At 7:50 p.m. the following evening, I changed into a crisp white suit, applied light makeup, and opened Chloe's livestream in the study.
On-screen, she wore a cheap-looking white dress. Her hair was neatly combed, but nothing could conceal the bruise like shadows beneath her eyes.
She sat in a shabby room with a banner behind her that read Justice Will Prevail. The scene made her look almost like a tragic heroine.
More than 5 million people were already watching, and the comments raced across the screen.
A: [Is this real? Did the Hale family bully some young woman?]
B: [Wasn't she the one who crashed their banquet last time?]
C: [I'm here for the drama. Snacks all ready.]
At exactly 8 p.m., Chloe drew a deep breath and addressed the camera.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Chloe Bennett. Toni
