Chapter 517
By the end of her speech, her voice had worn down to a raspy whisper. “Director Langley just happened to ask me for a favor, so I agreed.
But I wrote the entire surgical plan. I dictated every single step p>
If my hand hadn’t been in agony, I never would have agreed to it. I could have done a much better job than him p>
Helena’s eyes grew red.
She wrapped her arms around Celeste’s shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace. “You silly girl… why didn’t you just tell me p>
Celeste buried her face into the crook of Helena’s neck, her shoulders heaving with every sob.
But her eyes were wide open beneath her wet lashes, reflecting the banquet hall’s crystal chandeliers with absolutely zero emotion.
Helena, however, was completely blinded by the act.
She looked down at the hand gripping her arm, completely unaware of the calculated manipulation as Celeste’s grip tightened desperately.
Helena felt her chest squeeze in absolute agony.
This poor girl was trembling. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably.
Helena instantly stepped in front of the wheelchair, physically blocking all the cameras while speaking in a fiercely protective, comforting tone.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here. No one is going to force you into anything p>
Turning back to face the sea of lenses and microphones, her voice pitched into a furious shriek. “Enough! What right do you have to swarm her like this?
Is it a crime for her to feel empathy for a colleague? Is it a crime for her to be kind and innocent?
Get out of the way right now, or don’t blame me for getting ugly p>
Helena shielded the wheelchair with one arm and violently shoved the nearest camera away with the other.
The heavy piece of equipment barely budged, and the reporter holding it actually took a defiant half-step forward instead.
Helena was so furious her face turned beet red.
She couldn’t believe these foreign media outlets were blatantly disrespecting her authority.
“Stop filming! This is cyberbullying! Are you not afraid of receiving a legal notice from the Sterling Group? Believe me when I say p>
Before Helena could even finish her threat, the media shoved forward even harder.
The summit had been effectively canceled the moment Mr. Coleman revoked the award.
Now that the industry leaders had all vacated the premises, the banquet hall belonged entirely to this mob of hungry reporters.
Helena’s threats fell on completely deaf ears.
The two women were quickly swallowed whole by the aggressive crowd.
Helena had never faced a mob like this before and instantly panicked.
Catching Jarred’s eye across the room, she practically screamed at him like he was their last hope.
“Jarred! What are you just standing there for?! They’re going to harass Celeste until she passes out! Get over here and get us out of this
Celeste remained cowering behind Helena, looking like a moth with soaking wet wings, lacking even the courage to raise her head.
Yet, the only person in the entire hall who wasn’t looking at her was Jarred.
He stood near the back of the crowd, both hands still resting casually in his slacks, his posture completely relaxed.
But his deep, somber gaze remained fixed on Celeste, looking as cold and dead as a frozen lake.
He watched her cry, but his eyes held absolutely zero trace of the protective urge that used to drive him to her side.
Looking into those terrifyingly calm eyes, Celeste’s heart violently skipped a beat.
She had seen Jarred look at her in many different ways.
The careless, evaluating look he gave her when they first met, the deep gratitude he showed after confirming she had saved his life p>
Those looks always held at least a sliver of warmth, even if it was just obligatory.
But this was entirely different.
He was looking at her the way one assesses a damaged asset that needs to be permanently liquidated.
What crushed her even more was that, despite seeing her trapped in this desperate night still refused to move a single inch,
He didn’t step forward to block al single camera, he didn’t offer a single word to quell the brutal interrogation, and he showed absolutely zero sympathy.
He merely tilted his head slightly and shot a glance at Declan Ward standing behind him, his voice devoid of any emotion.