Chapter 1274
No.1
Before long, the clock struck three.
The lobby of The Ritz-Carlton swarmed with paparazzi and influencers broadcasting live, their viewers hooked and waiting.
Amid the chaos, Sophia ascended the platform. She wore a striking crimson satin gown, radiating false confidence.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice,” she began, gripping the microphone. “I know you’re all eager for answers, so I’ll cut straight to it.”
“Many of you may feel a single photo isn’t enough to prove Isabella is the other woman. That’s why I’ve arranged for a very special guest to join us today—Diamond Prince Harrison Winslow himself. He will clarify everything personally.” She gestured grandly toward the backstage area.
A team of broad-shouldered bodyguards cleared a path as Harrison emerged. Dressed in a tailored black suit adorned with obsidian diamond buttons, he moved with an air of untouchable elegance. His piercing blue eyes scanned the room, silencing the crowd momentarily.
The room erupted.
“It’s really him! Harrison Winslow! The CEO of Prestige Diamonds! He actually showed up!”
“Sophia pulled off a miracle! He hasn’t spoken a word since the scandal broke!”
No.2
“Isabella is finished. There’s no way she recovers from this.”
“Your Highness, please explain what happened! Why betray Princess Arabella? Weren’t you devoted to her?”
Reporters shoved microphones toward him while online comment sections exploded.
[Harrison is unreal. How could he cheat?]
[That home-wrecker Isabella deserves everything coming to her.]
The world watched, equal parts mesmerized and outraged, all directed at Isabella.
Meanwhile, the woman at the center of the storm lounged on her velvet sofa, carefully applying a thermal-reactive nail polish that shifted from bright red to deep blood crimson at the tips.
Julian Hawthorne eyed the television nervously. “It’s getting intense. You’re really not watching?”
“Why would I? This color is far more interesting,” Isabella replied without looking up, blowing gently on her nails.
No.3
He sighed. It wasn’t like the woman being torn apart online was actually her. Why was he so stressed?
Back at the hotel, the conference hit its peak.
Sophia handed the microphone to Harrison, beaming. “Your Highness, the truth, please. We’re all here for justice.”
Harrison took the mic, his expression unreadable. “This situation is… complicated. Instead of explaining, I’d like to show you all something.” He signaled toward the AV team.
Sophia’s heart raced with triumph. This was their agreement—he would reveal receipts of Isabella’s lavish spending, intimate photos, everything to paint her as a greedy, status-obsessed seductress. Once the evidence dropped, Isabella’s reputation would never recover.
At the Blackwood Estate...
Nathaniel Blackwood stood rigid before the massive screen. His knuckles were white. Oliver Blackwood clutched a modified remote. A high-frequency signal disruptor was synced to his drone. Sebastian Blackwood held a printed list. Every media outlet and influencer at the conference was named.
"Stand by," Nathaniel's voice was a low growl.
Oliver's thumb hovered over the kill switch. One press would blackout all signals at The Ritz-Carlton. The live stream would die instantly. No one would slander Isabella.
No.4
Sebastian's grip tightened on the paper. His jaw was set. The Blackwood Corporation could silence every company on this list. They would bury any story that tried to hurt her.
Their eyes were locked on the broadcast. They didn't blink.
But then...
The screen didn't show financial records. It showed security footage. From the presidential suite of The Grand Monarch.
Prince Harrison Winslow stood at the door. His expression was disgusted. "You're not a waitress!" he snapped.
Sophia Kensington stood before him. She wore a scandalously tight red dress. "Don't be alarmed, Your Highness. I'm Isabella Montgomery's cousin. I'm here to make a deal."
She smiled. It was a venomous thing. "I'm holding a press conference tomorrow. I want you to attend. Tell them Isabella seduced you while you were drunk. Say she's been blackmailing you ever since."
"Get out," Harrison snarled.
Sophia didn't move. She lowered her voice. "Help me ruin her," she purred. "And I'll do anything you want." Her hands went to the neckline of her dress. She tugged it down. Her intent was blatant.
No.5
Harrison's eyes darkened. "Anything?" he asked, his tone shifting.
"Anything," she promised. She stepped closer. She pressed herself against his arm. The movement was slow. Deliberate.
A collective gasp echoed through the conference hall.
The audience was stunned. Cameras flashed wildly. They captured the screen. They captured Sophia's pale, horrified face.
"This is the real story!" someone shouted. "She set this all up!"
"Justice? This is her idea of justice? She's a snake!"
"How could she do this to her own cousin?"
The crowd turned on her. Their disgust was a physical force.
Sophia staggered back. Her mind raced. This wasn't the plan. This was supposed to be Isabella's downfall. Not hers. Her head snapped toward Harrison. Her eyes burned with betrayal.
No.6
"You!" she shrieked. "You set me up! Why?"
Harrison looked at her with cold contempt. "Set you up? You came to my room. You offered yourself. You asked me to lie. I don't participate in such schemes."
He turned to the cameras. His voice was clear and firm. "I have never been unfaithful to my wife. There is nothing between Isabella Montgomery and me. These rumors were fabricated by Sophia Kensington. She manipulated you all. She used you to destroy an innocent woman."
The room erupted. The journalists felt used. Their outrage was immediate.
"She played us! We were her pawns!"
"That wholesome image was a complete lie! She's pure evil!"
“Did she fake this picture too? Is this another lie?”
Some reporters glared at Sophia while others fired rapid questions.
Hearing this, Sophia snapped out of her daze and shouted, “I didn’t alter that photo! It’s real! I went to see Harrison to help him manage the crisis!”
No.7
“Something must be going on between Harrison and Isabella. Otherwise, why would he help her? He even gave her a massive diamond ring!”
Since her reputation was already destroyed, Sophia wanted to drag Isabella down with her.
Just as she hoped, the paparazzi immediately turned their attention to Harrison.
“Prince Winslow, what is your relationship with Isabella? Why did you give her a diamond ring?”
“How did you meet Isabella? Are you here today to defend her?”
Harrison remained completely calm and collected despite the barrage of questions.
“Yes,” he stated coolly, “I am here to defend Isabella, and I will tell you why! Isabella is my boss!”
What? Isabella?! His boss?! Was he joking?
Seeing everyone’s stunned expressions, he repeated clearly, “Isabella holds sixty percent of the shares in the Winslow Diamond Empire. She is the most powerful director on the board.”