Why should she?!
Julia's gaze fixed on Amelia, and amidst the array of microphones and camera lenses, she suppressed her rage and declared loudly,
"Your mother was unscrupulous, acting as a mistress and planning to ruin another family after taking money and giving birth to you! She brought her own downfall through illness and squandered all the money on drugs, then died, leaving you, this mess, for the Nightingale family to clean up! Both of you, mother and daughter, are heartless; calling you ungrateful snake is an insult to animals!"
"You destroyed the Nightingale family, caused the death of Mrs. Nightingale, and drove Serena to suicide!"
"Amelia, are you even human?!"
"The Nightingales raised you despite your past, what kind of heart did you possess to betray them like that?!"
Amelia's expression twisted with resentment and ugliness, resembling a red-eyed lioness fixated on her prey, ready to pounce and tear apart the woman revealing her true colors.
"Miss Monahan, is what this lady saying true?"
"Miss Monahan, the Nightingale family fell from grace in J city; were you involved in that matter? And why did you do it?"
"Miss Monahan, does the disappearance of the Nightingale heiress have anything to do with you?"
"Miss Monahan, you were at the hospital the day Mrs. Nightingale passed away; did you have a hand in her death?"
"..."
The relentless questioning under the flashing lights forced Amelia to adjust her expression, adopting a look of victimhood.
Her eyes reddened as she turned, her watery gaze seeking out the two esteemed men behind her.
If just one of them spoke up for her, the reporters would immediately fall silent, daring not to ask another question.
In the face of capital, the competition boils down to who possesses the greater quantity.
And in J city, these two young men had undoubtedly the greatest assets.
They understood what should and shouldn't be reported.
"Phoenix..." she whispered.
Phoenix stood by, his face cold, a passive observer.
Evan, on the other hand, leisurely took out a handkerchief from his pocket, approached Amelia, and gently wiped her face. "Don't cry, it'll ruin your mascara, and you won't look good on camera. Be good"
Amelia's face shifted, her back stiffening as she looked at the man before her.
He was still gentle with her, as if nothing had changed, yet something felt off.
"It's your birthday today, don't ruin your makeup with tears. You won't look pretty anymore, sweetie." Evan tenderly tousled Amelia's hair, his smile measured. Glancing around, he noticed the reporters had stopped pressing for answers, content with taking pictures.
Reporting on this incident wasn't impossible; it just required gauging the reactions of these two men.
After all, anyone brave enough to report tonight's events would surely make headlines.
Profitable, and perhaps for the sake of true justice, some daring souls might skirt the edges to write about it.
No need for excessive detail; a mere hint would suffice.
Humans, after all, were creatures of speculation.
Words could save, but they could also destroy.
Apart from the clicks of the cameras, there was no other sound in the room.
"Miss Monahan, it's a pity you didn't become an actress," Julia scoffed, unsatisfied as she looked at Amelia's flushed cheek. "Your expressions change so swiftly and naturally. If given the chance, you could teach some current actors a thing or two."
"You've repeatedly targeted me, slandered me with baseless accusations! I can sue you for defamation!" Amelia fumed, her usual poised demeanor vanishing, revealing a shrewish side.
Julia's sneer didn't waver as she looked down at Amelia with half-lidded eyes.
Shrew was shrew, no matter how well she was raised among the elite.
Evil ran in her blood; no amount of education could elevate her.
Putting on a pretense.
The atmosphere tensed as the two women squared off, until a bold reporter attempted to lighten the mood.
Clearing his throat, he laughed, "Miss Monahan, we heard you'll announce your wedding plans tonight. Which of these two gentlemen will be your Mr. Right?"
Amelia suddenly remembered her ace card—no, her backup plan—Evan.
In the past, Phoenix was superior to Evan in every way.
Most importantly, Phoenix was Serena's fiancé.
Thus, she plotted to drive a wedge between them, making Serena misunderstand, ensuring that even if Phoenix didn't love her, he would at least think of her.
Guilt and gratitude were powerful tools.
Marrying someone who didn't love her was unacceptable, but Evan was different.
From recent hints Evan had dropped, Amelia was certain he would propose.
Tonight.
With more exciting events to come, Amelia deemed it unnecessary to engage with this meddlesome Julia.
Serena was dead, wasn't she?
Julia's championing of justice, even if she knew the truth, meant nothing.
Did she have proof?
Regretting her earlier confrontation with Julia, Amelia realized she had wasted time and ruined her image on camera.
A careless mistake indeed.
Fortunately, it wasn't too late.
Amelia's smile reappeared, radiating warmly at Evan.
Her makeup, smudged slightly by Evan's handkerchief, appeared eerie. While a somber face was passable, her smile now was terrifying.
"Evan..." she whispered, her expectant gaze locked onto him.
Evan's smile deepened, making Amelia feel uneasy.
He spoke softly, yet loud enough for the surrounding reporters to hear clearly.
"I never said I would marry Miss Monahan. I wonder what gave you the misunderstanding that I would wed you."
After he said that, the room erupted in astonishment.
Amelia's smile froze, her eyes locked onto him.
Evan smiled faintly, not averting his gaze.
The reporters turned their lenses to Phoenix, who had been silent until now. He spoke calmly, "My wife, from beginning to end, has always been one person, the Nightingale heiress, Serena."
His deep voice was light, pronouncing her name with particular sweetness.
"Even if she's missing, she remains forever my wife, Mr. Lee of J city." This was Phoenix's first public appearance after being absent for so long, and his statement stunned everyone.
"But Mr. Lee, Miss Nightingale has been missing for a long time. Have you been searching for her all this while?"
"It's rumored that Miss Nightingale drowned. We understand you weren't married to her. What if Miss Nightingale has passed away?"
Phoenix's gaze seemed distant, yet it conveyed a message through the camera lens, "No matter she was alive or dead, she will always be my wife."
