The Billionaire’s Secret Quartet novel Chapter 1714

The journalist's questions were not only putting Thalassa on the spot but also making things difficult for Joshua. Digging up the fact that Joshua had a daughter out of wedlock was one thing, but asking about how much allowance he provided Thalassa each month was crossing a line. It was a blatant attempt to probe the nature of the relationship between Joshua and his daughter, Thalassa.

Joshua looked at Thalassa with a face full of guilt. A wave of whispers and murmurs swept through the audience.

"Joshua's loaded, and yet he doesn't take care of his own daughter. Not knowing about her before is one thing, but now? He's not living up to his responsibilities as a father. I can't believe he's that kind of person."

"What's so surprising about that? These rich folks create their own public images. Remember how Joshua and his wife used to flaunt their loving, devoted relationship in public? And now this bombshell about an illegitimate daughter means he's been cheating on his wife! It's all a facade. Don't be so quick to believe."

"Yeah, his image is shattered. Who knows if she's the only child he has out there."

Although the voices in the crowd were hushed, every word was clear enough to be heard.

Hearing the audience's judgment of Joshua, Thalassa's breathing tightened, and she felt a blockage in her heart. She stood up, facing the journalist who had asked the intrusive question, and said, "I have $50 million in contest assets! The cost of producing my entry was only $200,000! With $50 million, covering $200,000 is more than manageable!"

"How do we know you're telling the truth? Even if you do have $50 million, what if you didn't want to spend it on your entry and instead used cheap materials to cut corners and scam us? As far as I'm concerned, all I've seen is a bunch of plastic products with tacks in the anklets, clearly meant to sabotage me!" Susan regained her composure and launched another verbal attack on Thalassa.

"The materials I submitted for my entry are genuine, with no deceit!" Thalassa argued fiercely.

"Then show us the proof. Even if you're a lady of high society, without evidence, there's no way to prove these plastic products aren't your doing," Susan said, hands on her hips, her posture defiant.