Chapter 187

Valerie ignored the chatter about her looks and adjusted the camera with deliberate calm. Then, she faced the screen and greeted her audience. "Welcome, everyone who's shown up on time. I suppose most of you came here for the same reason, which is to demand an explanation from me, in the name of so-called justice. "I'm not someone who wastes words on pointless subjects," she said evenly. "This livestream has one purpose. I'm here to respond to the recent rumors and lies about me, and to give the public a truthful account." The chat exploded with comments, lines of text racing past faster than anyone could read. Valerie didn't pause to acknowledge them. "Let's start with the history between the Woodward family and me," she said. "In this world, popularity doesn't equal truth. The more followers someone has, the louder their voice becomes, but that doesn't make them right. "Marnie's public statements were misleading, and her lies convinced thousands of people that I'm the Woodward f