Chapter 695

Evelyn Ross finished speaking and turned her gaze toward the entrance of the Sterling Family press conference not far away.

The area was bustling with figures, clearly about to begin.

She exchanged a look with Alexander Vance.

The two silently agreed to remain in the car.

They would show themselves only after Professor Nathaniel Wright arrived safely and the news was officially announced.

Evelyn quickly sent a message to Mr. Valentine.

"Delay the press conference by half an hour."

At the press conference venue.

Reporters were already packed in tightly.

Everyone wanted a clear explanation from this event.

The air was thick with restlessness and dissatisfaction.

They were all waiting for the Ashcroft Group to give an answer.

But what they got was—

Marcus Valentine slowly walked up to the podium and picked up the microphone.

"My apologies, everyone. The traffic in New York today is truly terrible."

"My uncle will need another half hour to arrive."

"Please remain patient. The press conference will be delayed by thirty minutes."

After speaking, Marcus signaled for staff to distribute gift bags.

Exquisite gifts were handed to each reporter present.

Marcus was humble and polite, his smile perfectly measured.

It made it hard for anyone to find a reason to get angry.

Most reporters here had dealt with the Ashcrofts before and were receptive to this approach.

People accepted the gifts and prepared to sit down and wait.

Just then, a voice suddenly rose from the crowd—

"I just saw Mr. Valentine come in!"

"How could he still be on the road? Mr. Valentine, are you lying?"

Outside, in the car.

Evelyn had been watching the commotion at the conference.

Hearing this, she immediately sat up straight.

She adjusted her reclined seat back to its upright position.

She deftly pulled out a face mask, put it on, pushed the car door open, and slipped into the venue.

Mr. Valentine's entry would have been extremely discreet.

It was impossible for an ordinary reporter to have easily spotted him.

If his whereabouts were exposed so casually—

It could only mean something was wrong.

So, how did this speaker know Mr. Valentine had already arrived?

Unless... he wasn't a reporter.

Evelyn's pupils contracted sharply.

At the border, Natalie Castillo's words and actions had already shown she was not the traitor.

Since Natalie hadn't betrayed them—

Then who sent this suddenly vocal reporter?

Was it one of the Sterling Family candidates who had tried to capture Professor Nathaniel Wright at the Aldorian border?

Evelyn immediately concealed herself.

She moved nimbly through the crowd, heading toward the source of the voice.

Just as she pushed her way to the approximate location, she heard Marcus responding from the stage.

"You saw him? But my uncle truly hasn't arrived yet."

Evelyn quickly scanned her surroundings.

She needed to identify the speaker and follow the trail.

But that person was clearly also vigilant.

The voice actually came from a spot not far ahead of her again—

"How could he not be here? Mr. Valentine was driving a Rolls-Royce today, parked right in the lot!"

"He's resting backstage right now, yet he's making us wait here—what exactly is the Sterling Family's intention?"

These words immediately sparked a wave of agreement.

"Mr. Valentine, since someone has seen him, please have Mr. Valentine come out immediately!"

"That's right, stop delaying!"

"Mr. Valentine's time is precious, but ours is worthless?"

"Changing the agreed-upon time suddenly, are you playing games with us?"

Reporters spoke over each other, their emotions gradually being stirred.

And the person who had first spoken quietly melted back into the crowd.

Evelyn frowned.

She inconspicuously moved to the side of the podium.

Standing at the periphery of the crowd, she calmly surveyed the entire venue.

Due to the high-profile nature of the event, reporters today had nearly filled the hall.

Evelyn focused, listening carefully to the discussions around her—

"The Ashcroft Group's attitude is too arrogant!"

"Didn't Mr. Valentine disown that daughter? Then just announce the result and be done with it!"

"Could it be... he's having second thoughts?"

"I heard she's his only daughter, just recognized, his only family. How could he truly be willing to let her go..."

"Delaying half an hour, or even half a year, won't change anything!"

Evelyn took a deep breath.

The speaker was too cunning.

A few words had ignited conflict, but he himself had stopped talking.

Otherwise, she could have pinpointed the target immediately.

But—

Did he think staying silent meant she couldn't find him?

A cold glint flashed in Evelyn's eyes.

She picked up her phone and sent a message to Marcus.

On stage, Marcus felt his phone vibrate.

He glanced down and paused slightly.

Then he looked up, searching the crowd, and quickly spotted Evelyn in her baseball cap and mask.

The corner of Marcus's mouth twitched.

He was silent for a moment, cleared his throat, and spoke into the microphone.

"My uncle does have special reasons requiring everyone to wait another half hour."

"Please be patient."

"We'll compensate you for this half hour of your time."

"But my uncle's time—you cannot afford it."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room erupted!

Almost every reporter was up in arms—

"What special reasons could he possibly have?!"

"What do you mean by that, Mr. Valentine? Looking down on us?"

"This is too much! Mr. Valentine's time is time, but ours isn't?"

"Compensate for time... My time isn't for sale! This is an insult!"

"I'm furious! I don't want this gift! The press conference must start now!"

"I don't care if you're discussing deals worth billions or tens of billions! What does that have to do with us? Why should we wait?!"

Reporters with backbone protested one after another.

A slight smile touched Evelyn's lips.

Now, everyone was speaking excitedly.

And the person who remained silent—

Was the target she was looking for.