The word "counterfeit" struck Claudia like a blow to the head. A flash of panic passed through her eyes before she replaced it with an incredulous expression.
"Ms. Lambert, I personally bid on this jewelry. How could it possibly be a counterfeit?" she exclaimed.
Lily's expression also turned somewhat displeased at Alyssa's words.
At that moment, someone in the crowd remarked mockingly, "What would an orphan like her know? She's probably just making it up!"
Those words prompted others around to chime in.
"Exactly! Ms. Reed would never give anything fake."
"It's laughable that someone who knows nothing about jewelry dares to judge authenticity so casually."
As the ridicule grew louder, Claudia calmed down. She looked at Alyssa with contempt in her eyes.
Justin happened to finish his conversation and walked over just in time to hear this exchange. He nodded apologetically to the group.
"My apologies, everyone. Alyssa doesn't understand these things," he said.
Then, he turned to look at Alyssa. His tone sounded slightly reproachful as he said, "Alyssa, don't speak carelessly at such important events."
Alyssa didn't back down, instead looking straight into his eyes. "What I said is true."
Her mother had long since acquired the legitimate necklace, so this one was undoubtedly a counterfeit.
Claudia tugged at Justin's sleeve, saying in an aggrieved tone, "Did Ms. Lambert slander me on purpose to make Mrs. Fuller misunderstand me? All this because she dislikes me?"
Justin's eyes widened slightly with anger when he heard this. "Claudia has nothing against you. There's no need for you to act this way toward her. She just came to congratulate my mother on her birthday."
Upon hearing him immediately pin the blame on her, Alyssa stared at Justin fixedly.
She suddenly recalled a time during their startup days, when a business partner deliberately gave her a hard time. Even though it was an important partnership for Justin, he had unhesitatingly chosen to believe and defend her.
Now, the woman he truly loved had returned, so of course, his protective instincts were redirected at Claudia.
In the end, Alyssa said nothing. She simply turned and left the suffocating banquet hall. She went to the rooftop terrace to get some air, but a familiar voice came from behind her.
"Alyssa, you've seen it for yourself these past few days, haven't you? So what if you've faithfully stayed by Justin's side for three years? The person he truly loves is still me!"
Claudia shed her pretense. Her tone was mocking, which was a stark contrast to the wounded look she'd worn earlier.
Alyssa glanced up at her. Not wanting to argue with Claudia, she responded casually, "Congratulations, then, Ms. Reed."
Claudia's expression stiffened momentarily, for she hadn't expected such a calm reaction. In the next moment, she stepped forward and grabbed Alyssa's wrist with a somewhat agitated expression.
"If you know Justin loves me, why are you still staying by his side? You should have left him the moment I returned!
"You're just a poor, pathetic orphan. Why don't you look in the mirror and see if you're even good enough for Justin?"
Her sharp nails dug into Alyssa's wrist.
Alyssa instinctively tried to pull away. But Claudia held on tightly, refusing to let go.
In the midst of their struggle, Claudia's foot suddenly slipped, and terror filled her face as her entire body tipped backward.
Alyssa's pupils contracted, and she immediately reached out to try and grab her. But it was already too late.
She could only watch helplessly as Claudia tumbled down the stairs.
The loud noise attracted the attention of everyone in the banquet hall downstairs.
Justin's expression shifted when he saw Claudia lying on the floor, moaning in pain. He immediately rushed over and scooped her into his arms.
"Don't worry, Claudia! I'll call a doctor right now," he said, his voice trembling slightly with fear.
"Justin." Claudia weakly touched his cheek, "Ms. Lambert… She… didn't mean it…"
That blatant attempt at misdirection instantly shifted all the blame onto Alyssa.
Justin immediately looked up at Alyssa, his gaze piercingly cold. "Alyssa, why did you push Claudia down the stairs? Was slandering her earlier not enough?"
Alyssa subconsciously dug her nails into her palms. Even though she knew deep down that he wouldn't believe her, she still tried to explain herself.
"I didn't. She slipped and fell on her own."
Justin's expression grew even colder, and his tone hardened. "Fine. Since you won't admit it, then you can also experience Claudia's pain for yourself."
With that, he signaled to the nearby bodyguards.
