<h4>Chapter 287: Caught in a Storm of Controversy</h4>


    E stood in shock, unable to believe what she was seeing. Right before her eyes, Sean was pounding his fist against his own head, over and over again!


    "Hitting himself? How amusing," E thought, her eyes filled with interest. Who would have guessed that the old man was clever enough toe up with such a tactic?


    Seannded several blows on himself before stopping, his forehead and eye sockets swollen and red.


    "E! You vile woman, how could you? How dare you strike an old man like me?" Sean cried out. He then struck himself hard in the face with his cane, leaving him dizzy with pain.


    Eughed in disbelief.


    "Old Mr. Carter, no one’s going to buy your act!" she said, unwilling to watch any longer. This devious old man was truly resorting to desperate measures!


    But E was curious to see how things would y out. After all, saving Chloe was the main event, and this situation was a big deal too.


    She stood up, opened the door, and strode out.


    "Oh, you ungrateful brat, it hurts... it hurts so much!" Sean yelled after her. There was a loud crash as he copsed to the floor, just as E stepped out and saw a swarm of reporters rushing toward her.


    As expected—


    This was quite the performance! The Carter Group had really pulled out all the stops this time, even making an elderly man like Sean go through such lengths!


    Richard and two bodyguards immediately stepped forward, blocking the reporters trying to get through for interviews.


    Leah saw Sean lying on the floor inside and screamed, "Grandpa! Grandpa, what happened? How did you fall? Grandpa!" She rushed over, tears in her eyes, to help him up. Sean groaned, arge, swollen bruise forming on the right side of his face, with a small cut oozing blood. His eye and forehead were also horribly swollen.


    It was clear that despite his age, the old man still had quite a bit of strength left!


    "That ungrateful girl... that wild brat hit me!" Sean gasped for breath, looking as if he had been brutally beaten.


    The reporters, seeing Sean’s injuries, all gasped. They hade because of a tip, but now they realized it had all been true!


    "E, how could you do this to my grandfather?" Leah cried out, her eyes filled with tears. "Even if you don’t like him, even if you hate him, you shouldn’t resort to violence! Look at his injuries!" She sobbed, making a pitiful scene.


    Richard sneered at the spectacle. "How could you all believe this? E would never do such a thing!"


    Mason frowned deeply, his gaze heavy on Leah. This wasn’t part of his n.


    Although he wasn’t entirely in the loop, his goal had been to unsettle E, but this...


    The reporters’ shbulbs went off repeatedly, as voices shouted from all directions:


    "Miss Davis, do you have anything to say about assaulting an elderly man?"


    "Miss Davis, why did you resort to such violence against Old Mr. Carter? Don’t you think it was too heartless and cruel?"


    "Miss Davis..."


    "This woman is vicious,ying hands on our Old Mr. Carter like that!"


    "Yeah, that’s E, the granddaughter of our CEO! It’s well known they don’t get along, but now... E really is that ruthless!"


    "Even if she hates him, this was way too much!"


    Onlookers—both staff and guests—started to gossip among themselves.


    E cleared her throat, looking at Sean with disdain. "I didn’t hit Old Mr. Carter. He hit himself! And besides, do any of you have proof that I did anything to him?"


    Leah, with tears streaming down her face, looked so fragile and pitiful that it drew the sympathy of everyone around.


    "You’re lying! My grandfather would never hit himself. That’s ridiculous!" Leah argued passionately. Sean, gritting his teeth in anger, added, "She’s hated me ever since I remarried and believed all those lies that I abandoned her Grandma Carter. That’s why she snatched my cane and beat me with it!"


    Sean’s face was full of anger, and he groaned dramatically from time to time. The crowd began to look at E with disgust.


    E let out a coldugh. "Old Mr. Carter, at your age, do you really have no shame in falsely using your own family like this?"


    Richard frowned, ncing between E and Sean. While he trusted E, there was no evidence, and she had just been alone in a room with Sean.


    Without proof, people always side with the weaker party.


    "I’m calling the police! I’m calling the police!" Sean gasped, yelling to the two nearby officers.


    Those two officers had originally nned to take Mason and E in for questioning, but Sean’s arrival had dyed things. Now, with this new situation unfolding, it seemed to spiral out of control.


    "Miss Davis, could you pleasee with us to the station to give your statement?" one of the officers asked, pushing through the throng of reporters who surged forward with renewed energy.


    "Miss Davis, are you so arrogant because Mr. Nelson is backing you?"


    "Miss Davis, what were you thinking when you attacked Old Mr. Carter?"


    "Miss Davis..."


    Richard’s bodyguards were busy holding back the press, trying to clear a path for E.


    "You vile woman, get out of here!"


    "Leave! Don’t stain our Imperial Crown Club!"


    "How can someone be so cruel as to hurt an old man? Get rid of her!"


    The onlookers began to shout, and a few even threw rotten eggs at E.


    The bodyguards and security scrambled to block the reporters, but E saw one egg flying straight at her. She tried to dodge, but it still sttered on her shoulder, spilling its foul-smelling contents.


    "Madam!" The two bodyguards’ expressions darkened as they pulled out stun batons. "Anyone who tries anything gets hit!"


    Their aggressive stance stunned the unruly reporters and the gathering crowd into silence.


    E’s face was dark with fury as she walked out coldly. Everything the Carter Group owed her—she would make them pay back, double.


    As she walked away, Leah’s eyes shed with a gleam of satisfaction.


    Sean was soon taken away by two bodyguards, heading to the hospital for a medical evaluation.


    A medical evaluation—to keep "evidence" of E’s supposed attack, of course.


    Mason stood by, watching the crowd disperse. His gaze finallynded on Leah, icy and unreadable. Without a word, he turned and walked into the private room where E and Sean had been.


    Leah nced around to make sure no one was paying attention before happily following him in, locking the door behind her.


    Leah approached Mason, cing a soft hand on his shoulder. "Wasn’t my n brilliant? Heh, Chloe’s already fallen for you. Now, with this, her two best friends will tear each other apart!"