Chapter 267

No.1

Harrison pushed the joystick forward. His wheelchair hummed as he rolled away from the suffocating noise of the main ballroom. He navigated through a set of heavy oak doors and entered the quiet, dimly lit cigar lounge.

Devon Browning stood by the stone fireplace. He held a crystal tumbler filled with amber whiskey.

"Grandfather?" Devon set his glass down on the mantel and rushed forward. "What is wrong? You look furious."

Harrison slammed his palm against the leather armrest of his chair. "That woman in the red dress.Allena Mills. She is a shameless, pathological liar."

No.2

Devon blinked in confusion. "Allena? But she is the most sought-after medical consultant in New York right now. She is August's fiancée."

"Bullshit!" Harrison barked, his voice echoing off the wood-paneled walls. "She just stood in front of me and tried to steal the credit for saving my life."

Devon's face tightened. He was one of Allena's most vocal supporters in the social circle. His brain automatically scrambled to defend her."Grandfather, there must be a misunderstanding.Her medical talent is verified. She wouldn't need to lie."

---The heavy double doors of the cigar lounge swung open.

No.3

Helena Hawthorne walked in. She leaned heavily on her polished wooden cane. As the Chairwoman of the FDA, she carried an aura of absolute, terrifying authority. Her sharp eyes locked onto Devon.

"Put away your pathetic illusions, Devon," Helena ordered. Her voice was quiet but lethal.

Helena walked to a leather armchair and sat down.She rested her hands on the head of her cane."That woman is not just a liar. She is a verified academic thief."

Harrison looked at his old friend. "You know her background?"

No.4

Helena let out a cold, sharp laugh. "During the FDA hearingslast week, she attempted to steal the primary authorship of Aethel Intelligence's Al project. I publicly humiliated her and stripped her of the title."

Devon physically took a step backward. His back hit the stone fireplace. "That is impossible... Why would August tolerate a woman like that?"

"Because August Chambers is blinded by his own pathetic biological urges," Helena stated with brutal precision.

Helena tilted her head, fixing Devon with a piercing stare. "And what exactly did you call her? A fiancée?"Devon swallowed hard. His throat clicked. "That is what the media reports."

No.5

Helena let out a long sigh of pure disgust. "The New York social circle is a circus of fools."

She tapped her cane against the floor."From what I understand, their divorce decree was finalized by the court, but the document was illegally intercepted by the Chambers family. Legally, his marital status is in dispute, which certainly does not grant Miss Mills the right to call herself anyone's fiancée."

Devon's face flushed a deep, burning crimson.Devon's mind raced, desperately trying to reconcile the image of the brilliant, compassionate doctor with the brutal words of two of the most powerful people he knew. He recalled a strange comment Allena had made last week regarding a basic anatomical term-a detail that hadn't made sense then, but now glared like a neon warning sign. The pieces clicked into place with sickening clarity. His entire worldview shattered. He realized he had been publicly worshipping a cheap fraud.

Harrison's face twisted with deep revulsion. "The Chambers family has lost all sense of dignity."

No.6

Harrison turned his wheelchair toward Devon. "Go find the head of security. Tell them I do not want to see that woman's face anywhere near my VIP table for the rest of the night."

Devon bowed his head in deep embarrassment."Yes, Grandfather." He practically ran out of the room to execute the order.

Harrison rubbed his temples. A wave of exhaustion

hit his aged body. "'I wish I could find the girl who actually saved me."

No.7

Helena patted his shoulder. "Fate has a way of correcting the record. Go get some fresh air."

Harrison nodded. He rolled his wheelchair out of the cigar lounge, heading toward the quiet corridor that led to the outdoor terrace.

At that exact moment, Elisa set her empty glass on the bar. The whispers in the ballroom were giving her a headache. She turned and walked toward the exact same corridor, seeking the cold night air.