Chapter 10
The weight of the scandal felt crushing, a suffocating heaviness pressing down on me as I thought of the legacy that Oliver’s family had built, now under fire because of me. Cold sweat prickled down my back as I tried to steady my breathing and dialed Leon’s number with trembling fingers. It barely rang once before his smug voice. filled my ear.
“Emily,” he drawled, satisfaction dripping from his tone, “I warned you. You think you could just walk away and play house with that lover of yours? I’ve worked hard to dig up every piece of information I could find. You wouldn’t believe what I discovered about your ‘husband‘–turns out he’s quite the rich boy, huh?”
My whole body went numb, his voice blurring into the background as dread crept over me. Oliver was at my side, watching me closely and I barely managed
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to mutter, “Something’s happened…” before. he took the phone from my hand and, without a word, ended the call.
He gently rubbed my back, his presence grounding me. His calm eyes met mine as he murmured, “Emily, it’s okay. Really, it’s nothing. Trust me.” His words, so steady and sure, broke through my defenses. The floodgates opened and I sobbed into his shoulder, clutching his shirt as guilt and fear poured out. “It’s my fault, Oliver,” I choked, pulling back enough to meet his gaze. “If I hadn’t been involved with
someone like that, none of this would have happened…”
He held me firmly, his hands gentle but unyielding. “This isn’t your fault. ‘We’re going to handle this together and we’re going to be just fine.” His voice was calm, his words like a lifeline and he held me there until my breathing steadied.
After I finally calmed down, Oliver got up, took a quick shower and dressed, his
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movements confident and measured. He
turned to me, extending a hand. “Emily, stay here. I’ll take care of this.”
But I shook my head, newfound resolve
hardening inside me. “I want to come with you. I can handle this.”
The moment we stepped outside, the reality of our situation hit us. A swarm of reporters crowded our yard, flashes going off like a frenzy of fireflies. Leon must have. leaked our address. I felt Oliver’s hand tighten around mine, a subtle reassurance
she led me forward.
With a slight, confident smile, he addressed the press. “Emily is my wife. I know you’re all eager for answers, so I’ll hold a press conference later. You’ll be informed of the time and place. Right now, my wife and I have some personal matters to attend to.” His voice carried strength, each word punctuated with assurance. He didn’t just escort me to the car–he shielded me, standing between me and the barrage
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of cameras until we finally pulled away.
As we drove, the silence was tense but steady and soon Oliver’s phone rang. I glanced over as he answered and I heard the calm, familiar voice of his father.
“Oliver, I heard about the situation,” hist father said, each word calm but laced with
concern. “Handle it well and don’t let Emily get hurt. I have faith in you.”
A confident laugh escaped Oliver’s lips as he reassured his father. “I’ll take care of it. Thank you.” His focus then shifted as he dialed a second number, his tone firm. “Notify the media to gather at our Greenwoods branch office. The press conference will start in an hour.“.
I looked at him in surprise, struck by his calm preparation. “Since when did the Gray Family open a branch here?”
He glanced over at me, a small grin breaking through his composed demeanor. “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up
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with you. So, I convinced the family to let me handle business in Greenwoods. The office isn’t even fully set up yet, but I had to give my wife a home first, no?”
The press conference was packed, with what seemed like the entire Greenwoods media circuit in attendance. The Gray Family rarely found itself in scandals, so the reporters weren’t going to miss this. Just as Oliver was about to step onto the stage, I stopped him.
“Oliver, I can do this.”
Oliver smiled knowingly. “I know. I trust you,” he said.
Still, as I stepped on stage and saw the countless flashing cameras, a sliver of nerves crept in. I’d only faced crowds like this when I was a child, long ago. I took a deep breath, found Oliver’s gaze in the crowd and felt the strength of his unwavering support steadying me.
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