CHAPTER 173
Arianna's expression remained unchanged, her eyes devoid of any emotion as she scanned the crowd of reporters. She knew all too well that many of them had been bribed by Simon, determined to completely ruin her reputation.
With a slight curl of her lips, she spoke calmly, "I'll address the question regarding my private life now, but before I do, I invite everyone to watch this video."
She pulled out her phone, tapped the screen, and projected a video onto the large screen behind her.
As the video began, Harrold Harrison —a man who had been mentioned in the list of Arianna's alleged affairs—appeared on the screen. His expression was serious, almost respectful, as he spoke directly to the camera,
“Hello, everyone; I’m Mr Harrold Harrison, the one falsely accused of having an affair with Ms Johnson. Let me make this clear: these accusations are entirely baseless. Ms. Johnson and I have only met a handful of times, and there’s nothing inappropriate between us. To those spreading these malicious rumours online, I strongly advise you to stop and delete your posts immediately. If this continues, I will have no choice but to take legal action to protect my reputation. Thank you.”
The second individual to appear on screen was a hospital janitor, his expression earnest and visibly uncomfortable as he faced the camera. In a thick village accent, he spoke with sincerity,
“Hello everyone. I’m the second man accused of having an affair with Ms. Johnson. The truth is, I was simply doing my job, cleaning when Ms Johnson kindly warned me about an object that was about to fall and hit me. She was just trying to prevent me from getting hurt. I have no idea how such a rumour even started, but let me be clear: I’m not having an affair with Ms Johnson!”
Next up were two nurses from the hospital’s inpatient department. They had witnessed the entire incident when Arianna warned the janitor and were quick to support her. They stated firmly,
“Ms Johnson has been visiting the hospital regularly over the past few months to care for her brother, Charlie. Throughout this time, we’ve never seen her behaving inappropriately or trying to hook up with any men at the hospital. She is always gentle and polite and upholds strong morals. We strongly urge everyone not to believe in baseless rumours and to be mindful of the harm that careless words can cause.”
The fourth person to appear was Alan, whose appearance prompted the most buzz.
Alan stood out among the others on the list due to his refined demeanour and gentlemanly charm. His images, showing him assisting Arianna with her medication in a café, had stirred significant discussion.
People were astonished that someone with his distinguished presence could be involved with someone they believed to be as disreputable as Arianna.
Numerous women had taken to FriendTalk to warn Alan about Arianna’s alleged behaviour, insisting that someone of his calibre deserved far better and advising him to distance himself from her.
Alan appeared on camera dressed in a simple shirt and pants, projecting an image of authenticity and humility.
He raised his hand in a casual greeting before speaking clearly to the camera.
“Hello, everyone; I’m Dr. Woods. Arianna and I are close friends, and my team is currently overseeing Charlie’s treatment. That’s why we’ve had frequent interactions lately. There’s nothing more to it between us, so please stop spreading these false rumours.”
Just as he finished, the screen went dark. When it seemed the video had ended, a new, authoritative voice began to speak.
“Hello everyone. I’m St. John!”
That simple introduction stunned the entire conference room into silence before an eruption of exclamations filled the air.
St. John—one of the most enigmatic figures in the medical world!
As the sole protégé of Professor Louie, he had captivated global attention. With numerous breakthroughs and international awards under his belt, he was recently nominated for the prestigious Alfred Prize.
St. John’s reclusive nature and elusive public presence made him a coveted figure in the media, with news outlets striving to uncover even the smallest details about him.
Though only a few had seen his face, St. John's voice was widely known from his academic recordings, making his identity unmistakable. Hearing his distinctive voice alone confirmed his presence in Arianna’s video.
Nobody anticipated that St. John would appear in her footage.
“The photos circulating online of Arianna chasing a bus to reach Dr Woods are genuine,” he said.
“But she was not trying to seduce him. Instead, she wanted him to pass along her request for me to take over Charlie’s treatment. The interactions between Alan and Arianna were solely about Charlie’s care. Please disregard the rumours and avoid harming innocent people by spreading false information. Thank you.”
When the video ended, it took a moment for everyone to regain their composure.
With someone as esteemed as St. John publicly supporting her, even the most sceptical reporters found it hard to dispute her claims.
Arianna swiftly continued, projecting all the evidence she had meticulously prepared about Charlie’s case onto the screen. This included her chat history with Alan on WeTalk and other relevant documentation.
She had presented all necessary personal and physical evidence.
Simon’s face drained of colour, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief.
How had Arianna managed to enlist someone so influential? And given her past conflicts with Harrold Harrison, which were far from resolved, it seemed improbable that he would come to her aid. What else about Arianna was Simon completely unaware of?
The room fell silent. The overwhelming evidence had left the reporters with nothing more to question.
Arianna had refuted all three accusations against her and revealed herself to be financially struggling. Her parents, who had shown no genuine affection for her, were exposed as exploitative.
As the room remained silent, the door to the conference room burst open, and a man burst in, yelling,
“Don’t trust Arianna’s words! She’s nothing but a liar spreading falsehoods!”
