chapter809

Stella pushed through the crowd and hurried over to help Joshua to his feet.

The moment the reporters spotted Stella, their demeanor softened noticeably. After all, people respected strength, no matter where you were.

"Ms. Cameron is here!"

"Ms. Cameron, this Joshua-he's your assistant, right? Did you hear about the news he made this morning?"

"Ms. Cameron, they say Joshua is a gigolo who preys on women's feelings. You'd better watch out and not let him take advantage of you."

Instead of swarming her, the journalists kept their distance, their words more like friendly advice than accusations.

Stella was a respected charity ambassador-a rising star who'd just defeated Harry and would soon represent their country in an international competition. No one dared cross the line with her.

Stella kept her tone polite and composed. "Joshua was in a car accident yesterday and needs to stay in the hospital for a while to recover. I hope everyone can give him the space he needs to get better.

As for those rumors... Once he's out of the hospital, we'll hold a press conference and give everyone a proper explanation."

Now that Stella had become a national icon, the crowd was willing to give her this much respect.

"All right, since you've said so, Ms. Cameron, we'll take our leave for now."

"Ms. Cameron, good luck in the competition! Make sure to beat those foreigners and make us proud!"

When national honor was at stake, even the most gossip-hungry reporters put aside their prejudices.

Still, someone couldn't resist stirring the pot.

"Ms. Cameron, Joshua's just your assistant. Why are you so determined to protect him? Is there something going on between the two of you that you don't want the public to know?"

Before Stella could answer, Joshua, who had been silent all this time, spoke up. "You can insult me if you want, but I won't let you slander Ms. Cameron. Spreading baseless accusations comes with legal consequences."

His words only earned him sneers from the crowd.

No one had much respect for a man who was rumored to live off a woman.

The instigator scoffed. "Have you even seen the photos and videos going around

online, Mr. Joshua? Photos can be faked, but videos don't lie."

Joshua didn't bother to argue. He simply said, "You can link me to anyone you want, but there's nothing improper between me and Ms Cameron. Please don't spread malicious rumors.

Ms. Cameron is about to perform at her concert, and soon after, she'll be representing our country in the competition. Are you deliberately trying to distract her at such a crucial moment?"

The room fell silent as everyone turned to look at the reporter who had spoken out.

They might have lacked scruples, but when it came to national pride, they knew where to draw the line.

If Stella got tangled in a scandal now and it affected her performance, it would only help the foreign competitors.

Those rivals had strutted around for long enough; it was time someone put them in their place.

The reporter's face turned ashen.

His intentions had been anything but pure he'd hoped to throw a wrench in

Stella's path with some negative headlines.

He hadn't expected Joshua to see right through him.

With nothing left to say, the reporter slinked away in embarrassment.

The rest of the journalists quickly followed.

Once they were gone, Stella called over Neville's bodyguards to station themselves at the door, making sure no unauthorized people could come in.

Taking advantage of the quiet, Stella pulled out her phone to look into what had actually happened.

The more she read, the deeper her frown became.

Several wealthy women were claiming online that Joshua had deceived them emotionally and financially.

They'd even posted intimate photos and records of enormous wire transfers.

The smallest sum was in the millions; the largest, nearly ten times that.

According to their statements, theirs hadn't been some sordid arrangement these were, apparently, normal romantic relationships.

One of the women wrote, "Who would pay someone they're just supporting this much? I've been focused on my career for years-everyone around me knows I've never had a boyfriend."