Chapter 3

Tony and I were thrown onto the red carpet of the banquet hall.

Eve walked toward the stage in the center of the hall.

"Everyone, quiet please."

The entire venue fell silent instantly.

All eyes focused on Tony and me.

Eve snapped her fingers.

The massive LED screen behind her lit up instantly.

On the screen was a blurry photo of someone's back.

The woman in the photo wore a white haute couture dress.

She was getting into a black Maybach.

Eve pointed at the screen, then at me.

"This woman is the slut who seduced my husband in this photo!"

"Married and still out hooking up with men, using an idiot husband as a shield."

"Does she think everyone in New York is blind?"

"Everyone look—does she look like her?"

I happened to be wearing a white dress today too.

But anyone with any sense could tell that the fabric and tailoring of my dress were leagues above the one in the photo.

My second brother Henry had it specially air-shipped from Paris for me.

But in this hall, no one dared tell the truth.

"That dress is identical, even the hairstyle is similar. It must be her."

"Truly shameless times we live in. Looks pure on the outside, but so slutty inside."

"That idiot is pitiful too. Getting cuckolded and still counting money for someone else."

Those vicious comments flooded over me.

Tony was already extremely sensitive to bright lights and noise.

The surrounding clamor and stares made him cover his ears in pain.

"Celine..."

He curled up on the ground, his breathing growing more rapid.

His lip color visibly drained away, turning blue-purple.

I broke down emotionally and threw myself over to him, holding him in my arms.

"Tony! Look at me! Deep breaths!"

My hands trembled as I searched his pockets.

He always carried his emergency medication and portable oxygen pump.

The oxygen pump was a device that my second sister Wendy personally developed specifically for Tony's heart condition.

Just as my fingers touched the medicine bottle.

Eve had already walked down from the stage and stomped hard on the back of my hand with her heel.

She snatched away the medicine and oxygen pump.

"Want this to save his life?"

Eve tossed the oxygen pump in her hand.

"Beg me."

"Get on your knees and admit you're a mistress, and I'll give it to you."

"Celine... don't beg her..."

He struggled to get out a few words.

"Eve Blanchett!"

I raised my head and stared hard at her.

"My eldest brother is Theodore Brown, New York's most famous mafia boss!"

"If you dare touch a hair on his head, the Brown family will never let you go!"

Eve froze for a moment, then burst into hysterical laughter.

"Theodore Brown?"

She laughed until tears came out.

"Have you been reading too many novels?"

"If you're Theodore's sister, then I'm God's daughter!"

"You don't even do your research before lying! No one from the Brown family is here tonight!"

True, my eldest brother hadn't originally planned to attend the banquet tonight.

I was just bored playing around New York and heard the Blanchett family banquet would be lively, so I brought Tony along to join the fun and get a free meal.

Seeing my silence, Eve laughed even more mockingly.

"What? Can't keep up the lie anymore?"

She tilted her chin up.

"If the Brown family were really here, my father would have cleared the venue to welcome them!"

The butler looked at Tony's increasingly terrible condition and couldn't help stepping forward.

"Miss Blanchett, the oxygen pump can't be interrupted. He really doesn't look good."

Eve's smile vanished instantly.

She glared viciously at the butler.

"I said if he dies, I'll pay!"

Right in front of everyone, she smashed the oxygen pump hard on the ground.

With a loud crash, it shattered to pieces.

"No!"

I broke down emotionally and lunged forward, but two other bodyguards held me down firmly.

Eve grabbed my hair and forced me to look up.

"Does it hurt?"

"Then be good and kneel down. Apologize to all of New York on livestream!"

"Admit you're a shameless mistress. Admit you seduced my husband!"

"As long as you kowtow and admit your mistake, I'll be merciful and have someone send this idiot to the hospital."

Tony struggled to open his eyes.

He shook his head at me.

"Celine... don't kneel."

But how could I not kneel? This was Tony, who I'd grown up with since childhood.

Just as I was about to kneel.

Outside the tightly closed heavy mahogany doors of the banquet hall, there was suddenly a deep, muffled bang.