She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 658

Her lips slowly curved upward. Finally, when she locked eyes with a news photographer's lens, she broke into a radiant, breathtaking smile.

It was dazzling, practically bursting with blinding vitality.

The photographer stared at the image he just captured on his screen, entirely mesmerized for a long time.

Christmas was fast approaching.

Thanks to the Corinne scandal blowing up—and Lucian amplifying the negative press behind the scenes—Coleman was officially suspended pending investigation. Seizing the momentum, the President ordered a full reboot of the investigation into The Providence.

During an intense Cabinet meeting, the conservative and hawkish factions clashed viciously over who would lead the probe.

Finally, Yale Nash, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, slammed his hand on the table. "I will personally investigate The Providence and Lucian Shapiro. I won't let a single person trying to muddy these waters slip away."

The moment he spoke, the room fell dead silent.

The Cabinet assumed the matter was settled, but a massive curveball hit them out of nowhere.

Listening to an urgent report from his aide, Yale's eyes widened in horror. "Get the Department of Justice on the line right now! He's out of his damn mind!"

While the two factions had been tearing at each other's throats, the President had completely bypassed the Cabinet and unilaterally ordered the full, unredacted declassification of every single file related to The Providence.

Since Lucian was revered as the legendary Admiral and the nation's ultimate protector, the President decreed that his judgment would be handed over to the people.

Through a national live stream, the government would broadcast a close-up, real-time forensic sweep of The Providence wreckage. The entire country was invited to play detective and determine if the tragedy had any connection to Lucian.

The moment the announcement dropped, the internet practically exploded.

Standing by his office window, the President stared at his reflection in the darkened glass. "Will this actually work?"

Lucian stood impeccably straight a few feet away, his gaze unreadable. "Who else would you trust to handle this case?"

The President fell silent, then let out a self-deprecating chuckle. "This is going to be the most absurd 'public trial' in Harmony Country's history."

He turned to look at Lucian, his voice dropping. "But you're right. This is the only viable way to wash the dirt off your name."

He sighed heavily. "Internal corruption, foreign spies everywhere... without you, I can't move an inch. It's hard on me, Lucian, but I know it's infinitely harder on you."

"The number of assassination attempts on you is staggering. I'm dragging you down," the President admitted softly. "But you're the only one I have left."

If things kept going like this, the moment The Providence was broadcast to millions, any overlooked traces of sabotage would instantly be spotted. Coleman, who was already dangling over the fire, would be nailed to the wall for treason.

It looked like Coleman was a pawn he was going to have to sacrifice.

The broadcast of The Providence launched at breakneck speed.

The second the stream went live, viewership across all major platforms skyrocketed exponentially. Within minutes, it broke the multi-million mark. Comments and live chats blurred past like a hurricane, crashing servers left and right.

High-definition drones and cameras meticulously swept over the bridge, the deck, the cabins, and every dark corner that might hide a clue.

Professional analysts provided basic commentary on the ship's layout but remained dead silent regarding any actual suspicious elements, leaving the heavy lifting and theorizing entirely up to the millions watching through their screens.

Loyce sat on a plush rug in the living room. It was snowing outside. A massive multi-screen display was showing every single angle of the live feed.

She casually fiddled with a small gift box meant for the Christmas tree while keeping an eye on the screens.

Lucian sat on the sofa right beside her. He had practically moved in lately. He even had the staff clear out a guest room for him and hauled over all his official paperwork. He looked fully prepared to become a permanent resident.

Naturally, her brothers and Gordon had vehemently opposed this, terrified he was trying to monopolize her attention. If Lucian moved in, wouldn't their precious girl just revolve around him all day?