Chapter 223

The entire crowd erupted!

Apart from a few insiders, everyone else was left wide-eyed with shock.

Esme, Shen Menglai, Xu Zexi, and others stared at Zuri in stunned silence, unable to snap out of their daze.

As for An Ruo Xi and her fellow fans, they were equally dumbfounded.

"No way!" An Ruo Xi muttered under her breath.

"Sister? How could she be his sister?!"

"Wasn't she supposed to be his rumored girlfriend?"

…

Other fans turned to An Ruo Xi, questioning her, "Didn't you say she was his girlfriend?"

"What's going on?"

Faced with the barrage of questions from her group, An Ruo Xi felt a surge of panic, but quickly composed herself. "Could it be they're just trying to shut us up by claiming they're siblings?"

Owen put his arm around Zuri's shoulder, ignoring the fans and speaking directly to the reporters who had just arrived, "Allow me to formally introduce her—this is my sister, Zuri. My full-blooded, legitimate sister."

As he spoke, Owen lifted his chin proudly, his face beaming with pride, as if he were showing off a trophy rather than introducing a sibling.

The reporters frantically snapped photos of the brother and sister, their excitement palpable.

A reporter asked, "Owen, are you really quitting the entertainment industry?"

This question wasn't just on the minds of fans; even the bystanders were curious.

Before Owen could respond, Isaac jumped in, "That was just a joke, a misunderstanding—don't take it seriously."

An Ruo Xi, hearing the manager's words, felt a renewed sense of confidence. As long as Owen wanted to stay in the industry, he wouldn't be able to do so without his fans.

"What proof do you have that she's really Owen's sister? Without evidence, we won't believe it."

"Don't treat us fans like fools."

"If she's truly his sister, why didn't they clarify this from the beginning? Why keep it hidden? This is just suspicious!"

An Ruo Xi fired off a series of questions, her key point resonating with the other fans.

"An Ruo Xi is right! Why didn't they clarify from the start?"

"Yes, why didn't they clarify right away? If they had, we wouldn't have come here today, and none of this would have happened."

"Owen, we care about you, we love you, so why would you trample on our feelings? Using such a flimsy excuse to deceive us?"

"We're not as gullible as you think."

"If you want us to believe it, then show us the proof."

Several of An Ruo Xi's closest fan allies echoed her demands.

Azura, hearing these remarks, felt her anger rising to the point of boiling over.

What a bunch of nonsense!

Just as she was about to intervene, a rhythmic sound of footsteps approached from behind. A group of bodyguards in black uniforms parted the crowd, moving forward in a disciplined formation.

"When did my brother and sister ever need to prove their identities to outsiders?"

A cold, commanding voice cut through the noise from behind the crowd.

All eyes turned toward the voice, and they saw a tall, imposing figure striding toward them. With each step, a powerful aura emanated from the man, drawing everyone's attention.

Nolan, with his long strides, approached Zuri and Owen, his frosty gaze briefly sweeping over Owen's disheveled appearance before settling on Zuri.

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped the egg yolk off her hair and face.

His movements were incredibly tender, so much so that it could make anyone melt.

Some reporters recognized Nolan, their jaws dropping in disbelief.

"Oh my God! Owen's brother is Nolan? How did I never realize they were related?" an older journalist exclaimed, regretfully smacking his forehead.

From the start of his career, Owen had never relied on his family and had never publicized his background, so very few people knew about his true identity.

Unless one was deeply involved in the finance industry, it was unlikely they would know just who Nolan really was.

A rookie reporter asked, "Who's Nolan? Is he someone important?"

The seasoned journalist swallowed hard before replying, "Important doesn't even begin to describe him. He's a legendary figure in the finance world, an investment genius. He's incredibly famous in the United States. I've heard that Nolan is ruthless and decisive in his work, and very protective of his own. Seeing how he's treating his sister, I'd say someone's in for a world of trouble."

The conversation wasn't quiet, and everyone around them heard every word. Soon, Nolan's identity spread through the crowd like wildfire, and those who were curious quickly pulled out their phones to look him up. Once they found his profile, they were floored. When they looked back at Nolan, their eyes were filled with admiration and awe.

Owen watched as his brother diligently wiped Zuri's face, feeling a pang of regret that he hadn't brought a handkerchief himself. He was kicking himself for letting this chance slip through his fingers.

Azura, standing off to the side, watched as the usually cold Nolan acted so tenderly, then glanced over at Owen, who was glaring at Zuri as if he wished he could be the one cleaning her up.

She felt incredibly jealous!

She was consumed with envy!

She was a walking lemon!

Zuri was somewhat taken aback, not expecting her elder brother to be so gentle, nor did she imagine that the usually stern and stoic man could display such warmth.

"I-I can do it myself," Zuri stammered, feeling awkward, especially with everyone watching.

"Be good! It'll be over soon," Nolan's deep, rich voice rumbled softly.

Owen couldn't take it anymore, jealousy written all over his handsome face. "Big brother, that's enough!"

Nolan withdrew his hand and handed the handkerchief to Owen, who instinctively took it.

Nolan then turned to face An Ruo Xi and the others, his icy gaze sweeping over them as he spoke in a voice that brooked no argument, "It wasn't you who made Owen successful. He got here on his own. Without you, he would still be an award-winning actor, still an exceptional artist."

"Don't think so highly of yourselves. In reality, you're nothing!"

"Today, you insulted my family, you hurt them. As adults, you need to face the consequences of your actions."

Nolan raised his hand, and Grayson stepped forward, addressing An Ruo Xi and the lead fans, "Please apologize to Miss Zuri and Mr. Owen."

"Of course, you can choose not to apologize. But tomorrow, you'll receive our lawsuit, for defamation, emotional distress, and financial damages."

Grayson handed a draft of the lawsuit to An Ruo Xi, then stepped back.

An Ruo Xi and her group started to panic.

"If we apologize, will you drop the charges?" someone asked.

Nolan didn't reply, but Owen immediately said, "No."

"Then why should we apologize?"

"An apology shows that you admit you were wrong. Damages are still damages. If every harm could be wiped away with a simple 'sorry,' the cost of wrongdoing would be too low."

The fan group was left speechless.

An older reporter overheard how things were being handled and was surprised. This wasn't like Nolan at all. These girls had better back off now, or they'd really be in deep trouble.