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Chapter 12

"No matter what's going on between you two, the best way to handle it is to sit down and talk it through calmly. Using drama isn't going to solve anything," Marsha said earnestly. "Liliana, what are you really mad at me for? We already agreed we'd get married," Ethan jumped in, sighing as he turned toward Liliana with a pleading look. "As long as you're willing to let go of tonight, I promise, we'll make it work. Let's move on, okay?" The two of them went full-on tag team, playing up how deep Liliana and Ethan's relationship used to be, tossing out memories left and right—from going to movies together to just chatting when they were bored. The guests were eating it up, but Wilson stood there like he'd stepped into a freezer. Cold didn't even begin to cover his expression. Wilson:[She was that into Ethan... did she ever really get over him?] Liliana, seeing him spiral again, gently wrapped her arms around his waist, trying to ground him. She'd just managed to coax him back. She wasn't letting anyone mess it up now. Then she turned her gaze to Marsha. The smile on her lips faded into a quiet chill. "I already said this has nothing to do with Ethan. Why do you keep dragging me and him together?" Old Mr. Johnson and their parents all frowned deeply. The more they reflected on Marsha's words, the more off it seemed. On the surface she sounded concerned, but her every sentence felt like a pointed jab. It was less about worry and more like she was going for the jugular. "I didn't mean anything by it," Marsha said quickly, catching Old Mr. Johnson's sharp glare. Her voice faltered as unease flickered in her eyes. She shot a subtle glance toward Wilson. "I just don't want her to be stuck with someone she doesn't really love." Liliana let out a soft laugh. "You're overthinking it. I'm very happy with Wilson." "But you were so in love with Ethan before. He meant everything to you—how could you move on so fast?" Marsha argued without hesitation. Chloe sneered from the side, wasting no time chiming in, "If you're really over him, then why'd you let him into your room in the first place?" Smirking with a mocking glint in her eyes, she added sarcastically, "Miss Johnson, was this little stunt your own DIY drama project or what?" Liliana actually laughed—out of sheer disbelief. The gall of these three teaming up to pull something like this and then pretending like they'd done nothing wrong was truly something else. "DIY drama?" Her voice went ice cold as she locked her eyes on Marsha. "I admit I'm not great with alcohol, but one drink wouldn't normally knock me out. Care to explain, sis, why I passed out after drinking that glass of wine you gave me?" The implication hit the room like a dropped pin in silence. Suddenly, everything clicked into place for the guests. Why did Liliana just happen to black out—of all times, during Old Mr. Johnson's birthday dinner? And why did Ethan just happen to be in that exact room? There were countless rooms in the Rosevale Residence. If someone hadn't arranged things—or unless Ethan had been obsessively keeping track of Liliana—how else would he have known exactly where she was? Either scenario made it impossible for Ethan to walk away clean. "So what, Marsha and Ethan planned all this?" "But what would they even get out of something like this?" "Well, you know how it is. Women get jealous, men go after pretty faces. No wonder Marsha was backing Ethan so hard—turns out they're in this together." The whispers swirled and shifted like wildfire. Now it wasn't Liliana who was under the spotlight—it was Marsha and Ethan, and everyone was judging hard. Marsha, now clearly out of composure, turned on Liliana with a glare. "What the hell are you talking about?!" "I'm your sister—why would I hurt you?!" Liliana didn't even bother to respond. She just smiled faintly and stayed quiet. But the whispers around them only grew louder."I just said you shouldn't have hit anyone, and now you're accusing me like this?" Marsha was absolutely fuming. She couldn't stand the way Liliana looked at her—so calm, but with that mocking undertone in her eyes. Liliana shrugged lightly. "Wasn't it you who handed me the drink? And weren't you the one who told me to rest upstairs? Didn't you also call everyone over to 'check out the drama'?" Too bad the drama didn't go how Marsha had planned. Three questions back-to-back, and Marsha had no way to twist her way out. A few sophisticated ladies had seen her offering Liliana the wine and telling a maid to escort her upstairs. If she denied any of it now, she'd only come off guiltier. "So how did you even know which room I was in?" Liliana still wore that faint, unreadable smile. "I..." Marsha hesitated for a beat. "The maid who brought you up told me." If she'd answered without that tiny pause, it would've sounded fine. But that hesitation spoke volumes—and everyone noticed. "I knocked, you didn't answer. Then Chloe said she might've seen Ethan going into your room... I thought maybe you were meeting him," Marsha rushed to patch things up. But instead of helping herself, she only made it worse. Her excuse made her sound even shakier. Plus, her current story didn't match what she had said earlier. That inconsistency made people start to doubt everything they thought they knew about her. Whispers spread through the crowd. Many were already guessing she and Liliana didn't get along—maybe this whole mess was her idea from the start. "Marsha, what's going on with you?" Old Mr. Johnson's voice was stern, his expression icy. He didn't blow things up in front of all these guests—had to keep up the family's reputation—but his chilly tone held warning. "Grandpa, I swear I didn't do anything! I was just genuinely worried about Liliana!" Marsha's voice lifted in panic, revealing her nerves. The Brooks family, thinking she'd been defending Ethan, jumped in to back her up, saying she was just being sincere and kind-hearted. "Grandpa Johnson, lots of people think I teamed up with Marsha, but that's not true at all! Liliana and I are truly in love—I just wanted to get closer to her," Ethan chimed in at just the right moment. "You see, Grandpa? Ethan said it himself—it was all his idea to go see Liliana!" Marsha rushed to clear herself of any blame. "I just called her out for hitting people because I didn't think that was right, that's it!" Their explanation maybe sounded reasonable at first, but Old Mr. Johnson had been around the block. From their words to their nervous glances, every little thing stood out to him. The more he listened, the more holes he noticed in their story. But with so many high-profile guests present, he knew better than to air the family's dirty laundry. So he kept it simple and sharp. "Liliana clearly has no interest in Ethan. And Ethan, you've harassed her more than once—if she hit you, you kind of asked for it." Ethan opened his mouth, probably to deny it, but Old Mr. Johnson didn't give him the chance. "Liliana is already engaged to Wilson—you saw yourself how strong their relationship is. Don't show up causing trouble anymore." He glanced at Ethan's parents, his voice cool. "The Johnson and Brooks families go way back. I'd hate to see that relationship ruined over something like this." The message was clear: rein your son in. The color drained from the faces of the Brooks family. "And Marsha, unless there's a real reason, I don't want to see you dropping by the house anymore." Marsha stared at him, stunned. "Grandpa!" "Unless there's a reason" sounded polite—but everyone knew it meant she wasn't welcome. Old Mr. Johnson didn't stick around to argue. After laying it all out, he turned and went back to hosting as if nothing had happened. Marsha glared daggers at Liliana from behind. She was seething inside. All her plans, ruined—thanks to her.

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