Chapter 4

Ava Sterling POV

After hearing my words, Vanessa’s face turned deathly pale, and she hurriedly rushed toward the corner, trying to unplug the camera cable.

After the lighting assistant stopped her, she screamed hysterically at the bodyguards.

“Smash that damn machine for me!”

Just as the bodyguards were about to move, Sebastian took half a step forward.

It was only a simple half step, but the invisible pressure of someone born to command made the two burly bodyguards freeze in place.

“Useless!”

“Did I pay you to stand here and watch a show?!”

Vanessa was furious.

I ordered the director.

“Save all original footage and send backups to legal.”

“Legal?”

Vanessa screamed.

“Don’t you dare use the law to scare me!”

“What you just did clearly counts as coercion, humiliation, and business interference.”

“Revoking a donation is your freedom, but using that revocation to trade for my husband’s personal freedom is not a simple dispute.”

I replied calmly.

Vanessa was left speechless by my rebuttal, and she suddenly turned her attack toward Sebastian.

“You’re a grown man, and all you know how to do is hide behind a woman and let her stand up for you?!”

Sebastian’s expression was indifferent, but his tone sounded perfectly natural.

“I listen to my wife.”

Those words appeared to be extremely lethal.

Vanessa shook with anger.

“You really treat her like a treasure?”

“What can one tiny studio give you?”

“With me, you can choose any luxury car, mansion, or top-tier resources you want!”

Sebastian turned his head to look at me, and there was even a hint of indulgent amusement in his eyes.

“Can I laugh now?”

I forced down the curve of my lips.

“Hold it in a little longer.”

Our relaxed interaction completely pierced Vanessa.

She suddenly grabbed a brooch from the display table and smashed it hard onto the floor!

That was a charity exhibit my team had made together with sick orphans, and it was supposed to be auctioned tonight to raise surgery funds for the children.

Crack.

A line split through the blue gem embedded in the brooch.

The children backstage were so frightened that their eyes turned red.

The smile on my face disappeared instantly, and my gaze turned cold and sharp as frost.

“Vanessa Reed, apologize.”

Vanessa glanced at the brooch on the floor, then casually pulled a checkbook from her bag, wrote a string of numbers, and tossed it at my feet.

“Whatever it costs, I can pay for it, so stop acting noble here!”

Sebastian bent down and picked up the check.

Just as Vanessa thought he had finally been blinded by money, Sebastian tore the check into pieces in front of everyone.

Rip.

“Compensation will go through legal procedures.”

Sebastian’s voice was bone-chillingly cold.

“But right now, apologize for insulting the children’s hard work.”

“Who do you think you are to lecture me?!”

Just then, thunderous applause erupted from the front hall.

The first group of charity pieces had successfully debuted, and the short film designed by the children moved the entire audience.

Vanessa looked at the broadcast screen and finally panicked.

I was not threatened by her at all, and not only had the show not been ruined, the response was surprisingly good!

Vanessa knew that if news spread that she had smashed an orphan’s exhibit backstage, the Reed family’s donation withdrawal would become a complete joke!

Vanessa lowered her voice.

“Ava Sterling, delete the video, and I won’t hold tonight’s matter against you.”

I sneered.

“What happened will not disappear just because you refuse to admit it.”

“You just wait!”

Vanessa turned and rushed toward the front hall, clearly intending to find someone in the audience.

I was about to follow when Sebastian’s warm palm wrapped around my hand.

“I’ll go with you.”

I held his hand back, my gaze firm.

“This time, don’t stand too far away.”

Sebastian lowered his eyes and smiled faintly.

“I won’t leave you by even one step.”

Tonight, I was going to make Vanessa spit out every bit of arrogance she had swallowed down in front of everyone!