She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew) novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56
The questions were so full of malice that they nearly left Wesley stunned.
He forced himself to stay composed and replied firmly, “Everyone, Athena is a good kid-she’s hardworking and kind-
hearted.
“She’s definitely not living with any man, and she doesn’t have a boyfriend. The car she drives was bought with prize money she earned from various competitions. Every cent was earned through honest means. Please don’t believe or spread baseless
rumors,
The reporters and influencers, seeing him engage, only grew more aggressive. It’s said your family is pretty poor, with just a tricycle for delivering supplies, while Athena, at only eighteen, managed to buy herself a car. Are you planning to live off her in the future, draining her earnings?”
Wesley’s face flushed with anger. “Athena is our treasured daughter. We would never take a single cent from her.”
But the questions kept coming. “We’ve heard that Athena is close with several wealthy and influential men…”
Before Wesley could respond, Arthur, who had come downstairs out of concern for Wesley, shouted, “Athena has plenty of friends-both male and female! She’s exceptionally smart and is sure to become a top talent in the future. Some high-level executives from major companies have already reached out, hoping to collaborate with her one day.
“You shouldn’t spread groundlessrumors that could damage a young girl’s reputation
But the questions only grew sharper. “We’ve heard that Athena frequently skips school and is rarely in class…”
Realizing that allowing the reporters and influencers to continue prying would only make things worse, Wesley cut in and raised his voice. “We’re just an ordinary family, and Athena is a modest person. We don’t want to be in the spotlight or become some kind of viral sensation. Please focus your attention on other top students.
“We have work to do, so we won’t be answering any more questions,
With that, he grabbed Arthur’s arm and led him upstairs, whispering, “No one in our family should go downstairs today. If you see those reporters or influencers, stay far away from them. We can’t let this cause any more trouble for Athena.”
Arthur, looking distressed, said, “Dad, you don’t know-the rest of our phones have been ringing off the hook all day. Every time we pick up, it’s either reporters, influencers, or colleges asking all sorts of questions-it’s nerve-wracking”
Wesley quickly decided, “Everyone, turn off your phones and don’t answer any calls. Let’s just keep Josie’s smartwatch on. “And we need to keep an eye on the front door. If anyone manages to get in, it’ll be a disaster if those reporters or influencers barge into our home.”
Josie’s smartwatch was advanced enough to work as a phone, but only their family knew the number.
Arthur felt a chill run down his spine and scratched his head. I stay at the stairwell on the second floor. If I see anyone trying to go downstairs, I’ll ask them to hold off. If they really need to go, I’ll invite them to our place-we’ll give them food and drinks to keep them busy.”
Wesley patted his shoulder. “Good job. I’ll bring you a chair in a bit.”
The Donovan family spent the entire day with their phones turned off, quietly staying at home without daring to step
outside.
Fortunately, there were only four or five households in the building, mostly elderly residents who were on good terms with the Donovan family. They were also spooked by the crowd outsle and didn’t dare to leave their apartments.
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The reporters and influencers waited from morning until afternoon, growing more and more exhausted. The heat and the secluded location, with no decent places nearby to grab a bite, finally drove them to leave the area.
By five or six in the evening, the area around the building was completely quict, with no one left keeping watch.
Wesley called a few neighbors to confirm that the reporters and influencers had finally left. Once he was sure, he let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Alright, let’s get ready to open the shop.
They needed to make money for renovations, to buy a car, and in give the kids a better life. If they could keep the shop open, they would.
But what they never expected was that just as they prepared everything to open, a swarm of reporters and influencers suddenly appeared, surrounding them with cameras and microphones, live-streaming and bombarding them with
questions.
“Everyone, take a look! This is the fried chicken shop owned by Athena’s family. The place is called ‘Local Fried Chicken.’ Let me give you a quick rundown of their menu and
prices…”
You must be Athena’s parents and brother, right? Has Athena ever eaten here? I heard she was raised like a princess by her adoptive parents. Can she even handle eating at a place like this?
“How much do you make in a night selling fried chicken? How much do you pull in monthly?”
“Is this Athena’s little sister? Her leg looks crippled-what a sharte for such a pretty girl….
When no one was available to watch her at home, Josie usually stayed at the shop with her parents:
She had never been surrounded, questioned, and photographed by so many people before. Terrified, she hid behind Arthur, gripping his shirt tightly, on the verge of tears.
Arthur stepped protectively in front of Josie, his voice full of anger. “What are you trying to do? We’re just trying to run our business. If you keep crowding us like this, how are we supposed to sell anything?”
The reporters and influencers turned to their cameras and said, Athena’s brother seems to have quite a temper. Isn’t he worried he’ll scare away customers?”
“We’ve heard the meat here isn’t fresh, and there have been multiple hygiene issues. Some customers even said they got diarrhea after eating the fried chicken here…”
Arthur, fuming shot back, “We’ve been running this place for over ten years with a great reputation. Most of our customers are regulars, and our ingredients are always fresh. Don’t go spreading lies and ruining our business.”
Just as he finished speaking, someone nearby suddenly screamed.
“Bugs! There are bugs in the tricycle-it’s disgusting!”
As the influencer’s camera zoomed in, everyone could see several bugs crawling inside the tricycle where the food supplies
were stored.
Arthur grabbed a fan and rushed over, sweeping the bugs off the tricycle and stomping them dead.
“We check the vehicle every day before heading out, and all our supplies are properly sealed. There’s no way bugs could get in. Someone must’ve planted them just now…
The influencers immediately turned to their cameras and reported. “See that? This is how the so-called top student’s family handles food safety. Instead of reflecting and apologizing after finding bugs, they start blaming and accusing others…”
The live-stream-comments flushed by rapidly, filled with people slamming the shop.
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Wesley knew exactly what was happening-these people were here to stir up trouble. He took a deep breath and turned to Claire. “Claire, take Josie to the convenience store and wait there, I’ll deal with this.”
Claire looked worried. “Be careful.”
She picked up Josie, burying her face against her chest, and hurried to a nearby convenience store run by a familiar neighbor to wait out the storm…
Meanwhile, under the shade of a tree not far away, Lucas sat in his car, watching the scene unfold through a half-open window, a sinister smile playing at his lips.
Athena had embarrassed him in public, so now he was going to make sure the Donovan family’s business was ruined for good.