The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 646

Chapter 646: Chapter 646 Press Conference
That evening, the press conference was hastily arranged in the lobby of the Avery Branch office in Barcelona.

The allegations of tax evasion and embezzlement were no small matter, especially given the prominence of the Avery Consortium as a global powerhouse.

As a result, not only did local media swarm the venue, but several international outlets, having caught wind of the scandal, also rushed to cover the event in full.

The gravity of the situation drew intense scrutiny. Even the tax bureau decided to attend, curious to see the branch’s response.

Many speculated whether this press conference was a final attempt to assert innocence, but the tax bureau, nearly finished with its investigation, was prepared to reveal its findings.

In fact, they planned to announce the results publicly during the conference, considering how widespread the issue had become and the public’s demand for transparency.

The so-called transparency demanded by the masses was, in truth, a carefully orchestrated tactic by the forces behind this scheme.

They had been manipulating events from the shadows, ensuring that the Avery branch’s mishap was brought to light in a way that suited their agenda.

By leveraging public sentiment, they skillfully guided the narrative, steering the masses exactly where they wanted them to go.

Since the situation was inevitable, Hera decided to take control by setting the stage herself.

By doing so, she could gain an advantage over the tax bureau, giving her more room to maneuver before they released their findings to the public.

This was her first time attending a press conference under the Avery banner, and despite her composed exterior, she felt a wave of nervousness.

Standing backstage, Xavier silently reached for her hand, his steady grip offering quiet reassurance.

Moments later, Leo, Luke, and Dave arrived, looking haggard and disheveled after rushing to the scene.

Despite their exhaustion, the determination in their eyes was unmistakable. Their unspoken support warmed Hera’s heart, and she nodded at each of them in gratitude.

No words were needed; their presence alone spoke volumes about their shared commitment and unity.

Hera glanced at her wristwatch, ensuring they still had a few minutes before the press conference began.

Her stomach churned with nervous anticipation, but she pushed the feeling aside and shifted her focus to her phone, checking a new message.

“Are you ready?” Leo’s voice broke through her thoughts as he gently ruffled her hair.

His hand lingered, sliding down to cup her cheek. His heart ached as he noticed the dark circles under her eyes and how she seemed to have lost a bit of weight. “You’ve worked hard,” he murmured softly, almost to himself.

The worry in his eyes warmed Hera’s heart, and without realizing it, a sweet smile spread across her face.

Her eyes crinkled with affection as she looked up at him, her spirits lifted by his quiet support.

“You too, you worked hard. Thank you,” Hera said softly before tiptoeing to plant a kiss on Leo’s cheek.

His chuckle was warm and genuine, but before the moment could settle, the other three approached, leaning in and tilting their faces toward her with playful grins, their cheeks practically begging for attention.

Hera couldn’t help but notice their childish competitiveness, but instead of being annoyed, she found it endearing.

With a light laugh, she tiptoed again, giving each of them a kiss on the cheek in turn—a small gesture of gratitude for their tireless efforts.

Their hard work hadn’t gone unnoticed, and this was her way of letting them know how much she appreciated everything they’d done.

Soon, the assistant stepped onto the stage to begin the press conference. Since Hera was supposed to remain undercover, she couldn’t appear in front of the cameras herself.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel the tension building within her.

Despite all the preparation, uncertainty lingered in her mind, and she silently worried whether everything would unfold according to plan.

“Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the Avery Branch here in Barcelona, we’d like to extend our sincere thanks for your attendance at this press conference,” the assistant began.

“We are fully aware of the concerns surrounding the branch, and we deeply apologize for the distress caused, as well as the disruption to the economy.”

Hera’s brow furrowed as she listened. Although his words seemed sincere, there was something off about his tone, something that didn’t quite match his supposed apology.

The reporters, sharp-eyed as ever, sensed the subtle unease and leaned in, intrigued. Their attention was fully on the assistant, who was known to be Vince’s right-hand man, a figure shrouded in mystery.

“As you all know, we’ve encountered some setbacks, and we’ve called you here today to set the record straight,” the assistant continued, his voice steady, but there was an underlying tension that the reporters eagerly picked up on.

After delivering his words, he saw the head of the tax bureau, who had personally overseen the investigation and he couldn’t help but take a step back, relinquishing the stage to him.

He glanced helplessly back toward the backstage, his eyes searching for any sign of direction from Hera.

This wasn’t part of the plan, and despite his calm exterior, panic was evident in the dilation of his pupils and the beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

What followed wasn’t just incremental evidence—it was a chaotic web of data, pointing to clear signs that someone had been hiding something, with large sums of money mysteriously gone missing.

Hera’s eyes widened in disbelief as she watched the scene unfold from backstage.

The assistant didn’t even have the chance to say anything or counter the accusations as he was taken over.

Instead, the spotlight was directly taken by the tax bureau, fully aware of the damning evidence they were about to present.

Hera’s gaze burned with fury as she watched the screen, the injustice of it all fueling her anger.

“First of all, I’d like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to address you all today,” the investigator began, his voice clear and authoritative.

“After a thorough investigation, we uncovered several inconsistencies in the branch office’s financial records. We discovered doctored accounts in the archive, which, when cross-referenced with the data in the company server, were a blatant mismatch.”

“Additionally, we found missing capital funds. The transfers weren’t made in large, obvious sums but in smaller, more frequent amounts, which, when added up, totaled millions. It appears that several departments were involved in this scheme, working in coordination.”

“As the president and the individual at the helm of this company, the person most accountable for these discrepancies is none other than Mr. Vince Callaway.”

As he spoke, the investigator began to display photos of the evidence on the screen, drawing attention to key details.

A split-screen comparison followed, illustrating the discrepancies between the records.

Using a laser pointer, he highlighted the exact figures and anomalies, further emphasizing the severity of the findings.

“Hera, what’s happening?!” Dave jumped to his feet, grabbing her arm as they both stared at the screen in disbelief.

Around them, others murmured, equally shocked by the unexpected turn of events.

“I—I don’t know…” Hera’s voice wavered, her eyes red and threatening to spill tears.

She bit her lip, trying to hold back her emotions as she glared at the monitor.

This wasn’t what they’d planned—everything had been hijacked, and the stage they’d carefully set was now being manipulated against them.