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"Take those away!" I yelled at nobody in particular, to keep the extra stuff away from the opposite side of the auditorium.

"Is the entrance clear?" I asked in my headset microphone, the assigned person replied with a 'clear' to me.

"Good, hey you there! Stand by the doors of the auditorium." I ordered to a man standing without any work.

Everything was ready and now the press conference should be completed smoothly or Xavier would be after our necks. I glanced at my watch to see ten minutes remaining before the press is allowed in.

"Everyone! Try not to mess anything up!" I murmured in my microphone before hurriedly sprinting out of the auditorium to go to the personal floor of his, leaving Catherine behind to supervise them further, she was much more experienced in these situations than me.

The private elevators opened to Ruby adjusting Samantha's suit jacket, leaving them to themselves I hurried down the corridor and straight into my office only to see Aiden relaxing on my chair with his legs draped on my desk, he was eating something, not minding if it drops on his expensive Armani blazer.

"Did you prepare the speech?" I asked, pulling out my water bottle and drinking from it.

"Respected ladies and gentlemen, then I'll insert a wink, the rumours going around are completely baseless, there is not a single proof regarding the implied charge upon KING INC. This is all a ploy of our rival companies—"

"Okay, I got it." I stopped him in between before he could rehearse his whole speech to me.

"Do not interrupt me, woman. Do you know how much time I spent preparing this God-forsaken speech?!" He asked sarcastically and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Yes and I appreciate it even if it isn't my company which is dragged down to scandal, it's your best friend's." I crossed my arms over my chest to seem even sassier.

"Damn girl! You don't need to call me out like that!" He wooed amusingly and I shook my head at his childishness.

"Mándbudhi (feeble-minded)".

"Translate." He said slitting his eyes at me.

"No translation for that." Smirking I exited my office, leaving him to use his pea-sized brain to do the translation.

It was silent around his office, I knocked waiting for his permission to enter, I smiled sadly when I remembered how I used to barge in there without permission, his husky voice came back and I swiftly entered his office, there was pin-drop silence in his office, he was standing near floor to ceiling window, his back facing me, clicking of my heels on the floor was the only sound that could be heard.

I stood there for a while silently, not knowing what to say.

"What is it, baby?" His voice saved me from starting the conversation. I ignored the nickname he used again, no use in getting happy about something that wasn't permanent.

"The press will be entered in the next five minutes and the conference will start in half an hour," I reported him, he turned around upon listening to me.

His brown eyes meeting mine, caging me in his possession without doing anything, he was dressed in a black Armani suit styled with a black tie, golden cufflinks and tie clip adding the necessary tinges, his hairs weren't gelled back instead they had more of a wavy texture to them, they looked soft.

"Good. Make sure to be there as well." He said intensely staring at me and I nodded already knowing that I had to be there to keep things from messing up.

"I will be there with Catherine," I answered.

"Are you alright?" I asked again.

"Other than the fact that my company is in deep scandal and the huge press conference to be held downstairs, yep, everything's fine." He answered casually walking up to the front of his desk and leaning on it, I didn't know how to answer that so I changed the subject.

"Where's David?"

"He is probably downstairs."

"Oh."

"Shana, what are you doing here?" He asked making me frown in confusion.

"Why do you mean? I work here as your personal assist—"

"No as in what are you doing here? In my office." He slapdashed me out of any reply, I opened my mouth to close it again, I asked myself the same question, what the heck am I doing here? And came up empty. I didn't realise the reason I came here.

"I—I don't know," I answered.

He stared at me for a good five seconds before straightening up from his leaning position making me divert my divided attention to him.

"You shouldn't be roaming around without any reason when there are places where you're needed." He said and it sounded more like he was talking about something else rather than my work.

"I just—"

"You're worthless." I stilled at his sudden words not believing if he was really saying this.

"Excuse me?"

