Chapter 806
The sudden voice violently yanked the crowd’s attention back to the stage.
Standing close to the front, Charlene and Stewart instantly recognized the man as Raleigh.
Connecting the dots from his previous outburst, they immediately realized exactly what he was trying to do.
They exchanged a tense look.
Dr. Lucas frowned, clearly annoyed by yet another disruption.
His assistant moved to intercept Raleigh immediately. “Sir, Dr. Lucas is handling an important matter. If you have any questions, you can find an appropriate time later to
Raleigh ignored him completely, locking eyes with Dr. Lucas. “Dr. Lucas, please rest assured, I am not here to cause trouble. I am simply curious. From what I understand, the CEO of Neural Nexus Tech-Ms. Vesta Hawkins, who is also Mr. Thorne Henderson’s girlfriend-was hoping to study under you. Yet, you just rejected her. Why? Is it because you believe Charlene is superior to her?”
The Hawkins, the Spencers, and Corinne were further back in the crowd, but they recognized Raleigh instantly.
When they realized what he was attempting to do, the color drained from their faces. Especially Henley and Maureen’s.
Dalton was well aware of Raleigh’s history with PrimeStar and Vesta.
Seeing him hijack the stage was a shock.
But hearing his opening statement brought a vicious smirk to Dalton’s face. He instantly relaxed.
Kelvin, who didn’t know Raleigh, leaned in. “What’s going on?”
Dalton laughed softly. “That’s the guy who originally recommended Vesta to PrimeStar.”
Kelvin’s eyes lit up. “Holy shit. He’s going to expose Charlene right now? Are we about to get a front-row seat to her downfall?”
Dalton smirked at the stage. “Exactly.”
York overheard their exchange and paused.
Catching York’s gaze, Dalton’s smile faltered slightly. Kelvin awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck, scrambling for an excuse. “Uh, York, I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine,” York said calmly. “Let’s just watch.”
When Dr. Lucas had first announced his intention to recruit Charlene, Vesta’s mind had gone entirely blank.
Seeing Raleigh suddenly materialize on stage and drop her name sent her into total paralysis.
By the time her brain rebooted,
Raleigh had already delivered his et
second blow. Neither she or her
family had any chance to stop him.
If Raleigh had only mentioned the CEO of Neural Nexus, most of the guests wouldn’t have known who he meant.
But by name-dropping Thorne Henderson’s girlfriend, everyone instantly knew it was Vesta.
A large portion of the crowd had no idea Vesta was even aiming for the mentorship.
Still, knowing her background in Al, it wasn’t exactly shocking.
After all, who didn’t want to be Dr. Lucas’s student?
The moment Raleigh’s words sank in, an excited murmur swept through the ballroom as guests craned their necks, eagerly searching theor rowd for Vesta.
While most didn’t know Raleigh personally, his tone made it crystal clear: he was aggressively fighting for Vesta’s honor.
Vesta’s grip on her glass was vice-like.
She fought back the panic, forcing a mask of utter calm onto her face.
Maintaining a flawless, dignified smile, she marched straight toward the stage, her mind racing. “Raleigh, I indeed-“
But before she could finish, Dr. Lucas spoke into the microphone, his amplified voice easily drowning hers out.
He stared Raleigh down. “Are you Ms. Hawkins’s friend?”
“Yes,” Raleigh replied.
Dr. Lucas looked out over the crowd, his gaze landing exactly where Vesta was approaching.
“This might offend Ms. Hawkins,” Dr.
Luca early, but in my e
stated
Sharlenes indeed far more
exceptional than her.”
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eyes,