Chapter 170 I Indeed Have Ulterior Motives
At nine in the morning, the City Arena was packed to the rafters.
By the time Adeline and Nathan arrived, the reporters had already set up their cameras, aiming them at the stage.
Seeing her, Helen quickly approached with a smile. "Ms. Adeline, I knew you'd show up."
As she spoke, she pulled out a voice recorder from her pocket. "I was just thinking, if you hadn't come, I'd have made this recording public."
With that, she handed the recorder to Adeline. "But now that you're here, this thing is useless. Here, take it back."
Adeline gave her a dismissive glance, took the recorder, and casually tossed it in the trash. Then, she glanced at the clock. "Right on time, let's get started."
Helen's face fell slightly.
She cleared her throat and then turned to the host on the side. "Let's begin."
"Of course," replied the host with a light laugh.
Hearing the crisp female voice, Adeline frowned, feeling a sense of familiarity. She instinctively turned her head, locking eyes with the smiling woman. It was the same woman from yesterday at the farmer's market, the one who was getting handsy with a group of other women.
When the woman saw that Adeline was looking back at her, she smiled. "Hello, I'm Monica Yuan. We met yesterday."
Adeline's brows knotted tightly.
This woman had boldly confronted her and Jasper yesterday, and now here she was, ostentatiously hosting the clarification press conference organized by Helen. It was nearly as if she wore a sign saying, "I'm Gu Xingqing's person."
She had quite the audacity
Seeing that Adeline did not engage with her, Monica didn't seem embarrassed. She took a deep breath, stood up with the microphone, and faced the crowd of reporters.
"Good morning, and welcome to Ms. Adeline's clarification press conference," began Monica.
On the big screen at the downtown mall, her voice rang out light and airy. "Regarding the recent wild rumors about Ms. Gu Xingqing, Jasper's wife, Ms. Adeline would like to clear the air here today."
Grandmother Ly, who was out shopping, picked up the name "Jasper" amidst the chatter. Frowning, she quickly looked up. There, on that screen, was the very face she least wanted to see.
"Jasper!" she exclaimed. Grandmother Ly furrowed her brow fiercely. "What on earth is going on?"
Jasper, with one hand in his pocket, watched the female host on the large screen with detached interest.
"Grandma, please calm down," he said.
Starling Foster pressed her lips together, quickly steadying Grandmother Ly. "Adeline may feel slighted by the recent events, hence the press conference."
After speaking, she cautiously glanced at Jasper. "Do you have any idea what this is about? I apologized to Adeline just yesterday... Why would she call a press conference..."
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes. "Though I knelt and said sorry yesterday, I knew she still held some grudges against me. I was actually planning to apologize again today..."
Her tearful appearance ignited a surge of irritation in Grandmother Ly.
The elderly woman took a seat on a nearby bench and banged her walking stick in frustration. "You've already knelt before her; what more does she want!?
"Did you do anything wrong? If she's really a mastermind like Moon, why didn't she continue to make it big in Europe instead of deigning to stay in Denver? Staying with the Fosters deliberately—if not to ensnare Jasper, then what?"
After saying this, Grandmother Ly cast a cold glance at Jasper, "Your wife is being bullied right under your nose, are you still going to stand up for that woman?"
Jasper raised an eyebrow. He turned his head, his gaze unintentionally swept over Starling.
The woman quietly lowered her gaze without speaking, but her movements betrayed her. She was wiping away tears, looking utterly wronged.
Grandmother Ly huffed and remained seated, her icy stare fixated on the screen. "I want to see what kind of smear campaign this wretch has planned at her press conference against the Fosters."
Caught between the two women, Jasper barely tugged at the corners of his mouth.
So, that was how it was. No wonder Helen insisted that Adeline hold a press conference.
Starling, bringing him and Grandmother Ly out for a shopping trip today of all days, was all part of her orchestration. She must have known Adeline wouldn't clear her name at the conference. Thus, she deliberately sought out Grandmother Ly of the Foster family.
The supposed clarification from Adeline was a ruse. It was to force him to draw a clear line between him and Adeline in front of Grandmother Ly—her true intention.
It was a clever play.
In the past, Adeline's tears might affect him. But now, witnessing Starling's tears, Jasper felt nothing but an urge to scoff.
He turned and took a seat beside Grandmother Ly. "All right. I'm curious to see what kind of show this is myself."
After speaking, the man raised an eyebrow at Star Clearwater, his voice cool. "Have a seat."
Star bit her lip and cautiously sat down next to Jasper.
"Jasper." She silently wiped away her tears. "I didn't intend to cause such a scene; I was actually planning to apologize to Adeline today..."
Leaning back on the bench, Jasper asked in a detached tone, "This host, she's a friend of yours, right?"
Star's gaze hesitated.
She glanced at the screen, where Monica was appearing. "We're... acquaintances. But I suppose this is part of her job..."
As she finished, the woman cursed to herself silently.
She was a fool. Having Moira be the host was like telling Jasper that she was involved in this too.
"You're more than just casual acquaintances." Jasper turned his head, glancing coldly at Star. "Last night, she led an attack in the farmers market, scratching Adeline's face and tearing her clothes."
Star was taken aback.
"I... I didn't know about this."
And indeed, she didn't.
After arranging today's event in the late afternoon yesterday, she had Monica check Jasper's and the children's whereabouts.
After making sure Jasper and the kids were at the company, she went to bed early.
She truly had no idea what Monica did to Adeline at the farmers market.
But...
She turned to face him. "Jasper, how do you know about this? Weren't you—"
'Weren't you working overtime at the office all night?'
He looked at her, his gaze deep. "If you can send someone to watch me, can't I have someone play a role?"
Looking at her pale face, he smiled slightly. "I wasn't at the office with the kids yesterday."
Clutching her hands into fists by her side, Star knew, without him saying, where he and the kids must have been.
"Ladies and gentlemen." At that moment, on the big screen, Adeline began speaking with a smile. "Regarding the rumors online, I must admit, some of them are true."
She smiled at the shocked reporters. "Indeed, I did have my sights set on Mr. Jasper Foster."
The statement sent a murmur through the crowd.
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