Chapter 101: Accusation at its peak

Seeing Leo Vance’s validating nod, Ben Wanli felt as though he had just been injected with a shot of pure adrenaline. His confidence surged right back to peak levels.

He nodded emphatically, raising his chin. "I am 100% sure of it!"

Principal Smith pressed further, "Where is your concrete objective evidence?"

Ben Wanli sneered, speaking as if stating an absolute law of physics. "It’s completely obvious! Do we even need extra evidence? If Julian Vance and this wealthy woman were in a normal, open, aboveboard romantic relationship, would they ever need to sneak around like criminals and meet secretly inside a dark grove of trees at night?!"

Hearing that logical leap, a portion of the surrounding students began to waver, murmuring doubts:

"I have to admit... Ben Wanli’s argument actually makes a lot of sense. Julian must really be a kept toy."

"Handing President Sterling’s ten-million-doller bonus directly to Julian does feel increasingly inappropriate under these lights.

I’m not trying to maliciously target Julian, but I’m genuinely worried that President Sterling’s impression of our university will plummet because of this scandal. I’m hoping to secure a corporate job at the Sterling Group after graduation!"

The Sterling Group was the absolute apex conglomerate in the country, boasting astronomical starting salaries, world-class benefits, and immense prestige. It was the dream employer for countless graduating seniors across the nation.

This semester, President Sterling acquiring shares in Capital University had dramatically boosted their employment prospects with the Sterling Group. They couldn’t afford to let a petty campus scandal ruin President Sterling’s opinion of their institution!

Consequently, a loud wave of student voices began publicly condemning Julian for allegedly being a kept gigolo.

Of course, a handful of infatuated female students chimed in with fiercely protective, lovesick defenses:

"Waaah, my idol! With your god-tier looks and terrifying genius intellect, you could easily find any great girlfriend you wanted. How could you be so foolish as to let yourself be kept?!"

"I personally believe my crush and this gorgeous woman are in a normal, genuine romantic relationship! My crush is overwhelmingly handsome and brilliant—I trust him unconditionally no matter what!"

Principal Smith found himself caught in an agonizing dilemma, unsure how to gracefully de-escalate the chaotic situation. Given President Sterling’s towering public status, she undoubtedly preferred to keep her personal romantic life strictly shielded from media gossip and public prying.

They certainly couldn’t expect President Sterling to personally step forward into the spotlight to clear Julian’s name in front of hundreds of gossiping students.

Yet, if this scandalous accusation was left unresolved today, it would inevitably fester into a permanent campus legend, inflicting lasting reputational damage on both Julian Vance and Capital University.

Sensing blood in the water, Ben Wanli raised his voice aggressively: "Julian Vance! If you want to prove to everyone here that you aren’t just a kept gigolo, then prove it—have the woman in this photograph step forward right now and publicly clarify the truth!"

Down in the rows, Natasha pinched the skin of her palm hard, her nails digging into her flesh.

She, too, had instantly recognized Victoria Sterling in the leaked photograph.

Natasha stared fixedly at the image on the screen. Isn’t this victoria sterling merely an actress or high-end model that Julian hired temporarily to put on an elaborate show for me that day at the cafe?

How... how could they actually be meeting up privately behind closed doors? And looking that intimately attached?

A violent surge of intense panic and bitter jealousy welled up from the pit of Natasha’s stomach. She suddenly had a chilling, unshakable intuition: This time... I am truly going to lose Julian forever.

Even though she had always looked down on Julian in the past and refused to grant him her official affection, she still operated under the narcissistic assumption that Julian belonged exclusively in her orbit. Julian had no right to look at, let alone be intimate with, any other woman. He was supposed to remain faithfully by her side as her eternal, devoted protector.

Ben Wanli pointed aggressively at Julian, sneering, "Come on, Julian! Stop hiding behind silence. Make a phone call right now. Dial this woman’s number and order her to come straight to the lecture hall to face us!"

Julian pressed two fingers against his aching temples, letting out a heavy internal groan.

Damn it all...

The exact woman being demanded for questioning was standing literally ten feet away from the podium. How on earth was he supposed to call her phone without instantly blowing their cover?!

On the day of that courtyard incident, he had cautiously checked his surroundings to ensure the coast was clear. How in the world could someone have secretly captured such a compromising photograph of them?!

In the original web novel plot, Victoria had strictly maintained a veil of secrecy regarding her fixation, never publicly exposing their intimate connection around the Capital University campus.

Julian figured that Victoria certainly wouldn’t want the student body knowing the full extent of her obsession either.

Seeing that Julian Vance remained completely unmoved by the chaos and even wore a slightly troubled expression on his face, Ben Wanli became exponentially more certain of his own delusional assumptions!

Julian Vance was definitely being kept by a wealthy sugar mommy!

"Julian, it’s been quite a while now, and you still haven’t made that phone call," Ben Wanli sneered, his tone dripping with gloating mockery as Leo Vance’s lackey.

As a loyal lackey to Leo Vance, he shared his master’s deep-seated hatred for Julian. Fueled by Leo’s spite, he had always despised Julian, eagerly anticipating his eventual downfall.

Ben Wanli was seizing this golden opportunity to kick him while he was down.

"Julian, honestly, it’s not the least bit surprising that some wealthy sugar mommy would take a fancy to a guy with your looks."

However, you’re being far too short-sighted. Look at yourself—you’re a student at Capital University with a bright, respectable academic future ahead of you. I genuinely think it’s utterly pathetic for you to stoop this low and let yourself be kept as a toy.