"No, that's not it!" Lilian's eyes darted nervously as she tried to defend herself, her voice trembling. "I don't know when my dress got torn, but the only person I had a confrontation with was you. Naturally, I thought it was you who did it. I didn't mean to frame you." "Is that so?" I said with a faint, mocking smile, standing up and walking directly toward Lilian. "Of course. Do you have any proof that I tore it myself?" Lilian's frustration was becoming evident, her voice rising. I pointed toward the tear in her dress and spoke coolly, "It's clear the damage was caused by someone pulling on it forcefully. From the moment I stepped outside until you and Wendy caught up with me, only a few minutes passed. In that short time, who else could have done this but you?" Lilian froze, her face hardening with rage. "That's just your wild guess! Don't accuse me!" "Rosaline isn't accusing you, Lilian," a voice interrupted, calm and steady. It was Caden. Until now, he had remained silent, but his words carried an unmistakable coldness. "Mr. Holbrook?" Lilian's voice quivered at the sound of his cold tone. She instinctively shrank back, a shudder passing through her. "Caden, what are you doing? Why are you still supporting Rosaline? Do you still have feelings for her?" Wendy snapped, her voice growing louder, filled with fury. Her glare was filled with fury as she turned it on me. Caden, however, barely cracked a small smile. "I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just stating the facts." With that, he pulled out his phone, took a long stride toward me, and Heidi reached out to grab his arm, but he shook her off without a second thought. Caden approached me, opened his phone, and typed something quickly. Within moments, several photos popped up on the screen. "Take a look for yourselves," Caden said, his tone icy as he stood tall. I stared at the screen, surprised by what I saw. The photos clearly showed Lilian standing near the entrance of Honey Boutique, with Wendy pulling at the shoulder of her dress, yanking it with force. How did Caden get these photos? A strange unease bubbled inside me as I glanced up at him.Caden raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming with something almost mocking, watching me closely. I quickly looked away. Why was he helping me now? Heidi's hostile glare was impossible to miss, and my heart sank. What was his true motive here? Lilian's eyes went wide with disbelief. "How could this happen?" Her voice was filled with shock. She had clearly not expected to be caught on camera, by Caden especially, let alone have the photos now displayed for everyone to see. "Lilian, what's your excuse now?" I asked, not allowing her any chance to explain. My eyes locked on hers with a cold intensity. "Kneel and apologize. Now." Lilian gritted her teeth, her flawless makeup twisted in a mask of fury. Her eyes were bloodshot as she hissed, "Rosaline, there's no way I'm apologizing to you! Not in a million years!" "Is that so?" I sneered, taking a deliberate, slow step toward her. Lilian stumbled back, panic creeping into her voice. "Rosaline, what are you doing?" "I'm making you keep your promise to kneel and apologize!" I said, and without warning, I swiftly kicked out, targeting her knee. She wasn't expecting it. Her knee buckled, and she collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. I seized her by the hair, yanking her head up, my voice harsh as I demanded, "Still not going to apologize?" "Ah! How dare you—ow!" Lilian cried out, but I tightened my grip on her hair, silencing her immediately. The crowd around us began whispering, pointing fingers, their expressions filled with disdain. "Are you going to apologize or not?" I pressed, tightening my hold. Lilian winced in pain, her eyes filled with tears. She looked helplessly at Wendy, but Wendy only gave her a disgusted look. It was clear—these two were nothing but fair-weather friends. When things got tough, they turned on each other. Lilian's defenses finally crumbled. Through her sobs, she managed to whisper, "I'm sorry ... ""See? That wasn't so hard," I said, my voice still icy as I released her hair. "Let me warn you—if you ever try to frame me again, it won't be as simple as an apology." Today, I was teaching Lilian and Wendy a lesson they wouldn't forget. I was not someone to be underestimated! Lilian lay on the floor, trembling and unable to rise for a long time. She could only crawl toward Wendy, weakly asking, "Wendy, Wendy, help me up ... " But Wendy kicked her aside with a muttered, "Useless." I stood, my arms crossed, coldly observing the scene. In truth, I felt a bit of sympathy for Lilian. She had tried so hard to please Wendy, only to be used and discarded. Now, here she was, in this pitiful state. It wouldn't be long before this scene went viral, and she would become the laughingstock of the town. Just then, Heidi appeared by Lilian's side, helping her up and pretending to be frightened as she hid behind Caden. "Rosaline, she's so violent ... " Heidi's voice trembled with feigned fear. I glanced at her, my expression neutral. Was she starting her act again? Pretending to be helpless in front of Caden while trying to turn the blame on me? As I pondered this, I caught sight of Candice walking toward the door. "Stop right there! Candice!" I called out, stepping in front of her to block her path. Candice froze, her eyes wide with confusion. "What's going on?" I smirked, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who insisted I ruined Lilian's dress earlier. But now the truth is clear, you've been lying. Don't you think you owe me an apology?"