Victoria quickly intervened, her voice gentle and full of feigned concern. “Forget it, there’s no need to say more. It doesn’t matter how Liza feels about me. Please, don’t blame her any further.” Her words, carefully calculated, had the intended effect. “Madam Victoria is truly too kind,” someone said with admiration. Another person sighed. “If it weren’t for her concern for Liza’s feelings, she wouldn’t have gone without a wedding for all these years. But Miss Liza is so selfish and headstrong!” Victoria’s heart swelled with satisfaction as she listened to the criticism being directed at Liza. Although she hadn’t caught Liza in a compromising position with President Louis, the accusations alone had tarnished her reputation. The murmurs painted Liza as rebellious, ungrateful, and thoughtless—exactly as Victoria intended. Her performance had paid off.Putting on a bitter smile, Victoria turned to the crowd. “Please, everyone, let’s not make a fuss. Let’s head back to the banquet. This is a private matter of the Sinclair Family, and we shouldn’t waste President Albert’s time.” But just as people began to disperse, Liza’s voice cut through the room, calm yet icy. “Madam Victoria,” she said slowly, her expression unreadable, “I’m afraid this isn’t over.” Victoria’s face was the picture of innocence. “Liza, what are you trying to say?” Liza met her gaze with cold eyes. “You’re right, Madam Victoria. President Louis was indeed in this suite earlier.” Her words sent a ripple of shock through the room. People exchanged stunned glances, whispering among themselves. Then, Liza continued, her tone unhurried but sharp as a blade. “President Louis told me something very interesting. He said… my parents sold me to him.”Mr. Sinclair’s face turned ashen. “What?!” The room fell silent, thick with tension. “Could it be true?” someone murmured, their voice laced with disbelief. “If that’s the case, then the secretary wasn’t lying after all,” another whispered. Liza ignored the murmurs and went on. “Fortunately, Henry, Mr Richard , and Miss Hazel arrived just in time to stop him. That’s how I managed to escape. But, Dad…” Her gaze locked on Mr. Sinclair. “Did you really sell me to President Louis?” All eyes turned to Mr. Sinclair, whose face was now a mix of panic and anger. “Liza!” he barked, his voice trembling. “Don’t believe his nonsense! I’m your father. How could I possibly do such a thing? He must’ve been making it up!” Liza tilted her head slightly, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. “Ah, so you’re saying President Louis lied? That’s an interesting take.” She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing. “But tell me, how did President Louis know I was in this suite? And how did he have the key card to this room? Who gave it to him?” The crowd’s gaze shifted back to Mr. Sinclair, their eyes now filled with doubt and disgust. Liza’s voice grew colder. “I came here to attend the banquet, but you and Madam Victoria told me it wouldn’t start for a while and insisted I come upstairs to rest. Trusting you, I waited here. But the moment I entered, the door was locked. And not long after, President Louis walked in—key in hand. He clearly had plans to harm me.” She took a deep breath, her tone becoming sharper with each word. “Thankfully, I was rescued in time. Afterward, I decided to investigate. I wanted to know who gave him access to this suite.” Victoria’s confident facade cracked. Her fingers clenched at the hem of her dress, and her face paled. Victoria hastily cut off Liza’s words, her voice flustered and defensive. “Liza, earlier, you looked a bit unwell, so I suggested you go upstairs to rest…” Her gaze darted nervously as she tried to come up with an explanation. “Maybe you accidentally dropped your room card, and President Louis happened to pick it up and follow you in. It was just an unfortunate coincidence.” Liza’s expression remained calm, her lips curling into a faint, knowing smile. “Perhaps,” she said softly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “But…” She deliberately dragged the word out, her eyes narrowing as they fixed coldly on Victoria. The tension in the room was palpable, and watching Victoria’s nervous, guilt-ridden expression was oddly satisfying. “Madam Victoria,” Liza continued, her voice sharp, “did you forget that you were the one who booked this suite?” Victoria’s face instantly turned ashen. Liza’s tone grew icier as she pressed on. “It was you who brought me here. You were the one who handed President Louis the room card. And then, you orchestrated this little spectacle—bringing everyone here to ‘catch us in the act.’ How thrilling your plan must have seemed to you.” With deliberate slowness, Liza clapped her hands, each sound echoing in the silence of the room. Victoria’s face twisted with embarrassment and unease. Richard Ryker, who had been silently watching, finally broke the tension with a mocking laugh. “So it was Madam Victoria who booked this suite? How interesting!” He crossed his arms, his gaze piercing. “Liza was taken upstairs by Madam Victoria and President Sinclair, locked in the room, and conveniently, President Louis shows up with a room card in hand. And all of this is captured by the cameras. What a puzzling series of coincidences, don’t you think?” Liza let out a bitter sigh, her voice trembling with mock sorrow. “Madam Victoria, you keep insisting this has nothing to do with you. But why did you insist I go upstairs? Why was it only moments later that President Louis walked in? Don’t you think that’s just a little too coincidental?” Her tone shifted, sharp as a blade, as she added, “Or was this your plan all along? Did you sell me to President Louis to secure his resources for yourself? Did you hope to disgrace me so thoroughly that I’d leave the Sinclair Family for good, disappearing from your life and your daughter’s forever?” Victoria’s hands shook, and her complexion turned ghostly white. Panic radiated off her as she struggled to maintain her composure. “You’re lying!” she finally blurted out, her voice shrill and cracking under pressure. “You’re making all of this up!” The crowd’s gaze bore down on Victoria, their expressions filled with suspicion. Her head drooped, and her guilty demeanor only made her look more incriminated. “Enough!” Mr. Sinclair’s voice boomed through the room, breaking the mounting tension. His face was dark, his fury barely contained. “You’re my daughter, Liza! How could you accuse me and Victoria of such a thing? We would never do something so despicable!” His tone was laced with anger, but his words felt hollow.Taking a deep breath, he continued, “This matter ends here. We will not let it spiral out of control and disrupt the banquet any further. You’ve already wronged Victoria enough, but I won’t allow you to tarnish our family name in front of everyone.”