Chapter 151

“Go ahead without me,” Vivienne said, distracted by the image of Derek’s face, rendering her unresponsive to their explanations.

Watching her leave, Milo grimaced at Walter. “This puts me in a difficult position!” His hopes for a double bonus vanished.

Walter responded with a cold laugh. “It seems I’m the one who should be complaining!”

A disturbance erupted nearby. Milo and Walter exchanged a look, silently agreeing, and hurried outside.

At the police station entrance, a throng of journalists had gathered, their cameras trained on Vivienne. Milo and Walter’s surprise was evident.

A bewildered Milo muttered, “What are these reporters doing here?” Walter echoed his confusion. The ongoing investigation, potentially linked to a three-year-old smuggling operation, made the media’s presence incredibly risky.

Walter strode forward, Milo, dreaming of promotions and raises, close behind. Their arrival only intensified the media frenzy.

“Does this alleged artifact trafficking tie back to the smuggling three years ago?”

“Why is the suspect allowed to roam free while the investigation is ongoing?”

“There have been rumors of corruption within your police department. Are they true?”

Walter, already uncomfortable with public interaction, became increasingly irate under the media’s relentless questioning. He shouted, “Enough with your baseless accusations! Continue this, and you’ll find yourselves under interrogation!”

This only fueled the reporters’ aggression. “Does this mean you have a guilty conscience?”

“An officer threatening us? We’re filing a report.”

Speechless, Walter froze, but Vivienne intervened swiftly. “Where is the proof?”

Standing firm amidst the crowd, her calm assurance and intimidating presence unsettled the onlookers. Temporarily silenced, someone eventually said, “Your illicit activities are now a trending video online. How can you deny that?”

“With all this evidence and witnesses, how can you possibly deny your crimes?”

“You have your connections; it’s clear why you stand here so confidently, as though you’re above it all!”

Vivienne’s eyes swept coldly over the crowd; her subtle smile sent a chill through the air.

“Convicting me based on a video? You think you’re master detectives?” she scoffed.

“We’re not detectives, but the evidence against you is undeniable!” a journalist retorted.

Vivienne smiled dismissively. “Were you personally present to witness any of it?”

The journalist pressed on. “There’s a saying, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. If you’re really not involved, why are you even here?”

Vivienne chuckled softly. “You do raise a valid point.”

Her ambiguous reply seemed to the crowd a hidden confession. As journalists prepared sensational headlines, Vivienne cleverly shifted the narrative.

“Mr. Walter, could you enlighten us on the legal consequences for defamation and slander?”

“What?” Walter, momentarily disoriented by Vivienne’s sudden address, quickly recovered under her steady gaze. “The penalties could be severe—up to three years imprisonment, or loss of certain rights.”

The reporters’ expressions shifted dramatically upon hearing this.