Chapter 82

Caleb and Damon wanted to stir up trouble. Their true goal was clear: to force her back into the suffocating confines of the Blackthorn family. But Sloane didn’t care about the waves of public opinion. After all, the entertainment world had long built Damon and Lyra as the perfect, glamorous couple. If today’s video went viral, the tabloids would speculate endlessly, pregnancy before marriage, a mistress forcing the emperor to abdicate. Based on past experience, Damon would remain silent, refusing to intervene. Even if she tried to clarify, the Blackthorn family’s PR machine would suppress her voice. How could the devoted, plain woman who had raised these children, who had cared for father and son, ever compete with a dazzling movie queen? Thinking of it, a chill ran through her. Yet, when facing Caleb, she forced herself to remain calm. “You can stay with me,” she said gently, “but if your classmates or any reporters nearby ask about this dress, what will you say?” Caleb’s eyes widene