Chapter 3

Seeing Lisbeth's icy glare, Leopold had a flash of something in his mind, a painful twinge in his chest.

Could she be telling the truth?

As he opened his mouth to speak, Elora suddenly stepped forward, blocking his view of Lisbeth.

"Lisbeth, even now, you're still trying to twist the facts and slander Leopold? How can you be so heartless?"

Lisbeth was tall with striking features—before her disfigurement, her every expression had been captivating. Elora, by contrast, had the delicate, innocent look of a traditional beauty.

Her white dress billowed in the breeze as she spread her arms protectively, shielding the much taller Leopold behind her with a fragile, pitiful air.

Leopold immediately dismissed his moment of doubt and wrapped his arm around Elora protectively. "Elora, why bother talking to someone like her?"

Lisbeth gave a cold laugh, refusing to look at them further as she pushed through the crowd. "I've said everything I needed to say. Excuse me."

"Ms. Whitaker! Ms. Whitaker!" the reporters called after her.

"Her reputation is already ruined. What's she got to be so proud of?" someone muttered.

Despite their words, none dared to physically block her. As the crowd began to part, Elora suddenly darted forward and grabbed Lisbeth's arm.

"Lisbeth, listen to me—"

"I have nothing to say to you. Move!" Lisbeth brushed Elora's hand away and tried to step around her.

But Elora let out a startled cry and collapsed to the ground.

"Lisbeth!" Leopold shot her a vicious glare before rushing to help Elora. "Are you alright?"

Glancing at Lisbeth, Elora winced in pain but reassured him with teary eyes, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

Leopold gently touched her belly before lifting Elora in his arms and placing her on a nearby bench. Then he turned and strode toward Lisbeth, fury in every step.

"You claim you're not as despicable as I think, but what do you call this? You'd actually harm a pregnant woman?"

"Are you blind? I barely touched her! She obviously fell on purpose—"

Before she could finish, Leopold seized her wrist and dragged her in front of Elora.

"Apologize to Lora. Now!" His angry roar exploded beside her ear, making it ring.

The media surged forward again, cameras thrust in their faces. In the chaotic flashing lights, Lisbeth felt dizzy and stumbled.

A strong hand caught her before she fell. She looked up to find Sebastian's cool, composed face.

Immediately, a dozen men in black suits swarmed in, holding back the shouting, cursing media crowd.

"Mr. York, you..." Lisbeth bit her lip and sighed. "You shouldn't have gotten involved."

Sebastian's expression remained unchanged as he addressed the crowd. "I will hold a press conference regarding this matter soon. For now, I ask that you all uphold proper journalistic standards and delete any false records and related footage."

The media didn't dare defy him—not just because of his status as a major actor, but because as the York family heir, his influence throughout Sovereign City's social circles was immense.

They allowed Sebastian's security team to clear their footage and notes.

Only after Lisbeth was safely in Sebastian's car did she finally have a moment to calm down and consider her next steps.

She couldn't let Dennis bear the stigma of being called illegitimate. She needed to prove to everyone that she hadn't cheated—Leopold was the one who had changed and fallen for someone else!

Sebastian's home was in an upscale neighborhood in the city center—a three-story detached villa.

As they entered, a middle-aged woman greeted them with a warm smile, "Welcome back, Mr. York, and this is...?"

"This is Ms. Whitaker."

"Ms. Whitaker, hello! Please, come in."

Ava had been with the York family for nearly thirty years, caring for Sebastian all that time.

This was the first time she'd seen him bring a woman home, and she could hardly contain her excitement. She led Lisbeth to the living room. "Ms. Whitaker, please have a seat."

She busied herself making tea and cutting fruit. When the time seemed right, she asked, "Mr. York, will you be having lunch at home? I can prepare something."

"Yes, thank you."

As Ava turned toward the kitchen, Lisbeth stood up to follow her. "Ava, let me help you."

Just after they left, Sebastian's assistant, Noah Brown, arrived.

He approached Sebastian respectfully. "Mr. York, I've completed the investigation you requested. She is indeed Emily Foster, the woman Mr. Declan York kept by his side years ago."

Sebastian had thought Elora looked familiar from the moment he saw her. His suspicions were confirmed.

"And there's more." Noah handed Sebastian a stack of photographs. "Besides Leopold, there are three other men who have been close to Emily."

The photos showed Elora in intimate situations with different men. Wearing heavy makeup and displaying a seductive demeanor, she looked completely different from the fragile, innocent woman who stood beside Leopold.

Sebastian flipped through a couple of photos, a cold smile curving his lips.

He handed the photos back to Noah and wiped his hands with a wet tissue as if he'd touched something dirty.

"Send a copy of these fascinating photos to Ms. Foster as well."

Seeing Lisbeth emerge from the kitchen, he changed the subject. "I want to hold a press conference tomorrow. Make the arrangements."

Tomorrow? Lisbeth hadn't expected Sebastian to come up with a plan so quickly. "What do you intend to do?" she asked.

"Tell the truth," Sebastian replied candidly. "Let everyone know that Leopold has been cheating for years, that your marriage has been in name only, and that he fabricated the donor match results, disregarding his own child's life."

The brief spark of hope in Lisbeth's eyes dimmed again. If it were as simple as just speaking the truth, she wouldn't be trapped in this situation where she had to prove her innocence.

"No one will believe us," she said.

"Not this time." He paused, meeting her puzzled gaze with a meaningful look. "They need to confess what they've done themselves."

He meant Leopold and Elora? They were the ones who had caused this whole mess! Why would they ever come forward to clear her name?

"This is not a funny joke."

Just as Lisbeth finished speaking, Sebastian's phone on the coffee table began to ring.