Chapter 174: The chaos at the party (Part 2)

Words : 1221 Updated : Sep 25th, 2025

Chapter 174: The chaos at the party (Part 2) Augustine’s heart sank. He had seen her with Audrey earlier and assumed she was fine, choosing not to interrupt their time together while he mingled with the guests. But now, hearing the edge in her voice and seeing the fire in her eyes, a cold weight settled in his chest. Something was wrong. Something had happened with her. Before he could ask her anything, Denis’s voice boomed once more across the hall, breaking through the tension. "Where is Sarah?" The atmosphere grew heavier with tension. Anne’s gaze swept across the hall, her mind racing. She was certain: this disaster hadn’t been an accident. Someone had planned it. From behind the crowd, Sarah stepped forward hesitantly. "Is this your idea of event management?" Denis thundered. "This could’ve seriously injured many people." "I—I’m truly sorry," Sarah stammered, clearly shaken. "I didn’t see this coming either. I’ll summon the lighting technician—he might be able to explain what happened." She turned quickly to her assistant and instructed her to bring in the person responsible. The assistant moved swiftly, disappearing into the back. Meanwhile, frustration rippled through the crowd. Guests were murmuring in anger and confusion, all demanding an explanation. Soon, the technician arrived. A hush fell over the guests as all eyes shifted to the man. Anne’s breath caught in her throat the moment she saw him. Her mind jolted back to the terrifying minutes she had spent locked alone in the dark. "That’s him," she whispered. Audrey stiffened beside her and nodded. "Yes, that’s the same man. He came to you claiming Sarah needed to speak with you. And then—" "Then what happened?" Augustine cut in, his voice taut with concern as he looked between the two women. But before Anne could answer, the man pointed an accusing finger at her. "It was her," he shouted, making everyone freeze. "She is the one who told me to do it." Anne’s eyes widened in stunned disbelief. "What? You are lying! You are the one who tricked me, who locked me in that room." The man didn’t flinch. "Yes, I did lock you in the tool room," he admitted coldly. "Because I couldn’t take your demands anymore. You bribed me. You told me to drop the chandelier on Tania ma’am. You said you wanted her out of the picture." Gasps erupted among the guests. Murmurs of shock rippled through the hall. Anne’s world tilted for a moment—his lie was not only outrageous, but it was also vicious. Anne turned to Augustine and Denis, her chest heaving. "He is framing me," she cried. "You have to believe me." Denis looked thunderstruck, while Augustine’s jaw clenched, his eyes locked on the man with growing rage. "I am not lying," the man said. In one swift motion, Denis’s fist collided with the man’s jaw, sending him crashing to the floor. Fury burned in Denis’s eyes as he lunged forward again, ready to strike a second blow. "I’ll kill you," he snarled, his fist raised. "Please... Don’t hit me," the man begged, shielding his face with trembling hands. "I admit it—I was wrong. I got greedy when I saw the money. But I regretted it. I locked her in the tool room and was on my way to confess everything, but I was late. The chandelier had already fallen. I’m sorry." "Denis," Tania called out. "Tania," Denis paused, hearing her soft cry. He dropped the man and rushed to her side. She clung to him, gripping his jacket, her face contorted in pain. Her fragility pulled a hush over the crowd. All eyes turned to Anne, accusing, disbelieving. Denis looked at Anne, his face torn with shock and confusion, unable to fathom that she could do something so cruel out of jealousy and resentment. "I don’t want your dirty money," the technician spat, pulling a wad of cash from his pocket and tossing it at Anne’s feet. "Why?" Tania sobbed. "Why did you want to hurt me and my baby?" "That’s a lie," Anne shot back, trembling with outrage. "You are setting me up. You paid him to frame me. And this pregnancy of yours—" Before Anne could finish, Jeanne stormed forward and slapped her across the face. "You lunatic," Jeanne shouted. "You are heartless." She lifted her hand again, but before it could land, Augustine caught her wrist mid-air. "Don’t you dare touch my wife," he growled. "Don’t accuse her without evidence." "Evidence?" Jeanne hissed, her eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What more proof do you need? That man just confessed. Your wife is a monster—she nearly killed Tania and her baby." "Baby? What baby?" Augustine scoffed. "She is faking the whole pregnancy." The crowd stood frozen, caught between shock and scandal, as the drama unfolded before their eyes. "You—" Jeanne’s voice faltered, fury shaking her frame as her hand balled into a fist. "Don’t dare spread such filth," Gabriel snapped, stepping in. "How can you accuse her like that? That’s outrageous." But amidst the heated exchange, Tania’s complexion turned ghostly pale, a cold chill creeping down her spine. ’How does Augustine know?’ Panic surged in her chest, and a thousand possibilities raced through her mind. ’What if he really does have proof? What if he exposes everything?’ She darted a glance at Denis, silently pleading. But he remained still, shocked, confused. "I’m not lying," Augustine said with calm conviction. "And I have the evidence to prove she has been deceiving us all." "Yes, she is not pregnant," Anne added firmly, stepping forward. "And I can prove that." She lifted her phone, fingers scrolling swiftly across the screen until she reached the video she had saved for this very moment. "I saw her in a hospital with a man," Anne continued. "And I recorded what they said. You all need to hear this." She tapped play. The room fell eerily silent as the video began to play. Tania appeared on screen, speaking with a man. A gasp rippled through the crowd. Jeanne lunged forward, snatching the phone from Anne’s hand. Her eyes widened as she watched, her lips parting in disbelief. Gabriel leaned in beside her, his expression hardening, disbelief giving way to simmering anger. No one spoke. The evidence was damning. It was hard to discard. "You lied to us!" Jeanne spun toward Tania, her expression a storm of rage and disbelief. Tania stumbled backward, her hands trembling. "No... She is the one lying," she insisted with desperation. "That video—she must have faked it. Please, don’t believe her." Her eyes darted toward Denis and reached for his hand, but he pulled away. He took the phone from Jeanne, his gaze fixed on the screen as the video replayed. "Denis, no—don’t watch it," Tania cried, suddenly finding the strength to stand. She snatched the phone from his hands, her voice rising in panic. "This is all fake. You know Anne hates me. She wants to destroy what we have. That’s why she made this—this fake video. And don’t forget—she tried to kill me. Everyone saw the chandelier fall. That wasn’t an accident. The staff confirmed that she had bribed him." Denis looked between them, lost. Doubt clouded his features as he glanced at Anne, his eyes full of questions and uncertainty. Could Anne really do something so heinous?

Chapter 174: The chaos at the party (Part 2)

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