Noah Valentine's brows furrowed tightly.
Who was this country bumpkin daring to question him?
He narrowed his eyes and hissed at security under his breath, "Get this troublemaker out of here."
The front-row media, acting on Sophia Sullivan's instructions, broke through the barricade.
Countless cameras shoved into Noah's face.
"Mr. Valentine, why not paint something right now to prove your innocence?"
"Your fans would love to see you work live."
"You don't mind using your skills to silence the doubters, do you?"
The media fanned the flames, and the crowd quickly joined in.
"Mr. Valentine! Show them what you've got! Let the haters see your talent!"
Caleb Sullivan was naturally introverted, preferring the shadows.
The roaring cheers made his legs weak.
But he forced himself to step forward.
"My mentor is the real artist. Noah stole her discarded drafts and then accused her of plagiarism. If you're truly innocent, why not answer the challenge?"
This industry demanded both talent and relentless practice.
Caleb saw right through Noah.
The man's hands lacked the calluses of someone who painted daily.
The thought of this thief basking in glory ignited Caleb's sense of justice.
Besides, he had an earpiece—Sophia was guiding him from afar.
"Mr. Winston, what’s with the media you called—"
Noah scowled as microphones nearly jabbed his mouth.
He shot Liam Winston a furious glare.
Liam hadn’t expected this either.
He’d allowed Chloe Evans to credit the company earlier—now he was trapped.
He forced calm into his voice.
"Everyone, please remain calm. Don’t believe these lies. As CEO of Winston Group, I vouch for Noah. Clearly, someone has been deceived by a fame-hungry woman!"
Chloe seized the moment to twist the narrative.
She addressed Caleb with feigned sympathy. "I know the 'mentor' you’re talking about. Quite beautiful, wearing a corset top today, right?"
When Caleb froze, she smirked inwardly.
She sighed dramatically.
"She’s divorced, and not long ago, she even seduced—"
Chloe pretended to catch herself, blinking innocently.
"Young man, no matter how much you admire her, you can’t slander Mr. Valentine’s reputation for no reason."
Caleb flushed with anger.
"That’s a filthy lie! I’m here for justice—my relationship with my mentor is purely professional!"
Liam’s chest burned at the insinuation.
Sophia was impressive.
She always found new men to fight her battles.
"A discarded woman like her is worth your loyalty?"
Liam turned to Noah, his voice icy. "Mr. Valentine, paint something now and shut them up. Let’s see what excuses they have left!"
Noah: "..."
Noah wanted to wring Liam’s neck.
Was the man brain-dead?
Chloe sensed disaster and intervened.
"Mr. Valentine prefers to create in private. A public setting might affect his performance. Some people just want to smear his name."
Caleb frowned as Sophia’s calm voice spoke in his ear.
He repeated her words verbatim.
"Then, Mr. Valentine, what’s the theme of the thirtieth page in your comic?"
"The thirtieth page..."
Noah drew a blank.
He’d merely compiled discarded drafts for publication without much thought. After celebrating the royalties, he’d forgotten the content entirely.
He glanced discreetly at his phone before declaring, "Love, of course!"
The young man smirked, pressing closer.
"That chapter’s title mentions love, but the artwork pays homage to The Bonds of Time. Love is just a metaphor—the true theme celebrates friendship. The gemstone in the first panel? A topaz, symbolizing friendship."
Caleb relayed the words, his own eyes stinging.
Even he knew the story was about friendship. How dare this fraud stand here?
"If you were the real artist, how could you mistake the core theme? Do you think we’re all fools?"