Chapter 330
At that moment, the online narrative around Stella shifted dramatically. Not only did public opinion about her take a sharp turn, but even perceptions of Haynes were completely transformed.
Some die-hard “shipping” fans protested, “If Haynes isn’t nice to Stella, doesn’t that prove he’s devoted to Rachel? Would you really prefer a guy who flirts with everyone?”
Someone quickly shot back, “Excuse me, have you forgotten Stella is his wife? She even gave the O’Brien family a son! Since when does being kind to your own wife require permission from the side chick? Are you out of your mind?”
“Our goddess Rachel is not a homewrecker! Stella’s the one who stole her chance and wormed her way in!”
“Oh, sure. Your ‘goddess’ Rachel isn’t a homewrecker, yet there she is, always seen out and about with someone else’s husband. She must be the very picture of purity!”
Realizing they were losing ground, the CP fans quickly tried to change tactics.
“What does Haynes being a jerk have to do with Rachel? She’s a victim too, okay? Haynes lied to her just like everyone else.”
Back at the scene, the entertainment reporters who had tried to corner Stella looked utterly defeated. They’d run out of arguments.
Their editors had only told them to bring Stella down from her pedestal as quickly as possible.
How could they have guessed there was so much more to the story?
Today was shaping up to be a disaster.
One stubborn reporter, unwilling to let his payday slip away, pressed on: “Even if your money came from legitimate sources, you’re still under investigation. Why else would the police be here?”
Meanwhile, the police officers standing by had quietly pieced together the backstory from the crowd around them. Their expressions grew conflicted.
“Chief, Stella already donated all the funds in her accounts to charity. Freezing her assets now doesn’t even make sense,” one officer murmured.
“Plus, everything she bought at the auction was given to the National Museum. If we just show up and ask for it, they’re not going to hand it over.”
Another officer chimed in, “If someone publicly announces a donation but never follows through, that’s fraud-and a criminal offense.”
“But in this case, Stella’s proven her money was obtained legally. If we try to reclaim her donations now, we’ll offend both the charities and the entire museum staff.”
“And the public won’t be happy about it either…”
The officers were clearly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
They’d received a report accusing Stella of leaking trade secrets and financial crimes. Normally, that meant freezing her assets was standard procedure.
But Stella had moved fast-donating every last penny and handing over all the valuables.
She’d done an immense public good. Now, were the police supposed to stand in opposition to that?
That would be a PR nightmare.
As the pushy reporter finished his question, Stella’s gaze settled on him.
A faint, almost amused smile played at her lips.
Catching her look, the reporter’s heart skipped a beat. A sense of foreboding crept over him.
He suddenly realized that, from the very start, Stella had effortlessly batted away every accusation they hurled at her-always backing her words with irrefutable evidence. Evidence far more convincing than their empty claims.
If these facts had been posted online, they never would have lasted-they’d have been scrubbed in an instant.
But here, numerous journalists were livestreaming everything as it unfolded.
The reporter’s stomach dropped.
Wasn’t this just like a live press conference, clearing her name in real time?
No, there was one crucial difference.
At a press conference, the truth would never really make it out into the open. Here, everything was already spreading far and wide.