Chapter 515
Someone was actively helping Celeste escape the crosshairs.
But who could possibly have such an intimate grasp of exactly what was happening at the venue? Were they hiding in the crowd?
Sienna pulled her gaze away from Celeste and swept her eyes across the entire hall.
Everyone’s attention was firmly locked on Celeste.
Their faces were all etched with condemnation and the thrill of watching a spectacular downfall. Aside from that, nothing looked suspicious.
The barrage of insults rose and fell, sharp and piercing.
“Academic fraud is absolutely shameless! To hire a ghost surgeon for such a sacred summit… this Vaughan woman is even worse than Celeste Carlyle p>
“Wasting industry resources and scamming the world for fame! Revoke her award and banish her from the medical field forever p>
“Relying on connections to network when she can’t even perform a basic surgery? How does she have the nerve to call herself a rising star p>
Amidst the furious whispers, the previously silent Celeste finally let out a choked sob.
“Director Langley has always been a part of my team, but he wasn’t originally on the roster for this trip.
Then one day, he suddenly came to me and begged for a chance.
He’s about to retire, and his final wish before leaving the industry was to showcase his skills at a grand event like this.
He was so genuine. He got down on his knees and cried as he begged me. In a moment of weakness, I just couldn’t bear to say no p>
By the time she reached the end of her sentence, Celeste’s eyes were brimming with fresh tears.
She bowed her head and sobbed softly. When she looked back up, her flawless makeup was perfectly ruined by her crying.
“It was me… My soft-heartedness ruined him, and it ruined me too. I will accept whatever punishment is given p>
Almost the exact second Celeste finished speaking, Mr. Coleman slowly stood up.
He walked over to the podium and, in front of the entire audience, picked up the trophy that had been stowed in Celeste’s bag.
The crystal edges of the trophy caught the overhead lights, flashing across Celeste’s face and forcing her to squint.
At that exact moment, a sharp thud echoed through the room.
Mr. Coleman had placed the trophy flat on its side across the award podium.
He didn’t utter a single word, but the entire room understood his meaning perfectly.
“Academic misconduct. The evidence is irrefutable,” Mr. Coleman’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an incredibly heavy weight.
“I am formally announcing the revocation of this award. Ms. Cora Vaughan will be blacklisted across the industry and the media is instructed to report the unvarnished truth p>
As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Coleman and the other leading medical figures turned and walked toward the exit in total unison.
A wave of stunned sighs rippled through the crowd.
Although it was the expected outcome, the implications were staggering.
This summit had been held for years, and the leaders present were all monumental pillars of the industry.
Today’s award had been evaluated and approved by these very experts.
Now that this scandal had broken out, it didn’t just humiljate their years of authority it dragged the entire medical field through the mud!
Almost exactly when Mr. Coleman finished his sentence, the live broadcast feed was abruptly cut.
Twitter’s trending topics refreshed in mere seconds.
[Rising Star Award Winner Caught in Academic Fraud p>
[Successor of the Cirrus Needles Finally Revealed p>
Both hashtags instantly surged into the top three, creating a brutal contrast.
Within just a few minutes, the retweets and comments hit the millions.
The picture of Celeste accepting the trophy from three hours ago was still hanging at number five on the trending list.
In that photo, she was smiling radiantly, holding the crystal trophy in her right hand and linking arms with Helena with her left.
The caption read: [The Rising Star of the Year Shines Bright p>
Three hours later, she was huddled in the corner of a hallway in her wheelchair her hair disheveled and he makeup washed away by tears.
Celeste sat in absolute disbelief, staring at the trophy lying abandoned on the podium.
Just like her, it had been discarded and mocked by the masses.
Her shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably, and the tears kept falling without end.