LOGINThalia"...we're taking you live now to Langford Pharmaceuticals, where CEO Brandon Langford has just arrived for an emergency press conference."My eyes widened before I could stop myself."What are you doing...?" I whispered under my breath.The camera followed Brandon as he stepped onto the platform. Flashes exploded from every direction while reporters shouted questions over one another, each of them trying to be heard first.He didn't rush.He didn't look flustered.He adjusted the microphone, waited for the room to settle, and gave a small nod to someone standing off-camera before the questions finally began.For the first few minutes, everything stayed professional. The reporters asked about the company's recent projects, the market, and the rumors surrounding Langford Pharmaceuticals, and Brandon answered every question without raising his voice once.I watched him carefully because something about him felt different today. He looked exhausted, but there wasn't a trace of hesi
CLARA"No...""I want your access card turned in before you leave, and security will escort you out." Brandon continued as he straightened his jacket. "From this moment forward, I don't want to see your face anywhere near me, my company, or my wife ever again.""Brandon... please."But no, the bastard walked straight past me without slowing down.I hadn't realized how many people witnessed the show until I noticed employees staring at me before quickly pretending they weren't.Heat climbed into my face as I straightened my clothes and lifted my chin. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing me break, so I walked past every single one of them as though nothing had happened.The whispers followed me all the way to the elevator. Even after the doors closed, I could still picture the looks on their faces, and every one of them felt like another slap.The moment I reached the parking garage, I yanked my car door open and threw my handbag onto the passenger seat. I climbed in, sl
BRANDONThe moment I stepped out of the conference room, I loosened my tie and kept walking without looking back. Reporters were still shouting my name behind me, but security quickly blocked them from following as my secretary hurried to keep up with my pace."Sir," she called, matching my stride as we entered the executive hallway. "I've already started looking into the accounts responsible for the smear campaign against Mrs. Langford."I stopped so abruptly that she nearly walked into me. "Already?"She nodded and held her tablet against her chest before speaking again. "I didn't wait for instructions because the timing was too suspicious, and I thought it would be better to move before anyone had the chance to delete evidence.""Tell me what you found.""We traced several of the first fake posts to newly created accounts," she said. "At first they looked unrelated, but they all interacted with each other within minutes, pushing the same story until the larger blogs picked it up."
BRANDONEvery camera in the room was pointed at me before I even reached the podium. The flashes came one after another without stopping, turning the conference hall into a sea of white lights while reporters shouted my name from every direction.My secretary stepped beside the podium and placed a folder in front of me before quietly asking if I needed anything else. I looked at her, gave a single nod, and she immediately understood it was time to begin.She adjusted the microphone and looked toward the reporters filling the room."Mr. Brandon Langford is ready to take your questions."The room erupted immediately. Dozens of hands shot into the air while voices overlapped one another, each reporter trying to be heard before everyone else."You in the front," my secretary said, pointing to the first journalist.The man stood up with a notebook in one hand and a recorder in the other. "Mr. Langford, is Langford Pharmaceuticals affected by the recent rumors surrounding your personal life
BRANDONThe shouting didn’t stop the moment we stepped inside the building. The glass doors muffled the noise from outside, but I could still hear people yelling through them as eggs and bottles continued hitting the entrance behind us.I kept my body between Thalia and the doors until we were several steps into the lobby. Only then did I lower my arms and turn to look at her properly.Blood had trickled from the cut beside her eye and stained the side of her face. The sight made my jaw tighten because just a few minutes earlier, I had walked over thinking the biggest problem I had to solve was convincing her to attend a press conference with me.“Let me see it,” I said as I stepped closer. “You’re bleeding.”She wiped at the cut with the back of her hand and looked down at the blood for a second before brushing it off like it didn’t matter.“It’s fine.”“It isn’t.”Without thinking, I reached for her shoulders and gently pulled her toward me. My only intention was to check the injury
THALIA After Olivia and Knox left, my apartment became quiet and for the first time all day, I thought I might actually get some rest. I changed into comfortable clothes and settled onto the couch with a blanket over my legs. A reality show played on the television while I absentmindedly scrolled through my phone, paying more attention to the contestants arguing than anything happening in my own life. For a little while, everything felt normal. Then my phone buzzed. I barely looked at it at first because notifications had become a constant part of my life lately. The second buzz came almost immediately after the first, followed by a third, and then a fourth. My forehead creased as I reached for the phone. The notification count attached to my name made absolutely no sense. I clicked on it. The moment the page loaded, I sat upright. “What the hell is this?” I muttered as I stared at the screen. The article displayed my picture beside Clara’s and Brandon’s like we were part o
BRANDON “Wait… my father’s coming back tomorrow?” The words left my mouth before I could stop them. I stared at Clara across the living room, trying to decide whether I had heard her correctly. “And who the hell said I don’t have a wife?” Clara shifted uncomfortably where she stood beside th
BRANDONThalia left without looking back at me. She took off the dress, handed it to the sales assistant, and walked straight out of the boutique like the conversation we had never happened.I stood there for several seconds staring at the entrance. By the time I finally moved, the glass doors had
THALIA"Fine. Fifty percent."The smile that had been threatening to appear finally won."Good," I said as I pushed the door open and stepped one foot out of the SUV. "Then I should have your money before the end of next month, and we'll finally be done with all of this."Brandon let out a long sig
THALIAHe was just standing beside his black SUV with his hands in his pockets, staring directly at us as though he had been waiting for hours.Adrian followed my gaze and immediately frowned. His expression darkened the longer he looked at Brandon."Now what is he doing here?" he asked, slowing hi







