Chapter 253

No.1

Elisa didn't spare Allena a second glance.

She walked past the frozen figures of Allena and Devon, her face a mask of absolute indifference.Alastair matched her pace. They pushed through the heavy revolving doors and stepped out into the crisp Manhattan air.

A massive crowd of medical journalists and financial reporters were clustered on the concrete steps outside the main entrance.

The second Elisa and Alastair appeared, camera flashes erupted like a blinding strobe light. Alastair stepped up to the impromptu microphone stand set up by the press pool.

August exited the building moments later. His face was tight, his dark eyes rapidly assessing the media presence.

No.2

Allena trailed closely behind him. Her face was still ghostly pale from the lobby encounter. She hunched

her shoulders, desperately trying to hide behind August's broad frame.

"Mr. Cromwell, can you comment on the unique algorithmic structure of Chiron?" a reporter from the front row shouted over the noise.

Alastair smiled. It was a sharp, predatory smile. He gestured gracefully toward Elisa standing quietly by his side.

"All credit goes to our Chief Architect, Elisa Wilder,"Alastair declared, his voice booming over the microphones. "Her genius is the sole engine of this success."

No.3

A reporter from a major medical journal shifted his gaze. He zeroed in on Allena cowering behind August.

"Miss Mills!" the reporter yelled. "Your PR team claimed your clinical guidance was the breakthrough.Can you elaborate on your specific contribution?"

Allena froze. Her eyes darted frantically across the sea of cameras. Her chest heaved, but she was entirely unable to form a coherent sentence.

Alastair stepped forward. He leaned closer to the microphone. His voice cut through the crisp air like a razor blade.

"Allow me to clarify," Alastair stated loudly. "Miss Mills' initial data models were entirely rejected during Phase One trials."

No.4

A collective gasp rippled through the press pool.Pens furiously scribbled on notepads. Cameras clicked at a frantic pace.

Alastair continued mercilessly. "They were mathematically flawed and practically dangerous.We discarded them months ago."

August's face turned a dangerous shade of purple.The vein in his neck throbbed. He stepped forward,physically shielding Allena from the relentless cameras.

"That is an internal corporate matter, Cromwell,"August growled. His voice was a low, vibrating threat,desperately trying to shut down the narrative.

At that exact moment, the heavy glass doors opened again. Helena Hawthorne walked out of the building,flanked by her federal security detail.

No.5

The press immediately parted like the Red Sea,offering the Chairwoman a clear path to her waiting black town car.

A .brave reporter shoved a microphone forward."Chairwoman, what is your assessment of the Chambers Group's involvement in this project?"

Helena paused at her car door. She turned and looked directly at August. Her eyes held nothing but absolute pity.

"Mr. Chambers has a spectacular talent for funding brilliance," Helena said clearly. "But a tragic blindness when choosing his personal consultants."

The subtle but devastating insult to August's judgment hung in the air. It caused an absolute frenzy of camera clicks.

No.6

Helena got into her car. The heavy door slammed shut, and the vehicle drove away, leaving August publicly humiliated by the industry's top figure.

Allena gripped August's sleeve. Her fingers dug into his expensive suit jacket. Tears of genuine, burning humiliation finally spilled down her cheeks, ruining her perfect makeup.①

"She,bought her way in!" Allena suddenly shrieked.Her voice cracked, completely losing her mind. "She must have bribed someone for that title!"

The reporters stopped shouting. They stared at Allena in stunned silence. They recognized the pathetic, hysterical desperation of a cornered fraud.

Devon grabbed Allena's arm. He forcibly dragged her toward their waiting car before she could cause any more legal damage to herself or the fund.

No.7

Elisa watched them retreat. Her expression remained completely indifferent to Allena's hysterical breakdown.

She turned to Alastair. She gave him a brief,silent nod of thanks. Then, she turned her back on the cameras and walked toward the busy street to hail a yellow cab.