696 Chapter 695
Keira finished her sentence just as they approached the Olsen familyâs press conference, which seemed about to start.
She exchanged a glance with Lewis, and they both decided to stay in the car. Theyâd wait until Professor Brandt landed safely and the news was released before stepping out.
Keira sent a message to Uncle Olsen, advising him to delay the press conference by thirty minutes.
At the press conferenceâŠ
Reporters were buzzing with anticipation. Everyone was eager to find out how the Olsen Group would handle the situation.
Tension filled the air as the crowd waited for the family to address the scandal, but what they got instead wasâŠ
Ellis slowly ascended the stage, microphone in hand. âI apologize, everyone. The traffic in Clance is terrible today. My uncle will arrive in about thirty minutes. We appreciate your patience, and the press conference will be delayed by half an hour.â
Ellis, ever the charmer, had the staff distribute gifts to the reporters.
His polite demeanor and thoughtful gesture made it hard for anyone to stay upset. The reporters were familiar with the Olsen Group and begrudgingly accepted the situation. They settled down, ready to waitâuntil someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
âI just saw Uncle Olsen walk in! How could he still be stuck in traffic? Ellis is obviously lying!â
Keira was monitoring the situation from the car and immediately sat up. She had been reclining her seat, planning to catch a quick nap, but after hearing that, she quickly grabbed a mask, put it on, and stepped out of the car, heading toward the press conference.
Uncle Olsen would have been discreet entering the building; no random reporter should have spotted him so easily. If someone claimed to have seen him, it meant something was seriously wrong.
Unless⊠that person wasnât just an ordinary reporter.
Keiraâs eyes narrowed. During her time on the Trident Strait border, she had determined from Erinâs words and actions that Erin wasnât a traitor. So, who had sent this so-called reporter? Could it be one of the candidates from the South family, who had tried to capture Professor Brandt on the border?
Keira skillfully maneuvered through the crowd, making her way toward the source of the voice.
Just as she reached the spot, Ellis spoke again, âYou saw him? Iâm afraid not. My uncle isnât here yet.â
Keira scanned the area, ready to confront the person who had spoken, hoping to trace them back to the source. But to her surprise, the voice shifted positions, now coming from ahead of her, âHow could that be? Uncle Olsen drove a Rolls-Royce today, and I saw it parked in the lot! Heâs just backstage resting while weâre left waiting here! Whatâs going on with your family?â
The accusation sparked a wave of murmurs among the crowd. âEllis, if someone saw Uncle Olsen, then heâs here. Why not just bring him out and stop wasting our time?â
âYeah, whatâs this about making us wait for half an hour? If his time is so precious, then what about ours?â
âIs this a joke? Weâre here on time, and now youâre stalling us? This is disrespectful!â
As more voices joined in, the original speaker slipped back into the crowd, vanishing from sight.
Keira frowned, stepping closer to the stageâs edge. Standing just outside the crowd, she listened intently to the conversations around her.
âWhatâs going on with the Olsen Group?â
âDidnât Uncle Olsen kick that daughter out of the family? If thatâs the case, then just give us the verdict already!â
âMaybe heâs having second thoughts about disowning her.â
âThey say sheâs his only daughter. Of course, heâd hesitate.â
âDelaying the press conference for thirty minutesâor even six monthsâwonât change a thing!â
Keira took a deep breath.
Whoever that person was, they were craftyâstirring up tension and then going silent, making it hard to pinpoint their identity. But did they really think they could stay hidden from her?
A sharp look flashed in Keiraâs eyes as she pulled out her phone and sent a message to Ellis.
On stage, Ellis felt his phone buzz. A quick glance at the screen made him pause, but then he looked out over the crowd and quickly spotted Keira, wearing a baseball cap and mask.
Suppressing a smile, he cleared his throat and addressed the reporters, âYes, my uncle has a valid reason for the delay, and we ask for your patience. In fact, Olsen Group is willing to compensate you for your time. But let me tell you, my uncleâs time⊠you couldnât afford it.â
The room erupted in chaos!
Almost every reporter began shouting.
âWhat reason could he possibly have?â
âMr. Ellis, what do you mean by this? Are you insulting us?â
âThis is outrageous! So, Uncle Olsenâs time is valuable, but ours isnât? Who talks like that?â
âExactly! And buying our time? Thatâs just humiliating!â
âThis is ridiculous! Forget the giftâI want the press conference to start on time!â
âI donât care if your family is making billion-dollar deals! Why should that make us wait?â
The more vocal the crowd became, the easier it would be for Keira to identify the one who wasnât speakingâthe one she was after.