Alyssa instantly felt her heart leap into her throat, and she backed away, step by step.
"If you don't believe me, you can check the surveillance footage. I told you—it wasn't me," she insisted.
But Justin didn't show the slightest sign of letting up. Instead, he gestured to the bodyguards.
The bodyguards, having received the order, approached and pinned Alyssa against the stairwell. She struggled desperately, but she was no match for the strength of grown men.
The next moment, a powerful force came from behind her.
Instantly, Alyssa's world spun, and it felt as if her entire body had been run over by a truck. Warm liquid trickled down her forehead.
She lay on the ground and struggled to open her eyes, only to see Justin's back as he carried Claudia away.
A tear slid from the corner of her eye, and in the next moment, she was swallowed by darkness.
When Alyssa woke again, she was already lying in a hospital bed.
Justin stood by her bedside. His expression no longer held its usual tenderness, but instead carried a cold detachment.
"Alyssa, I'm grateful you stayed by my side when the Fullers were at their lowest. But that doesn't mean you can lay a hand on Claudia.
"I want you to apologize to her," he demanded.
As Alyssa looked at him, she suddenly laughed.
It turned out he was waiting at her bedside, not because he cared, but because he wanted to make her apologize to Claudia as soon as she woke up.
Besides, he was the man who could order her to be pushed down the stairs. Why would he worry about whether she was hurt?
"I won't apologize to her. I didn't push her."
Seeing she was still making excuses, Justin stared at her intensely. His gaze held disappointment and anger.
"Then you can self-reflect here at the hospital. Until you admit your mistake, you're not allowed back to the Fullers."
After saying that, he slammed the hospital room door and left.
He left in a hurry, so naturally, he didn't hear Alyssa say, "Justin, I'm going home. I won't be returning to the Fullers."
At that moment, her phone chimed. It was a text from Marilyn.
"Aly, the press conference starts in three hours. Here's the address."
Alyssa sent a brief reply and removed the IV needle from her hand before discharging herself from the hospital. She then hurried to the address Marilyn had provided.
…
Meanwhile, Justin was thoroughly asking the doctor about Claudia's injuries. When he learned she was fine and only sustained superficial wounds, he sighed in relief.
"Claudia, don't worry. I'll definitely make Alyssa apologize to you," Justin said.
Claudia's gaze shifted before she spoke, pretending to be gracious. "It's alright. Ms. Lambert has been by your side for three years. Don't destroy your relationship because of me. Let's just think of it as an accident."
But Justin insisted, "No. She was in the wrong. It's only right that she apologizes."
Out of sight, Claudia smirked slightly, then quickly put on a look of concern. She said hesitantly, "But what if Ms. Lambert gets angry and takes it out on you?"
Justin suddenly recalled the sight of Alyssa on the hospital bed, her gaze utterly devoid of emotion, and an odd feeling crept over him.
Alyssa had never looked at him like that before. It was as if she had made up her mind to cut all ties with him.
But Justin shook the strange thought from his mind.
Alyssa was just an orphan. Three years ago, she stayed by his side when he had nothing, so how could she possibly cut ties with him now?
He was the closest relationship she had in this world.
Fortunately, Claudia was fine. As long as Alyssa was willing to apologize, he would forgive her and bring her back home.
"She won't do that," Justin said with certainty.
Claudia looked down, masking the hatred that lingered in her eyes. When she looked up again, she had already resumed her gentle demeanor.
"That's good," she said.
At that moment, the TV was broadcasting the Lamberts' press conference.
This was the first public appearance of the Lambert family's heiress, and only a handful of leading media outlets and high-profile families received invitations.
As up-and-comers, the Fullers obviously weren't qualified to receive an invitation.
The host held the microphone, his voice brimming with excitement as he said, "Please join me in giving a warm round of applause as we welcome the Lambert heiress, Alyssa Lambert, to the stage!"
Alyssa Lambert?
When he heard the familiar name, Justin snapped his head up and fixed his gaze intently on the screen.
He still harbored some hope that it was only someone with the same name. That had to be it.
But the next second, a face he knew all too well appeared in the center of the screen. It was the orphan he had been thinking of—Alyssa!
