Chapter 109: Disaster at the IPO Press Conference
The Omni Group’s IPO press conference was held in Manhattan’s most luxurious ballroom. The stage was blindingly bright with spotlights. Evelyn stood in the shadows backstage.
“Ready, my dear wife?” Damian’s voice came from behind her. He wore a dark blue tailored suit, his hair perfectly slicked back. He still looked the part of the handsome business elite, but the dark circles under his eyes and his tight jaw betrayed his recent exhaustion.
Evelyn turned, a slight smile on her lips. “Of course. For Omni’s stock price, I’ll be the perfect Mrs. Green.”
Damian looked at her, his eyes complex. Evelyn was stunning. Her dress made her look elegant, and the precise makeup hid all traces of weariness. But the eyes that once held love for him were now chillingly calm. A sudden unease gripped him, and he instinctively reached for her hand. “Evelyn, just cooperate today, and I promise you, from now on…”
“Time’s up, Mr. Green.” Evelyn walked toward the blinding light first. “Don’t keep the media waiting.”
The moment they stepped onto the stage, shutters clicked furiously, and flashbulbs exploded. Evelyn linked her arm through Damian’s, wearing the practiced smile of a high-society couple.
The fragile façade lasted less than three minutes. As the Q&A began, a bespectacled reporter immediately stood up, his gaze sharp. “Mrs. Green, rumors claim you failed to fulfill your wifely duties and even intruded on Mr. Green’s long-standing relationship with Ms. Sienna. Is this true?”
The hall erupted. Then, several blurry photos suddenly appeared on the massive screen. The images showed Sienna nestled in Damian’s arms, looking intimate. The timestamps were clearly marked as six years ago, the second year of Evelyn’s marriage to Damian.
Sienna stood in a corner of the hall, a flaming red dress, a champagne glass in her hand, and a triumphant smirk.
Before Evelyn could speak, a prominent investor at the front table slammed his hand down. “Damian! Is this what you call a ‘harmonious family’?” The corpulent middle-aged man pointed a finger at Evelyn. “This woman only brings negative press and even uses infidelity to climb up. She doesn't deserve to be Mrs. Green! If you don’t divorce her and marry Ms. Sienna immediately to calm the rumors, we’ll pull our investment!”
“Pull out!”
“Get that woman out of Omni Group!”
The uproar swelled, sounding like a carefully choreographed disaster.
Damian’s face went ash-gray. He hadn't expected someone to release these old photos or incite the investors to revolt at this critical moment. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He wanted to argue, to say it was the past, but he opened his mouth and realized anything he said would be wrong.
In the midst of the chaos, a slender but firm hand reached out and pressed down the microphone in front of him. Damian turned in surprise, meeting Evelyn’s terrifyingly calm eyes.
“You…”
Evelyn ignored him, taking the microphone herself. She stepped forward, standing center stage. The room slowly quieted, every eye fixed on her.
“Intrude? Undeserving?” Evelyn let out a soft laugh. “Since you all are so eager for the truth, I’ll give it to you.” She clapped her hands. “Sophie.”
The ballroom doors were flung open. Sophie, in a sharp business suit, walked in, followed by two serious police officers and a small, trembling woman with tear-streaked cheeks: Lillian, Sienna’s sister.
Sienna’s smirk froze. Her champagne glass shattered on the floor. “Lillian? What are you doing here?!” Sienna shrieked.
Lillian didn't dare look at her. The police led her to the front of the stage, facing countless cameras and microphones. Her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. “Sienna made me do it!” Lillian pulled a thick stack of printed papers and a voice recorder from her bag, holding them up with trembling hands. “She ordered me to have the dog attack Evelyn and then blame Evelyn for it!”
A dead silence fell over the hall.
Lillian pressed the play button. Sienna’s sharp, spiteful voice echoed clearly through the loudspeakers.
["That damn Evelyn, actually partnered with Ezra Vance and stole my thunder!"]
["When Evelyn comes out, you set the dog on her. Say she provoked it, that’s why it freaked out!"]
["Sis, do we really have to do this? What if we get caught…"]
["What are you afraid of! I’ve got your back! Get rid of that bitch Evelyn, and you can choose whatever jewelry Damian gave me!"]
["What if the dog really badly hurts her?"]
["Better if it kills her! A worthless life!"]
Every sentence was a resounding slap to the faces of the accusers. The investor who had threatened to pull funding shrank back in his chair, embarrassed. Flashbulbs went wild again, but this time, the focus was not on Evelyn, but on Sienna in the corner.
“No… that’s not true!” Sienna let out a high-pitched scream. Ignoring her heels, she stumbled toward Lillian, trying to grab the recorder. “You’re lying! This is fake! Evelyn bought you off! How much did she pay you to set me up? I’m your sister!”
Lillian dodged the attack and threw the documents into the air. Papers rained down, each one a piece of evidence.
“Because you’re my sister, I can’t let you keep doing this!” Lillian cried, pointing at the scattered evidence. “Transfer records, chat logs, even the recording of you bribing the vet—it’s all here! Evelyn didn’t buy me off. You’re just malicious!”