Belated Moonlight: He Regretted Only After I Left-Chapter 65: Breaking News! Scandal Exposed!

The night was deep and dark.

Misty Riveria, the most luxurious suite on the top floor.

Evan Hughes was surrounded by a group of well-dressed young heirs, lounging lazily on the sofa, swirling the whiskey in his hand, and wearing a devil-may-care smile, listening to the flattery and gossip around him.

Until the door of the suite was pushed open by a waiter, and a tall and cold figure stepped in.

The noise instantly dimmed, and everyone’s gaze involuntarily turned to the newcomer.

"Young Master Donovan!"

Calls of greeting arose one after another, respectful and fawning.

Shane Donovan wore only a simple black shirt, with a couple of buttons casually undone at the collar, and sleeves rolled up to the elbows, exposing his smoothly contoured forearms and the silver watch on his wrist.

His expression was indifferent, offering a slight nod to everyone as a greeting, his detached and cold aura starkly contrasting the warm and flattering atmosphere in the suite.

He walked straight to a relatively quiet corner, and someone immediately made space for him.

Seeing this, Evan Hughes grinned, carrying his glass over, plopping down beside Shane Donovan, and familiarly draping an arm over his shoulder.

"Yo, our Young Master Donovan finally made it. I thought you were tied up by some little enchantress again!" Evan Hughes leaned closer, lowering his voice, with undisguised gossipy curiosity in his tone.

Shane Donovan brushed off his arm without much expression, picked up a clean glass from the table, poured himself a drink, and didn’t respond.

Evan Hughes didn’t mind, his gaze scanning over Shane Donovan, and when his eyes landed on the faint ambiguous red mark on Shane’s neck, they lit up instantly.

"Whoa!" Evan Hughes elbowed him, waggling his eyebrows, lowering his voice further, "Nice one, brother! This battle... was intense, huh! Come on, tell me, how far have you and Counselor Sterling gone? Did you hit a home run? Tsk, tsk, those marks are wild!"

Shane Donovan took a sip from his glass, his Adam’s apple moving, and his profile appeared somewhat harsh under the dim light.

He glanced at Evan Hughes, his eyes devoid of warmth, "Stop prying."

"Hey! Keeping secrets from me?" Evan Hughes protested, then pouted, "I’m telling you, Young Master Donovan, if you like her, just go for it! With your qualifications, what woman can resist? Do you really need to be so cautious, treating her like a relic?"

Shane Donovan swirled his glass, watching the liquid sway inside, his gaze deep and unreadable, "She’s different."

What’s so different about her?

Aren’t all women the same?

Evan Hughes, as if hearing something absurd, "No way? Shane Donovan! Are you playing innocent? It’s already a done deal, why are you still being polite? Just get on with it! Haven’t you heard that delays can lead to complications?"

He became more urgent, "You’ve had a crush on her for ten years, and now that she’s finally broken up with Jasper, you’re right next door. What are you waiting for? Until she realizes or gets entangled by that haunting Jasper Hawthorne again?"

Seeing Shane Donovan still unmoved, even with a warning look in his eyes to shut him up, Evan Hughes rolled his eyes in frustration.

Fine!

The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is!

He grew up with Shane Donovan, nobody knows him better.

This man seems aloof, but once he’s set on someone, he really cherishes them, unwilling to let them suffer any grievance.

Impossible to persuade, simply impossible!

Evan Hughes’s inner resentment surged, he downed the drink in his cup in one go, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes—

Alright!

Since Shane Donovan can’t be cruel.

Then he’ll be the bad guy!

...

The next day, Stella Sterling walked into the law firm with two heavy dark circles under her eyes.

She tossed and turned all night, her mind in a mess, various thoughts intertwined and collided, keeping her awake almost all night. Even two cups of black coffee couldn’t suppress the restlessness and... guilt.

"Boss, are you okay? You look terrible," Finn Lockwood entered carrying files and was startled by her haggard appearance.

"I’m fine, just didn’t sleep well last night." Stella Sterling rubbed her temples, forcing herself to concentrate, "How’s the case file coming along?"

"Everything’s here..." Finn Lockwood placed the files down, his eyes somewhat evasive, hesitating to speak.

"What is it? Spit it out." Stella Sterling frowned.

"Uh... Boss, did you see today’s financial news?" Finn Lockwood cautiously placed a recently delivered local financial newspaper on Stella’s desk.

Stella Sterling looked down in confusion—

Only to see the front page headline in extremely eye-catching bold letters: [Explosive! Innovatech Bio CEO embroiled in a scandal before Pre-IPO, secret meeting with a mysterious woman, is the company image damaged?]

Accompanied by an unusually clear photo taken from a tricky angle—

It was the moment when she was carried into a car by Shane Donovan after being drugged by Grace Quinn at the academic exchange meeting!

In the photo, she was completely wrapped in Shane Donovan’s suit, only exposing a slender leg and a blurred side profile.

While Shane Donovan’s frontal face was perfectly captured!

The article was embellished to the fullest, with phrases like ’Innovatech Bio founder meets beauty at night, spending a passionate evening’, ’Innovatech’s image plummets, stock price fluctuates’...

Even subtly suggesting the Innovatech CEO’s inappropriate private life, potentially affecting the company’s stable image and casting a shadow over the upcoming IPO...

Stella Sterling’s mind went blank, buzzing in her ears.

She recalled Shane Donovan’s stern analysis in the office yesterday, talking about image crises and potential valuation losses of hundreds of billions...

At that time, she felt it was absurd, thinking he was extorting her.

But now...

The news was real!

The photo was real!

The potential crisis...

Became real!

Stella Sterling’s hand, holding the newspaper, trembled slightly, her fingertips cold.

The brain buzzed with a white noise, going blank.

How could this...

How could that photo have leaked out?!

And precisely at this critical moment!

"Boss... Boss, are you okay?" Finn Lockwood asked worriedly, seeing her face turn pale instantly.

Stella Sterling snapped back, setting down the newspaper, almost rushing to the computer, trembling fingers opening financial websites and social media.

Sure enough!

[Innovatech CEO Shane Donovan secretly meets mysterious woman at night, suspected new romance exposed?]

[Key period before Pre-IPO, leader involved in scandalous news, Innovatech Bio stock price fluctuates at opening!]

Various shocking headlines, all accompanied by that damned photo!

The comment sections were in an uproar, with people gossiping, questioning Shane Donovan’s character, worrying about Innovatech’s listing prospects, and of course, online trolls stirring the pot, desperately labeling Shane Donovan with ’chaotic private life’ and ’unworthy of the position’.

Stella even saw the live stock price—Innovatech Bio’s stock price indeed showed significant fluctuations and a drop after the market opened!

Although the range wasn’t catastrophic yet, the trend was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat!

Shane Donovan’s words from yesterday echoed in her mind—

[How big do you think the impact on Innovatech’s IPO valuation would be? How many potential investors would it deter?]

[Potentially, possibly hundreds of billions, or even more, in valuation losses...]

Back then, she thought it was an absurd tale, fear-mongering.

But now...

The newspaper in black and white, the green numbers jumping on the screen, both coldly told her—Shane Donovan wasn’t joking!