Outcast Queen: Her Return from Hell novel Chapter 474

Holden took two steps forward on trembling legs, looking at Duncan with a complicated expression.

At this moment, Duncan's eyes were bloodshot, glaring at him so fiercely it looked as if he wanted to eat him alive, desperately signaling with his eyes for him to shut up.

But compared to Duncan's empty posturing, deep down Holden was far more terrified of Phoenix and Pierce's methods.

Those two were the true masters of calm devastation, capable of destroying a person's soul without batting an eye. Just a few understated sentences from them had completely shattered his psychological defenses.

"Holden, you're scrambling for cash just to pay for your mother's medical treatments. As a son, you've done your duty, so I'm willing to leave you a way out."

"As long as you stand up and testify against Duncan... I promise your mother will live comfortably for a few more years."

It was these words that flawlessly seized Holden's lifeline.

He had schemed and calculated, all for his mother's well-being.

If he truly offended Phoenix, with her unfathomably terrifying methods, he wouldn't just lose the money—he'd forfeit his mother's life too.

After all, the only reason he was caught was because she had been setting him up from the shadows.

The earlier meeting was nothing but a smokescreen to lower his guard and bait him into stealing the secrets.

Otherwise, given Phoenix's capabilities, how could her computer password be cracked so easily? She had played him like a fiddle.

"Everyone, I am the mole Mr. St. Claire planted in Astraea Group!" Holden took a deep breath and dramatically raised his voice, letting it echo through the quiet hall. "It was him who ordered me to steal the core patent technology to crush Astraea Group!"

"He decided to hold this press conference at the last minute just to launch before Astraea Group and forcibly corner the market. But the truth is, several core data points for this technology are still inaccurate; it's currently still in the debugging phase!"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the crowd erupted.

Everything finally clicked: this seemingly glamorous press conference was nothing more than a malicious case of corporate plagiarism aimed at Astraea Group!

Duncan had not only stolen someone else's patent but, in his rush to seize the advantage, completely disregarded data accuracy. It was outright insanity.

"Slander! This is all slander!" Duncan's eyes practically bulged out of his head. Still clinging to his final dying struggle, he pointed at Holden and hurled abuse. "You made up this monstrous lie just to help them smear me! Are you even human?!"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have Duncan's transfer records right here!" Holden didn't back down. He immediately projected his phone screen onto the massive display behind him. "He promised me ten million dollars as long as I stole the data!"

On the big screen, massive wire transfers were clearly visible, displaying the payee and the payer for all to see.

This ironclad proof was like a sledgehammer, smashing Duncan's lies into a million pieces.

This man's future and ambitions had been brutally severed today.

As for Lorraine and Jade, they were nothing but clowns clinging to others for power. Without Duncan as their backer, they could no longer stir up a single ripple.

Retracting her gaze, Phoenix turned to the shaken media and guests in the audience. A graceful smile curved her lips. "Well, everyone, since you're already here, I might as well use this readymade venue to officially launch Astraea Group's true technology."

The entire hall plunged into shock once again.

The grand press conference Duncan had exhausted himself and spent a fortune to organize had ended up serving as Phoenix's perfect stage!

The crowd couldn't help but sigh internally: this was the ultimate definition of 'making a wedding dress for someone else.'

Meanwhile, in the Quincy family's study.

Quentin Quincy and Emmett Osborne were staring intensely at the LCD screen in front of them, which was broadcasting Phoenix's radiant moment.

They had been secretly monitoring this press conference from the start, assuming it would be the perfect springboard for their two families to join forces and crush Astraea Group.

But who could have guessed that not only would Duncan be played for an absolute fool by Phoenix, but he would also be hauled away by the police, turning his meticulously arranged venue into a stepping stone for Phoenix's grand ambitions!