Chapter 198: The Photos and Recording

Melissa's eyes narrowed as she studied Vivienne intently, the weight of suspicion hanging in the air. The moment shattered as the hall's sophisticated sound system erupted with voices, leaving the assembled guests frozen in stunned silence.

“Warren, do you love me or Vivienne?”

“Of course, it’s you… You have no idea how much I love you…”

“Warren, I want to come back to you. I’m tired of sneaking around in the shadows.”

“Just give me a little more time…”

A ripple of shock passed through the crowd as expressions morphed from confusion to dawning comprehension. Suddenly, the massive electronic screen at the stage's center blazed to life, commanding every eye in the room. A devastating slideshow unfolded before the stunned audience.

Crystal-clear photographs captured intimate moments: Warren and Natalie locked in a passionate embrace within an elevator, lost in their own world; Natalie hurrying into a hotel with Warren on the very day of her return from abroad. Each image painted a damning picture of premeditation—Warren’s abandonment of Vivienne orchestrated while Natalie had been his secret companion all along.

The revelation struck Everett like a physical blow. His vision swam as rage coursed through his veins, causing him to stumble backward.

“Everett!”

The cry rang out as Melissa and Harrison lunged forward to steady him. An icy terror gripped Natalie as the images continued their merciless parade. Her entire body quaked uncontrollably, the color draining from her once-radiant face.

Melissa, witnessing the mounting chaos, bolted toward the computer station. “What are you standing there for? Quickly! Cut the feed! Cut it!” she commanded.

The panicked staff member’s fingers flew across the controls, sweat beading on his forehead as the system remained stubbornly unresponsive.

“Mrs. Mitchell, we’ve got a problem. The system—it’s completely unresponsive. Looks like a virus.”

Melissa’s patience snapped. She shoved the staff member aside and seized control herself. Click. Click. Nothing. The cursor wouldn’t budge, and the keyboard was as useless as dead weight.

Then, in a moment of wild desperation, her gaze darted downward. The power cord. A surge of determination shot through her. With one swift motion, she yanked it out. The screen flickered once—and then everything went dark.

A long, weighted silence settled over the room, thick with unspoken words. The kind of silence that stretches just before a storm breaks. And then, like a dam bursting, hushed murmurs flooded the hall.

“Unbelievable! Warren Mitchell always seemed so polished, but look at him now…”

“And Natalie Chambers—what a disgrace. She knew he had a girlfriend and still threw herself at him.”

“Vivienne was just a stepping stone for them. He used her for the Mitchell family’s gain while sneaking around with his secret lover. The audacity!”

“Let’s not forget—it takes two to tango. Even if Natalie seduced him first, Warren is hardly innocent.”

The words hit Natalie like a relentless tide, each comment dragging her further under. Her throat tightened as she struggled to speak, her voice a dry, barely-there whisper. “No… it’s not what it looks like…”

But where had those photos and the recording come from? Vivienne had publicly broken things off with Warren. Natalie had thought that meant she could step in effortlessly, that everything had fallen into place. So why was it all unraveling now?

As she reeled from the mounting disaster, her gaze darted to the side—where Vivienne stood, watching.