The Hidden Empress Stripping Her Secrets After Divorce novel Chapter 155

Fortunately, the vast majority of the audience was completely captivated by Evelyn, so no one noticed Sebastian's brief, almost system-crashing lapse. No one except Lance.

"My God... she is just so..." muttered the executive beside them, his heavy accent full of awe. He was clearly deeply moved as well. "Mr. Thorne, did you hear what she just said? Not 'I saved you,' but 'you saved yourselves'... what an incredible heart..."

Sebastian still didn't respond. He didn't even realize the man beside him was speaking to him.

At that moment, a few rows behind Sebastian, hushed, excited chatter broke out in Chinese, brimming with unconcealed pride.

"Did you see that! Commissioner Adler! That's our girl! Dr. Sullivan!" an excited voice said.

"I saw her! Good heavens... what a scene! I always knew The Rosetta Project was highly regarded in our circles, but I never imagined her reputation here would reach this level!" Another voice responded, sounding like one of the accompanying officials.

Their conversation caught the attention of Ambassador Soren Bjorn sitting nearby, who curiously asked in English, "Excuse me for interrupting. The esteemed 'Dr. Rose' on stage... is she an expert from your country?"

"Of course!" The first voice immediately switched to fluent English, the tone ringing with undeniable pride. "Dr. Evelyn Sullivan, a top-tier medical researcher from our country and the Director of The Rosetta Project. She has made outstanding contributions in several cutting-edge international fields. I had no idea her humanitarian work in Africa ran this deep and had earned such profound love from the local people. She is the pride of our nation's medical and scientific community!"

"Truly astonishing!" the ambassador praised genuinely. "I had no idea your country had an expert with such a prestigious reputation in international medicine and humanitarian aid. She looks so young!"

"Haha," the commissioner laughed, his tone carrying a hint of "there's a lot you don't know" implication. "Dr. Sullivan's capabilities and contributions far exceed what her age might suggest. We have many brilliant scientists like her working tirelessly behind the scenes in various fields; they just aren't as well-known to the public." The response gracefully answered the question while subtly upholding their national prestige, holding a hidden edge.

Their conversation drifted clearly into Sebastian's ears, but he still acted as if he hadn't heard a word. He just watched, and listened. He watched Evelyn interact with the tribal elders on stage, accepting the most rustic yet most sincere blessings; he listened to her Swahili speech, which, though he couldn't understand the vocabulary, he felt he entirely grasped the emotional core of.

She seemed to be wrapping up her speech. She said one last passage, then gave a slight bow and handed the microphone back to the old chief.

"Mr. Thorne!" Lance applied more pressure this time, practically barking in a low voice right next to Sebastian's ear, squeezing his arm hard at the same time.

Sebastian jolted violently, as if he had been forcibly dragged out of a deep dream. He blinked, his long eyelashes casting shadows over his eyelids. When he looked up again, the momentary distraction and awe in his eyes had been rapidly suppressed, covered once again by his habitual, bottomless calm. Yet beneath that calm, something seemed to have been permanently altered, with turbulent undercurrents swirling.

He turned his head to look at Lance, his eyes entirely clear, even carrying a hint of annoyance at the interruption. "What is it?"

Lance felt a wave of relief seeing him snap back to normal, but his doubts grew deeper. He whispered, "The luncheon arrangements are all set. However..." His voice dropped even lower, carrying an unprecedented gravity. He quickly slid his phone screen right in front of Sebastian's eyes. On it was a live broadcast from a major domestic news platform. The watermark was glaring, and the camera was panning across the VIP section, perfectly framing Sebastian's side profile as he stared at the stage, right alongside the serene profile of Evelyn accepting the floral tribute.

Lance's voice was tight, every word landing clearly in Sebastian's ear.

"Mr. Thorne, look at this. We're being broadcast live right now, and it's an official stream."