Chapter 91: No One Else
The grand venue hall fell into an expectant hush. The lights dimmed gradually, casting the room in a dramatic twilight as the large canvas screen above the stage flickered to black. Seconds ticked by, the silence stretching thin. Nothing happened.
Guests began exchanging uneasy glances, their hushed whispers growing louder as confusion settled over the crowd. Then, without warning, the speakers crackled to life—harsh and jarring—before playing a loud, distorted recording.
And just like that, Anna’s world narrowed to a single point.
Everything else faded into obscurity. She could no longer hear the murmuring voices or see the sea of faces around her. All that existed in her consciousness was Marienne—frozen in place like a deer caught in headlights. It felt like something out of a movie, where time slowed to a crawl so she could fully absorb one crystal-clear image: Marienne’s very public, and very humiliating, downfall.
"What’s happening?" someone near the back whispered, their voice tinged with disbelief.
"Who’s voice is that?" a man asked, reaching instinctively for his partner’s hand.
"Marienne?" a woman gasped, her sharp, dark eyes swinging toward Marienne like a spotlight. "Did he just say Marienne Rochester?"
The room stirred with mounting shock.
"No way!" another voice rang out—louder, more confident. Anna’s gaze snapped toward it instinctively, recognizing it at once. It was Elizabeth Radcliffe. "That’s Marienne Rochester! She’s the one who accused Gabriel Garrel of sexual assault! And she tried to start an anonymous gossip thread on my feed!"
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Oh my God," another voice chimed in—this time, unmistakably Angelina Castillo, one of Amelie Bennett’s well-known socialite friends. Her tone was a mix of disbelief and scorn. "I’m having serious flashbacks right now. But this? This is so much worse. She accused Mr. Garrel... and she staged it all? That’s not just scandalous. That’s criminal!"