The sudden turn of events left Nicole Linton completely stunned.

She turned pale and rushed to her sister’s side, supporting her trembling body. Panicked, she asked repeatedly, "Sis! I’m sorry, Sis, I didn’t mean to splash you... Sis, are you okay?"

’The entire Linton family is counting on my sister’s face for a life of luxury and wealth.’

’If my sister’s face is ruined, how can she become Madam Sterling?’

Nicole Linton was filled with regret.

She never dreamed that someone would pull Holly Sinclair away, and she certainly didn’t expect the glass of water to end up on her sister’s face.

’Who was so despicable!’

’Who dared to rescue Holly Sinclair!’

Nicole Linton thought angrily, turning to glare fiercely in Holly Sinclair’s direction.

But her gaze was met by a pair of eyes as cold and dark as a bottomless pool.

Nicole Linton froze, dumbfounded. It was as if an invisible hand was squeezing her throat, strangling any sound.

’How could it be Mr. Sterling?’

"It hurts... my face, it hurts so much..."

Vivian Linton’s face quickly became red and swollen, a searing pain stinging her skin.

She was scared out of her wits.

When she finally managed to open her eyes, she saw Tristan Sterling’s cold, indifferent face.

"Tristan?"

She murmured, her eyes filled with disbelief.

’He actually put me in harm’s way for Holly Sinclair?’

Holly Sinclair was just as shocked.

’This was the first time Tristan Sterling had ever saved her while ignoring his beloved obsession.’

’The sun must be rising in the west.’

’Or did his eyesight fail him and he grabbed the wrong person?’

"Have you forgotten the pain now that your scar has healed, Miss Linton?"

Tristan Sterling’s sharp gaze was fixed on Nicole Linton’s face, his voice as cold as the dead of winter.

"I... I didn’t... It wasn’t me..." Nicole Linton’s face was white as a sheet, her words jumbled with fear. She subconsciously covered the spot where her scar was.

Although the scar was very faint now, the bone-deep pain from that time was still fresh in her memory whenever it was brought up.

"Tristan, my face hurts so much..." Vivian Linton’s voice was laced with tears as she gazed at him pitifully.

"Miss Linton, should I call the police for you?" Connor Grant asked formally.

"..." Vivian Linton’s expression froze.

’Call the police?’

’Who would they arrest?’

’Her own sister, of course!’

Alarm bells went off in Vivian Linton’s head.

’Tristan is angry.’

’Did he see me and Nicole ganging up on Holly Sinclair?’

’Impossible!’

’The way I blocked Holly Sinclair’s escape route was natural and subtle. There’s no way he saw it.’

"Tristan, Nicole is just impulsive. She can’t stand being provoked. She didn’t do it on purpose..." Vivian Linton quickly said through her tears, putting on a pitiful act.

She was insinuating that Holly Sinclair was to blame.

The implication was that Holly had goaded Nicole with her words, causing Nicole to react so drastically.

Holly Sinclair scoffed.

But before she could retort, the man’s icy voice cut through the air.

"Since you don’t think she did it on purpose, you can just endure the pain."

His words struck the two Linton sisters like a bolt from the blue.

’She was injured, and Tristan was telling her to just endure it?’

"I..." Tears streamed down Vivian Linton’s face, her eyes filled with sorrow and a sense of being wronged.

Holly Sinclair: "..."

’Well then!’

’The sun really is rising in the west!’

She furrowed her brow, watching him. His abnormal behavior put her on guard.

"Holly—"

"Mr. Sterling, you’re just in time. Please inform your little dog not to bark madly at me again, or I won’t be so polite next time!"

Tristan Sterling had just started to speak when Holly Sinclair cut him off coldly.

After speaking, she didn’t care to see his reaction, shaking his hand off and walking away with a stony face.

"Holly," Tristan Sterling said, about to give chase.

But Vivian Linton grabbed his arm.

Tristan Sterling had no choice but to stop, his handsome face cold and grim.

"Tristan..."

