seeing the video, Scott instructed Paul to handle it, but received no immediate response, deepening his frown. With people from the three major families present, how can I save face with such a scandal? he thought. His gaze towards Emma now held hostility and resentment; his face was slack.

Bella's expression also changed. What happened? How did that day's incident get filmed? she thought. The earlier flattery and sense of superiority vanished instantly. She spotted Emma, silent and head down, her heart heavy. Bella approached Emma, put her arm around her, and led her away, ignoring the onlookers.

Scott anxiously watched the big screen. With a "click," it went black. Just as he sighed in relief, the sound system played a recording—Emma's conversation with the waiter at the Amour Cafe. Every word was crystal clear.

Scott was shocked. Didn't I already pay Elysia to resolve this? he thought, looking towards Elysia to confront her. But seeing Zane beside her, he hesitated. This isn't the time, he thought.

Zane looked at Elysia indulgently. "Did you do this?" he asked, his tone affirmative.

Elysia nodded silently. This was Emma's initial plan for her; now, it was simply payback. Elysia had known about Emma's plan since retrieving the memory card from those men in the underground parking lot. Didn't she want to use the video to ruin my reputation? Elysia thought. Now that it's her, what does she think?

The guests listened. Though unaware of the full story, they understood Emma's failed scheme and refusal to pay. Their opinion of Emma worsened.

"I never expected Emma to have such a venomous heart," one guest said. "You can't tell from her appearance."

Another added, "You can know a person's face, but not their heart."

One stated, "If she were my daughter, I would have slapped her to death long ago."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose, his face ashen.

Paul approached Scott, whispering, "Mr. Rosewood, we can't turn off the sound system. Cutting the power won't work either."