Chapter 39

“Kload, are you pursuing this so worriedly? I’ve been away from home for ages, and nobody has bothered to call me. You had no idea I was in Southbrook, yet you somehow swooped in.”

Alice’s gaze seemed pitiful; her wile Leeth dripped with grimace. “Didn’t steal your customers. My prices are lower than yours, so naturally, people would rather buy from me.” Tinace pulled out her phone, tapping the screen before holding it to the camera.

“And I have more than just a kissing photo. I’ve got photos of what happened after that, too. Anyone want to see?”

The live chat exploded.

“The photo flashed by too fast. I don’t see the faces. Meslie’s taking it just to smear her sister.”

“Her sister’s expression just changed! The look… awful. Meanwhile, Grace is completely unbothered. I’m siding with her on this one.”

Watching the chaotic flood of comments, Grace didn’t miss a beat and shifted back to selling apples.

“These apples are eight dollars for five pounds. I’m not taking a single penny in commission. This livestream has been authorized by the office, and if you have any doubts, you’re welcome to call the local government directly.”

“This year’s sudden storms have caused major losses for apple farmers. I just want to help them recover a little. Eight dollars for the pounds isn’t expensive, and lowering the price too much would be an insult to their hard work!”

Her voice carried a steady, radiating strength. She held up another apple, giving it a slight twist.

“Also, I’m only allowing purchases from nearby areas. If the distance is too far, I can’t guarantee the quality. If I were actually pocketing a commission, I’d be thrilled more people placed orders, right? After all, you all saw the traffic in the live stream last night. If I really wanted to cash in, I would’ve hit my target ages ago.”

The viewers who had been cursing her just moments ago suddenly paused. That was true. If she were taking a cut, she should be eager for more sales. Yet Grace had been actively discouraging people from far-off regions from buying last night.

On the other hand, Alice wasn’t restricting sales at all. She practically pushed everyone to place orders.

The camera zoomed in slightly. Alice’s face twisted for a moment, but she quickly forced herself to regain composure.

“Grace, I don’t understand why you’re slandering me like this. Is it because no one from the family called you? But Mom and Dad are still angry with you. I’ve been doing my best to mediate things between you all.”

Alice’s eyes welled up as she spoke, and tears soon began to fall.

Grace took a sip of water, entirely unmoved. “My ex-fiancé isn’t the brightest. To force me into breaking off the engagement, he personally sent me a video of you two in bed. If you keep crying, I’ll play it on the stream right now.”

Alice’s sob cut off instantly. Her face went deathly pale before turning red in quick succession. She wasn’t sure if Yancey had really done something so reckless, but given that he had been desperate to make Grace call off the engagement, it wasn’t out of the question.

The audience quickly noticed the reaction, and doubts began spreading.

“She actually stopped crying. The video must be real.”

“So, she hooked up with her sister’s fiancé and tried to sabotage her charity stream?”

“I have a feeling she’s acting innocent. Look at her, all dolled up. Does she look like someone here to support farmers? She’s just a spoiled princess.”

Skepticism toward Alice grew rapidly, and her chest heaved with suppressed fury. Truthfully, she had always looked down on this so-called charity effort. She was a Lambert heiress, with a monthly allowance in the millions. Now, she had to mingle with these lowly internet users? If it weren’t for Lambert Group’s ambitions in the upcoming tourism development project, she wouldn’t be degrading herself like this.

Grace met her gaze but made no move to remove her from the stream. After all, drama was what kept viewers hooked. If Alice left now, the entertainment value would plummet. Instead, Grace’s lips curled into a faint smile. She turned back to the camera, her voice warm and confident.

“The apples in my live stream are absolutely worth buying. They’re crisp and sweet with not a single wormhole in sight. If you cancelled your order earlier, feel free to repurchase. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Her unshakeable confidence, paired with her clear and steady voice, was impossible to resist.

Within moments, orders surged at an explosive rate while the traffic in Alice’s livestream plummeted. Still, Alice stubbornly refused to log off, though her face looked strained. She didn’t know what to say, nor dare to speak recklessly. Who knew what evidence Grace actually had?

Just then, a flood of virtual gifts popped up in her stream. It was ten rockets in a row, each with ten thousand dollars.

Alice’s expression flickered with surprise, but soon, her lips curved into a tight smile. “Thank you for the generous gifts.”

In the livestream, the donor’s username was highlighted in gold, making their message impossible to miss. The name on the screen read, “Lawfordice.” Clearly, it was Liam.

Alice’s eyes deepened, a flash of something flickering in her gaze. She knew just how much Grace cared about Liam. Grace had to be seething inside after watching him blatantly take her side, right?

She glanced over at Grace’s live stream, waiting to see her reaction. But Grace was still calmly selling apples, acting as if she hadn’t seen anything.