Vivian Linton’s face was a swollen mess. With tear-filled eyes, she looked mournfully at the man before her, her voice choked with grievance. "Why are you treating me like this?"

"How am I treating you?" Tristan Sterling’s eyes were frosty.

Vivian Linton was on the verge of tears. "You were never like this before..."

Before, he had always protected her, never willing to let her suffer the slightest injustice.

But today, he had actually taken Holly Sinclair’s side!

’Why has he suddenly changed?’

Tristan Sterling glanced at Connor Grant.

Connor Grant immediately dismissed the nearby guests.

"Two years ago, who was it that slandered Holly Sinclair online?"

Tristan Sterling’s expression was stern, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce right through her.

After learning that it wasn’t Holly Sinclair who had drugged him, he had Connor Grant investigate the events of that night.

Unfortunately, too much time had passed, and there was very little information to be found.

The waiters that night had all been temporary hires and could no longer be tracked down.

Thus, the information Yvonne Thorne had provided led to a dead end.

But after the incident that night was exposed by the media, Holly Sinclair became the target of a massive online backlash.

Someone had started a smear campaign online, calling her promiscuous and shameless, while others said she was man-crazy...

The insults and curses were vile.

"..."

Vivian Linton was deeply shaken. She stared at him with wide eyes, momentarily too shocked to continue her pitiful act.

’Of course it was her!’

’But how could she dare admit it?’

Her mind raced, trying to find the perfect excuse to deceive him.

But—

"Vivian, you know I hate being lied to more than anything."

The man’s light tone carried an immense pressure.

Vivian Linton knew she wouldn’t be able to talk her way out of this one.

Steeling herself, she decided to take a gamble on a desperate strategy.

"Yes! It was me!"

She admitted, nodding through her tears.

Tristan Sterling’s face was as dark as iron. "Why?"

"She stole you from me!" Vivian Linton cried hysterically, her face a mask of grief and indignation.

"It wasn’t her fault," the man said with a frown.

He used to think Holly Sinclair’s crime was unforgivable, but now he knew she was the most innocent one of all.

"But I didn’t know that back then! It was you who told me she drugged you..."

Vivian Linton was inwardly seething with hatred, but her face showed only sorrow and grievance. "I’m sorry, Tristan. I was just so heartbroken, and I didn’t know who to talk to, so I vented a little online. I never thought it would create such a negative storm around Holly...

"Tristan, please don’t be angry. It was my fault. I’m the one who wronged Holly. I’ll go apologize to her right now. I’ll get on my knees and beg for her forgiveness. I promise I won’t talk back if she curses me or fight back if she hits me. I’ll endure it all..."

Vivian Linton’s tear-streaked face was a picture of tragic beauty, and her words sounded utterly sincere.

With that, she made a move as if to chase after Holly Sinclair.

Tristan Sterling reached out a long arm and stopped her.

"Don’t."

"Tristan..."

"It wasn’t your fault." Tristan Sterling’s tone and expression softened considerably.

’It’s true, Vivian didn’t know the truth.’

’It was his own words back then that influenced Vivian, making her mistakenly believe that Holly had deliberately schemed to seduce him.’

’From Vivian’s perspective, having her boyfriend "stolen" and then venting her frustrations online was a perfectly normal reaction.’

’So, you really couldn’t blame Vivian for this.’

’The blame lay with him.’

’He was the one who shouldn’t have...’

’Shouldn’t have wrongly blamed Holly Sinclair, and shouldn’t have misled Vivian.’

"Tristan!"

Upon hearing his words, Vivian Linton was so moved that her tears fell like rain.

Inwardly, however, she heaved a huge sigh of relief.

But in the next moment, her heart was back in her throat.

’She knew she was only safe for the moment.’

’Mr. Sterling wasn’t so easily fooled. She had been lucky to trick him today, but she definitely wouldn’t be so fortunate next time.’

’No!’

’I have to find a way.’

’I have to destroy that bitch Holly Sinclair as soon as possible!’