?Chapter 989:<fnc275> Chapters first released on </fnc275>


    The fury didn’t leave her. It coiled tighter inside, offering no relief.


    Once she collected herself, her voice dropped to a whisper. “Got it. Just stay with Maia and make sure she’s okay. I’ming over now.”


    After the call ended, she wasted no time. Her fingers flew across the screen as she typed a message to Rnd. “Maia’s been hurt and she’s in the hospital now. I need you to cover the press conference. I have to be with her. I won’t find peace unless I’m there.”


    With the message sent, she stood up. Her eyes swept over the line of smug executives, a look of pure contempt hardening her face. Without another word, she walked out with unwavering purpose.


    Across the venue, Rnd’s gaze was fixed on a single word glowing on his phone — hospital. A knot formed in his chest. His hands turned mmy, and it took him a moment to realize he was sweating.


    “This is the nightmare I was hoping to avoid,” he muttered under his breath. His eyes shifted from the message to the man speaking on stage. Whatever warmth was in his gaze had long since disappeared.


    There was no doubt in Rnd’s mind now. The Cooper Group had gone too far.


    Narrowing his eyes, Rnd drew in a slow breath. “The Cooper Group. The Ward family. Everyst one of you. I’m not letting this slide.”


    Just then, the Cooper Group’s spokesperson finally finished the lengthy opening remarks, passing the microphone to udius.


    All at once, shes sparked, and shutters clicked, every camera and recorder locking onto udius as if summoned by instinct.


    Not a word was spoken. The conference hall fell into an eerie stillness, mirrored by the viewers at home, frozen as they held their breath.


    Lατ??τ ?нαρτ?rs ιn g??l??ov?l??.??om


    Eyes didn’t stray from udius on stage. The crowd — both present and virtual — waited like statues, desperate to catch his first reaction to the growing scandal.


    udius stood firmly on the stage. His eyes drifted across the sea of faces before dipping low, his posture unreadable. Whatever passed through his mind, he didn’t let it show.


    Far from the noise and tension, a quiet morning unfolded at the Cooper Estate. Kolton casually brought the rim of the porcin cup to his lips, savoring the richness of the brew before setting it back down. “This blend hits the mark today,” he said with a smirk, clearly in good spirits.


    In his eyes, udius had always been the perfect piece on the board — silent, precise, and always within reach.


    That quiet confidence lingered as Kolton turned toward the television, his gaze settling on the live feed without a hint of concern.


    “Maia… Maia… After today, your name will be dragged through the dirt.” With a snort, he scoffed. “Wront’s heroine? What a joke. You’re a curse — bad luck follows you like a shadow.”


    Just then, udius’ voice rang out from the television speakers, cutting through the silence like a de. “To all members of the media, I’d like to respond to the rumors that surfaced yesterday.”


    Lifting his head, udius locked eyes with the camera. “There’s more to this story than what’s been shown,” he said, his voice now steady and clear.


    Those words hit Kolton like a p. His grin faltered. A flicker of disbelief crept into his eyes. His fingers twitched, and scalding coffee sshed onto his wrist before he even noticed.


    Back at the press conference, confusion rippled through the executives seated behind udius. Theirposed expressions twisted into rm. No one had expected this. The script was gone.


    udius was supposed to confirm Maia’s guilt — to expose her as the maniptor. Now, nothing made sense.


    Fury shed across Kolton’s assistant’s face as he stepped forward, fully prepared to wrest the microphone from udius.


    But before he could act, udius’ voice rose sharply, cutting through the tension. “Yes, it’s true. I fell in love with Maia Watson. And I knew she was married when it happened.”


    That confession hit the room like a crack of lightning. Kolton’s assistant froze in his tracks, shock painted across his face.


    Not a single move followed. His breath caught as he tried to grasp what udius was ying at.


    From Kolton’s assistant’s viewpoint, even though the speech had strayed from the original n, there was still a chance udius was making it up on the fly, sticking to the gist and given directions.


    Especially with his strategy of first denial and then affirmation, it seemed not entirely off the table. As long as they could prove Maia was a married woman of questionable morals who seduced udius, the oue would suffice to report back to Kolton.


    For the assistant, how they got there wasn’t important; only achieving the right oue mattered to deliver a clean report to Kolton. But just as he wavered, everything suddenly shifted once more.


    Up on the stage, udius realized his father’s assistant hadn’t rushed in to stop him, and he quietly let out a relieved breath before pressing on, his gaze sharp and resolute.


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