Chapter 4

Lila POV

I was sent directly from the gala backstage to my apartment, ostensibly to "recover," but actually under house arrest.

Gabriel posted two bodyguards at the door, calling it "protecting my safety."

The wound on my forehead became inflamed in the middle of the night, the pain keeping me awake all night.

But more tormenting than physical pain was the mental torture.

At five in the morning, before dawn.

The internet had exploded.

A carefully edited video was released simultaneously by dozens of marketing accounts.

The video's title was shocking.

"Exclusive! Lila Acts Like a Diva Backstage, Arrogantly Insults Victim's Family, Causing Emotional Breakdown and Assault!"

The video footage was blurry and shaky.

It only showed me sitting on the ground covered in blood, while a middle-aged woman was being dragged by security, crying hysterically.

But the audio accompanying the video was terrifyingly clear.

"My daughter's face is ruined! You owe me my daughter!"

Immediately after came a voice similar to mine, yet sharp and harsh.

"Ruined is ruined. What's that got to do with me?"

"Who told her to be cheap and buy fake products? She deserved it!"

"Let me tell you, if you want to cause trouble, you're not qualified!"

"Believe it or not, I'll make sure you can't survive in this industry?"

This audio was completely fabricated.

But in the current inflamed public opinion, no one would bother to verify the truth.

The video spread like wildfire.

In just one hour, it shot to number one on Twitter trends.

#LilaGetOutOfLivestreaming

#LilaBlackheartedHost

Countless hate hashtags instantly flooded the screen

The comment section was drowning in abuse.

"Oh my God! I used to like her, but I never knew she was this evil!!"

"Selling fake products that ruined someone's face, and she still acts so arrogant? Is she even human? She's a monster!"

"The blood on her face is what she deserves! Why didn't they beat her to death!"

"Cancel Lila! Boycott StarShine Media! Lock her up!"

I looked at those unbearable words on my phone screen, my heart clenching in pain.

I knew this was Gabriel and Bella's doing.

To nail me to the pillar of shame once and for all, to make tomorrow night's "apology" more convincing, they didn't hesitate to fabricate evidence and stir up online hate.

I tried to log into my Instagram and TikTok accounts to clear things up.

But the password was wrong.

My accounts had already been taken over by Gabriel.

I had lost every channel to speak out.

Right after, my official account, silent all night, posted its first update.

It was an official statement, issued jointly in the name of StarShine Media and myself.

The statement admitted that the Chris beauty cream had quality issues and expressed "deep apology" to the victims.

At the bottom was a line of bold black text.

"Tomorrow night at 8 PM, Ms. Lila will personally open a livestream to explain the full details of the incident to the public and announce an important decision. Please stay tuned."The notice completely ignited everyone's fury.

"Explain what? What's there to explain? Waiting to watch her cry and beg on her knees?"

"Just another PR stunt. I'd like to see what performance she can put on!"

"Eight o'clock, right? I've set my alarm. The whole family will watch this fraud die!"

I looked at the hundreds of thousands of comments under that post, each one like a poisoned blade.

I had become the internet's public enemy.

A prisoner sentenced to death by public opinion, just waiting for eight o'clock tomorrow night to be publicly executed.

The doorbell rang.

The bodyguard opened the door. Outside stood several men claiming to be reporters, carrying cameras.

"Is Lila in there? Please have her come out and respond!"

"Lila, did you know the beauty cream was fake all along?"

The bodyguard blocked them expressionlessly. "Ms. Lila is unwell and is not accepting any interviews."

Bang.

The door slammed shut.

But outside, more and more people gathered.

Reporters, radical netizens holding signs, even some who brought rotten eggs and paint.

Like sharks smelling blood, they surrounded the apartment building until it was impenetrable.

I was trapped in this gilded cage, unable to move an inch.

I drew the curtains, shutting out all the noise outside.

My phone vibrated again. It was a message from Annie via encrypted software.

"Lila, are you okay?"

"I saw the news. Those bastards are inhuman!"

"Gabriel's car just left the company through the VIP passage. Bella was in the car with him."

"They went to attend a private celebration party."

"I also can't reach you at the hospital. They said you've already been discharged."

"Where are you now? Are you safe?"

I looked at Annie's string of anxious messages. A trace of warmth surged through my cold heart.

She was my only light left in this cold world.

I took a deep breath and felt under the bed's hidden compartment for the backup phone I'd hidden long ago.

This was my last trump card.

I called Annie back.

"Annie, I'm fine."

My voice was terrifyingly calm.

"I'm under house arrest by Gabriel now."

"He's confiscated all my communication devices and social media accounts."

Annie gasped on the other end. "That bastard! What's he trying to do!"

"He wants to isolate me, to make me accept his manipulation in despair."

I laughed coldly. "But he miscalculated one thing."

"What?"

"He doesn't know I still have you."

My gaze fell on the gray sky outside the window.

"Annie, the plan needs a small adjustment."

"Tell me!"

"Tomorrow night's livestream, he'll definitely use the company's backend to push the stream and monitor me the entire time."

"I won't have a chance to play the recordings and evidence."

"Then what do we do?" Annie's voice immediately became tense.

"So I need you to help me set up a backup livestream connection."

My speech was rapid, my thoughts clear.

"I need you to hack into StarShine's backend and create a mirror link."

"When he cuts the main connection, your backup line needs to seamlessly take over the stream signal within 0.1 seconds."

"This... the technical difficulty is too high! I..."

"You can do it." My tone was firm.

"I remember your husband works in Silicon Valley doing exactly this. He's a top-tier hacker."

"Money is no object. Have him find the best team, use the best servers."

"I need to ensure that tomorrow night's livestream, besides me, no one else can shut it down."

Silence on the other end for a few seconds.

Then came Annie's resolute voice.

"Okay! I understand!"

"Lila, don't worry. Even if I have to sell everything, I'll pave this road for you!"

"One more thing," I said.

"Help me prepare a video. At the café downstairs from my building, find a body double similar to my build. Have her wear a trench coat, sunglasses, and a hat, and film a shot of her walking into the airport from behind."

"This is..."

"A diversion."

A calculating curve formed at the corner of my mouth.

"Gabriel thinks he can control everything. I'll let him watch with his own eyes how I leave right under his nose."

After hanging up, I hid the phone again.

I walked to the mirror and looked at myself, forehead wrapped in gauze, face pale, but eyes shining with unusual brightness.

The entire internet smearing me?

No one helping me?

Perfect.

Ruins are the best place to rebuild.

From hell, we rise.

Gabriel, Bella, this grand internet funeral you've prepared for me. I love it.

I just wonder, when you become the main characters, will you still be able to smile?