Chapter 65
Gideon's brow furrowed deeply. His gaze shifted between Josephine and an increasingly agitated Lorelei.
After several seconds of calculation, he lifted his own microphone, voice low and weighted with authority. "A press conference is not the venue for settling personal disputes. Any accusation requires evidence. Otherwise, this isn't just slander against Lorelei—it's a malicious attack on Starlight Group's reputation."
Josephine seemed to have anticipated this response. Without arguing, she simply reached into her bag and produced a somewhat dated silver laptop, opening it to face the media section.
"Personal computer. Local files. Never modified via network connection." Her tone remained calm as she navigated while narrating. "Six months ago, I created this document titled 'Neural Bridge System.' And within it, the conceptual design for the core components..."
She angled the screen toward the nearest camera. The high-definition close-up immediately synced to the conference hall's main display.
The document interface appeared crystal clear. On the left: detailed component structure diagrams with parameter annotations. On the right: derivation notes. In the file properties column: the creation date.
January 1st, 6:30:22 PM.
The content on screen was virtually identical to the Neural Bridge System's core module diagram that had just been presented at the press conference.
Dead silence filled the hall.
Josephine's gaze swept past Lorelei—now drained of all color—before finally settling on Gideon's face.
"Mr. Getty, is this still just a personal grudge?"
Every camera instantly swung from the stage toward a frozen Lorelei.
A reporter shot to his feet, microphone thrust toward her. "Ms. Kelly, how do you explain this? The 'hard work' you claimed as yours—why does the core section match someone else's local files from six months ago almost exactly?"
"I... that's not..." Lorelei's mouth opened and closed. She wanted to say something, but under the weight of irrefutable evidence and countless staring eyes, she couldn't fabricate a single word.
She looked desperately toward Gideon.
His expression had frozen into something glacial. The date on the giant screen seemed to burn with particular intensity.
He looked down at Josephine, his eyes a tangle of emotions. He knew that offering even one more word of defense would only drag Starlight Group—and himself—deeper into scandal.
Faced with the barrage of questions, he made a clean decision. "I will investigate this matter and provide everyone with a reasonable explanation as quickly as possible."
"Mr. Getty, if your investigation reveals that your employee truly did steal someone else's research..." Josephine deliberately pressed him. "What do you plan to do?"
Gideon's face tightened.
A reporter pounced. "Mr. Getty, we're curious about this, too. We've noticed you've kept this employee close to you all this time—clearly, you value her highly. So if the truth really is what Ms. Kennedy claims, will you protect her?"
Lorelei's hands clenched into fists. She looked like a condemned prisoner awaiting the final blow.
After a moment's silence, Gideon spoke. "If the accusations are false, I won't allow anyone to smear Starlight Group's name. If they're true... anyone who makes a mistake must face the consequences."
One sentence. A death sentence.
Lorelei's eyes closed in despair.
Even though Gideon had given his answer, the reporters weren't about to let him off easily. They swarmed closer, microphones and cameras practically shoved into the faces of those on stage.
Josephine closed her laptop. Amid the chaos, she turned and walked toward the exit.
She didn't look back at anyone.
Inside the conference hall, pandemonium reigned. Oscar found himself caught in the middle when, suddenly, someone dressed as a reporter grabbed him and pulled him away without explanation.
A few journalists noticed, but were quickly blocked by others.
The scene was too chaotic. Oscar was extracted just like that, leaving Gideon and Frank surrounded, fielding questions from the media swarm.
Finally, assistants waiting outside called in security. Only then did they manage to break free.
Gideon and Frank returned to the company, both looking grim, as they summoned staff for an emergency late-night meeting.
Today's incident had dealt a significant blow to the company. The press conference had been spectacular, which meant the scandal spread just as widely. Now, online chatter ran rampant.
And every single comment targeted Starlight Group.
The PR department worked themselves to the bone. Everyone pulled an all-nighter.
Meanwhile, back at her apartment, Lorelei paced anxiously.
At the press conference, the moment they'd stepped outside, Gideon hadn't even glanced at her. His assistant had been the one to drive her home.
Her phone remained silent. Gideon hadn't called. The quiet only amplified her unease.
She tried calling him instead.
No answer.
She dialed six or seven times in a row until her battery was nearly dead. Gideon never picked up.
Was he going to break up with her?
Lorelei's hand drifted to her belly. Only then did she manage to recover a sliver of security.
No. Even for the baby's sake, Gideon would never abandon her.
---
Oscar pushed open the door to the private dining room. Josephine and her team had been waiting for quite a while.
"Welcome, Mr. Carter."
Oscar shook his head in admiration. "That was one hell of a power move you all pulled."
The team exchanged glances and burst into laughter.
"We actually wanted to handle this privately at first," Aiden explained. "After all, we'd all worked at Starlight Group before. We didn't need to make it this public. But then they suddenly moved up the press conference date. We ran out of time."
"They forced our hand," Emma said indignantly.
Kenneth's expression remained serious. "We never wanted to go scorched-earth. But they went too far—stealing our work wasn't enough, they tried to snatch the collaboration opportunity with our mentor too."
Cedric had been the one to bring Oscar back into the fold. Oscar should have partnered with the Getty Group from the start. Starlight Group had only gotten their shot at this so-called press conference by manipulating Oscar's passion for research.
Josephine poured Oscar a glass of water. "After this, you can work with us without any concerns."
"I knew you wouldn't hold back, girl."
"You still remember..."
Josephine paused, slightly stunned.
Oscar smiled. "You pitched me this concept once. Just a few words, but I knew—with your personality, you'd see it through. Once you set your mind on something, you never let it go."
Josephine's character was textbook stubborn. No one could talk her out of anything. She'd push forward even if she knew she was heading straight into a dead end—she'd never turn back.
Josephine's lips curved into a smile. "Mr. Carter knows me best. Which means I know you just as well."
Mentor and student shared a knowing look.
The others couldn't decode their silent communication.
Only Kenneth understood. These two had always known what the other was thinking. Josephine's creative concepts could be stolen, but her core vision? That was untouchable.
And Oscar, despite being retirement age, had stubbornly returned to the field—driven not just by his love of research, but by his protective devotion to his student.
This was their victory dinner. Midway through the meal, Emma suddenly realized someone was missing.
"Why didn't Mr. Getty come?"
Josephine sipped her wine, the corner of her mouth lifting. "Him? Right now, he's dealing with the most difficult person of all."
Cedric had been summoned back to the Getty Manor by David.