Chapter 450
Chapter 450
Noticing her spacing out, Elaine smiled. "Thinking about your brother? He'll probably be here soon. Don't worry."
Courtney sighed. "I'd rather he be absent."
She had no idea what was going on with Kingsley, but she noticed something off about him the day before. Her gut told her Kingsley's reason for attending this launch was more than he let on, and it made her nervous.
Her friends didn't notice that. They smiled. "Don't worry, Courtney. The launch is going to be smooth sailing." This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
Just then, the host, who was in a suit, took to the stage and announced, "With pleasure, I now announce that the launch has begun!"
A thunderous applause echoed through the air while flashes of cameras blinded the eyes of the crowd. Sitting on the stage was Vincent Albright. He pushed his glasses up his nose, a smile of pride hanging from his lips. He was in a crisp suit, and his hair was combed neatly, unlike his usual, unkempt self.
He obviously paid a lot of importance to this book launch. He knew that if the launch was successful, he would attain success. Even though his glasses were thick, they failed to hide the ambition flaring in his eyes.
He was not content with just the vocation of teaching. He desired success; to be a respected scholar was his dream, and now it was close at hand. As he looked at the crowd, he took a deep breath, cleared his throat, and said, "Dear friends, readers, and reporters, thank you for attending my book
launch. Thank you."
A fifteen-minute speech ensued. It was boring, but everyone clapped loudly in the end anyway. Some among the crowd even cried out their admiration for him.
"You're my idol, Professor Albright!"
"Can you sign my copy of the book, Professor Albright?"
A subtle hint of smugness appeared in his eyes. He loved the worship he was getting, but he silenced everyone and smiled. "Now, settle down. There will be a signing session later. First, let's hear from my old friends."
Vincent spent a lot of effort and money to invite these scholars, so they piled compliments on him, calling him a genius, a talented man, and a respected scholar. A big grin curled Vincent's lips, and that was just from him hearing the compliments.
Queenie whispered, "You're so lucky, Elaine. Your father is awesome. I bet you worship him."
Elaine froze for a moment. "I… like him, but I don't worship him."
"Why?" asked Queenie. "I'd be over the moon if my dad were this awesome."
Elaine sighed. "Fame and success are the only things on his mind. He wants to prove to my mom that her decision to leave was wrong, but he sacrificed a lot just for success. He's not someone anyone should worship. Sometimes I wish he were just a regular old guy who never chased after fame. All I wanted was a happy life." She took a deep breath before putting on a smile. "But I still feel happy for
him. He's shining onstage." Elaine clapped along with the crowd.
Then, it was time for questions. After the standard questions, one of the reporters raised her hand. "Professor Albright, in the last pages of your book, you mentioned your indirect murder of three people over money. Do you still regret your past actions even now?"