CHAPTER 144: CHAPTER 144: NO GERM CAN SURVIVE HER SALIVA

Adrian Langley gentlemanly pushed her away, "This is an important place, don’t run around. Why don’t you have your brother tie a rope to you?"

Stella Windsor wasn’t bothered by his sarcasm. As she brushed past him, she said, "So much smoke here; what happened inside?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the crowd she attracted turned the corner and immediately saw the severely deformed door behind Adrian Langley.

Stella Windsor was delighted.

Even if Juliana Jacobs and Elias Langley had nothing happen between them, if they came out with their clothes disheveled, Evan Grant would inevitably be humiliated.

She didn’t believe Evan would tolerate such an insult. If this could spur him to act against the Langley Family, it would weaken him. In the end, with Isaac Grant attacking from within and outside, Evan would become a man who needed to rely on her, and she would win him over.

This two-birds-with-one-stone plan couldn’t fail today.

However, when people gathered at the experience hall’s entrance, they only saw the mess caused by a small explosion inside, and not a single shadow of a person.

"President Langley, has Cortexa Group’s smart home system malfunctioned?" an executive questioned Adrian Langley, "Blackstar’s product quality doesn’t seem to be as reliable as advertised."

But before Jared Langley could answer, Juliana Jacobs’ voice came from a distance, "There’s no problem with Blackstar’s smart home system."

She had changed clothes, unnoticed by others, but Evan Grant immediately sensed something was amiss.

Stella Windsor smiled faintly and chimed in, "Sister-in-law, what were you doing inside with Mr. Langley just now?"

Juliana Jacobs raised an eyebrow, "You’ve been saying I was with Mr. Langley from the beginning, so sure of yourself—how did you see it?"

Stella Windsor turned pale.

Did they withdraw so quickly?

Impossible!

Just as Stella was about to speak, Juliana Jacobs didn’t give her the chance.

Juliana raised her voice, "Half an hour ago, someone accessed the main console on-site, entered the home’s exhibit back-end control system, causing a program malfunction, trapping me inside while I was inspecting the battery module. I had no choice but to blast my way out. I have reason to believe that President Langley is facing a commercial espionage operation against him."

Jared Langley hurriedly interjected, "Such a thing, who is it?"

"It’s her!" Juliana pointed to Stella Windsor.

"Saying something like this comes with responsibility. Either present surveillance evidence to accuse me, or apologize publicly for your slander."

Stella had long disabled all surveillance near the experience hall, confident Juliana had no evidence at hand.

But Juliana asserted, "I believe the U-Pan with data is still on you."

Stella was initially startled but then laughed.

"Why would I have it on me? And you have no right to search me."

"She doesn’t, but others do."

Elias Langley’s voice came from behind the crowd, and they instinctively parted to make way.

The man’s suit was immaculate, unchanged from before entering the experience hall.

He looked at Stella Windsor with a gaze so indifferent, she seemed close to vanishing from this world.

Stella forced a smile, "Mr. Langley wouldn’t search me just to favor Miss Juliana, right? As a fellow woman, such treatment seems unfair. Besides, it seems you don’t have the authority either."

Elias Langley couldn’t be bothered to indulge her with a single word.

Quinn Shepherd, standing nearby, picked up the conversation, "It’s the police who deemed it necessary to take this action."

In the direction he pointed, two police officers approached.

Stella was extremely surprised.

One of the female officers stepped forward, looked her over, and then took a U-Pan from her suit pocket.

Instantly, the crowd was in an uproar.

"This isn’t mine, this is... this is..."

The only person she had physical contact with was Adrian Langley, so the U-Pan must have been planted by him at that time.

Stella hadn’t expected Juliana to turn the tables on her.

The female officer said sternly, "The tech team will conduct a professional examination of the data source on the U-Pan. The truth will come out. Currently, Blackstar Group has officially reported to the police, accusing you of suspected commercial espionage. Please cooperate with the investigation and come with us."

"Brother..." Stella looked to Evan Grant for help.

But Evan Grant merely said indifferently, "Let the police determine right and wrong."

Stella was at a loss for words, led away by the police.

Juliana Jacobs barely smiled; without her pawn, Stella Windsor would also be badly hurt.

Elias Langley looked lightly at Evan Grant, "President Grant, your people borrow technology from others so nonchalantly. Could Cortexa’s core technology all be patched together from others’ codes?"

His words provoked a wave of laughter.

Evan Grant instinctively looked at Juliana, only to see her quietly discussing countermeasures with Adrian Langley, completely unconcerned about his embarrassment. A surge of indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart.

The press conference ended in an accident.

Ben Hayes said, "In the end, it wasn’t completed smoothly."

"Although the process was interrupted, the advertising effect was maxed out. The technology Cortexa Group wants to steal..." Jared Langley laughed quietly, "This round, we won’t lose."

He looked around, "Where’s Juliana?"

Ben Hayes recalled, "Upstairs in the lounge, probably thanking your second uncle."

In the temporary lounge, Elias Langley’s finger wound was deep, requiring disinfection and then stitching.

Looking at the gaping wound, Juliana Jacobs unconsciously complained, "Couldn’t you do it less forcefully?"

Elias Langley lifted his eyelids to look at her, a slightly playful smile forming, "If I didn’t use force, would you have been happy?"

Juliana Jacobs, "..."

Just then, the doctor spoke softly, "To be safe, a tetanus shot is necessary."

Elias Langley’s gaze remained on Juliana’s flushed face, his reply to the doctor laced with a hint of teasing, "No need. No bacteria survive her saliva."

He paused, then deliberately lowered his voice and said seriously, "Director Juliana’s ’disinfection’ kills all viruses."

The atmosphere froze instantly.

The doctor’s tweezers clattered onto the tray, and Quinn Shepherd closed his eyes.

If he could, he would cover his ears too.

Juliana retorted angrily, grabbing a piece of gauze to cover his mouth.

"If you speak again, I’ll have the doctor sew your mouth shut first."

Elias Langley looked at her, his gaze so deep it seemed to draw her in.

Something very subtle was spreading between the two of them.

Quinn Shepherd and the doctor both averted their eyes.

Just then, Juliana’s phone chimed.

She collected her thoughts, glanced at the message, paused momentarily, and put down the gauze, "I have to go,"

Elias Langley looked up, "My wound isn’t treated yet; aren’t you going to take care of it?"

"It’s urgent."

Juliana pressed her lips together, took her bag, and turned to leave.

The lounge fell silent immediately.

Quinn Shepherd tried to ease the situation, "Maybe it’s really a company matter..."

Elias Langley didn’t respond.

The wound was quickly taken care of.

He went downstairs to leave, only to see Juliana getting into Jared Langley’s car as he arrived at the parking lot.

Elias Langley’s gaze darkened for a moment—so Jared was her urgent matter?