Before the screen even fully illuminated, a woman's soft, intimate murmuring filled the air. The tone was unmistakable—it was that kind of sound. Had they switched to the wrong channel? As the audience sat in confused hesitation, the large screen suddenly flickered back to life. This time, it displayed surveillance footage from what appeared to be a villa's living room. On screen, a woman dressed in glamorous evening wear swayed into view, her movements deliberately seductive as she fumbled with the buttons of her blouse. Eyes widened across the ballroom. This was... explicit. Was this really meant to be shown publicly? Wasn't this supposed to be the Lewis Group corporate video? How had this ended up on screen? And this woman—she was audacious. But who was she? While the crowd buzzed with confusion, Ernesto's expression hardened the moment he recognized the woman. He knew exactly who she was—his latest mistress. Before he could react, his own figure appeared on the screen. Ernesto walked into the frame. He approached the woman, casually shedding his suit jacket, then loosening his tie... pulling off his shirt to reveal his bare torso. Seeing him, the woman smiled coyly and leaned into his embrace. They kissed passionately, right there in the open. The moment the crowd realized the man was Ernesto, a stunned silence fell. Almost as one, heads turned toward where he stood. "Mr. Mason, you've still got it! Is she even twenty?" "Ernesto, what in the world is this? With everyone here, this is completely inappropriate!" Ernesto's face was dark. He didn't respond, his eyes shooting toward Monique on the stage. She was the last person he wanted to see this—and now she had seen everything. Monique stood frozen. She had prepared meticulously, steadying herself for the grand spectacle she had orchestrated. Instead, she was witnessing Ernesto locked in a passionate embrace with another woman. She stared in his direction, a surge of hatred instantly flooding her eyes.If she remembered correctly, this scene had taken place when she had gone to see Ernesto to finalize their plan to force Scott to step down during the gala. They were going to seize Lewis Group in one swift move and rebrand it entirely. That day, when she arrived, she had found Ernesto flustered, answering the door half-dressed. When she asked what was going on, he claimed he had been "warming up" for her arrival so he could satisfy her completely. Remembering what came next, Monique's gaze snapped back to the screen. On screen, the entangled couple suddenly froze at the sound of knocking. They scrambled apart in panic. Ernesto, his pants half undone, nearly tripped over his own feet. The woman was quicker. She snatched up her clothes and darted toward what looked like a guest bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Her movements were smooth, practiced—as if she'd done this many times before. Ernesto, not even bothering to dress properly, rushed to answer the door, briefly disappearing from view. His frantic demeanor looked utterly absurd, the picture of guilt. Monique knew what was coming. She knew who was knocking, who was about to appear in the footage next. And what followed would be even more damning... No! If everyone saw what happened next, she would be ruined. In a panic, Monique shouted, "Who is responsible for this? Turn it off now! This is obscene! What is going on? Where is the manager? Someone get over here and shut that screen off! Now!" Her voice, sharp with urgency, echoed through the hall. Those unaware of the truth assumed her outburst was out of concern for Lewis Group's reputation. The hotel manager, having been alerted, arrived just then. Spotting him, Monique rushed over and grabbed his arm. "I order you to turn that thing off right now!" "Our staff is already trying, madam, but... the control system for the main screen has been tampered with. They're working on it, but they can't shut it down immediately," the manager explained awkwardly, his expression helpless. Monique's mind went blank. Can't turn it off. Of course... How could she have forgotten? She was the one who had tampered with the controls. Her goal had been to ensure the incriminating video of Chloe played without interruption, to make her a public disgrace. To prevent anyone from stopping it, she and Carolyn had hacked the control room system—the kind of sabotage that couldn't be fixed quickly.Turning it off now was impossible. "No..." Monique whispered, turning back to the screen just as Ernesto opened the door on the footage. A faint creak sounded through the speakers, followed immediately by a woman's voice.