"You're just pathetic to seek my attention even after what I did to you." There was that wretched smirk marking his face again, his eyes dull of any emotions, it was almost monotonous coming from his mouth, reality came crashing down on me when he acknowledged that really I was what he had predicted me to be, an attention-seeking whore.

"You know what I like you coming back to suck me off again and again." He said stepping closer but this time I didn't trudge back, adjusting my microphone down to my mouth I stepped ahead closer to him.

"What were you saying?" I asked calmly but he didn't reply.

I frowned when not one word left his mouth, my eyes pierced his and he kept standing still in front of me.

"What? Cat got your tongue sweetheart? What did you say about me being worthless? Go ahead say that again for everybody to listen, I'm sure people downstairs will welcome it with open arms." I asserted tracing my finger on his suit covered chest, stopping at his heart and nudging my finger there repeatedly, he didn't stop me, he didn't whimper, didn't tremble. Just stood there like a freaking dumb statue.

He and I both were smart enough to know why the hell I adjusted my microphone, when he didn't respond to me at all. I stepped backwards, creating distance between us, smirking at his standing self.

"Pathetic loser." I huffed.

"Be downstairs in fifteen minutes," I replied void of any emotions before storming out of his office, leaving him standing still with his fake temperament.

I spatted out colourful curses the second I was out of his office, God! Why I have to be so stupid!? Going in there without any reason! I want to punch someone or something so bad, where does my brain go when I needed it?!

He is so bipolar! At one moment he is normal like everything in between us is fine and the next he is calling me names, he should get checked before he starts to stroll around cursing people like a drunken pilot. F*cking idiot!

I entered my office to see Samantha talking to Aiden and Ruby sweating buckets beside her due to nervousness, she was trying her best to look calm but it wasn't helping. Samantha on the other hand was a cool person in general.

"Be downstairs in another fifteen minutes," I informed them and Ruby nodded nervously while Aiden had to give a smartass reply.

"Fifteen minutes before they are graced by my presence."

"Mine too." Samantha copied his gesture.

Ignoring them I retreated from there, going downstairs where I was needed. The private elevator was the only place quiet. I just wished Diya could be here with me, she was my support system after all.

The ground floor was very different from usual, people with huge cameras that could kill you if it drops on your heads were slowly heading towards the auditorium, flashes were already going on in different directions, journalists followed in a little later.

Our employees were guiding and greeting them just fine, security was where it was needed, a man was trying to barge into one of the locked rooms.

"Security escort the man with a brown suit, blue tie and sneakers in front of the PR section out, don't let him in again, make sure to escort anyone out who is prowling around," I ordered and soon enough he was dragged out by security.

This is going to be mind-numbing.

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The press were sitted prior to the time, curiosity literally brimming out of their body language, I was standing at the doors of the auditorium accompanying Catherine in her work, it was a lot of work to hold a conference, movies make it look too easy.

"Why don't you escort everyone here?" Catherine suggested and I nodded, leaving her to be and exiting the auditorium to bring them all down.

I was just about to get into the private elevators when it opened and a shiny Armani leather shoe came into my view, Xavier came out, his bodyguards didn't waste time surrounding him. Aiden and Samantha following behind with their assigned bodyguards and lastly came out a meek Ruby who was pulled by the waist to Samantha.

I straightened myself in my raven suit, squaring my shoulders and raising my head a little, waiting for them to come closer, pulling off the best smile I greeted professionally.

"If you may follow me, right this way." I gestured them towards the auditorium's way, not once Xavier's gaze wavered from me, trying to freeze me at my spot. I ignored him but no matter how hard I try I couldn't ignore the feel of his gaze drilling holes in my skull, a shiver passed through my spine but I tried to appear oblivious of his intense gaze.

We were continuing our way to the conference, pin-drop silence accompanying among us, I tried to keep my calm and seem professional as much as I can, my attempt to control my emotions went down the drain the second I saw Catherine rushing to us, her heels clicking on the floor in hurry, her breath was heaving due to running, she stopped right in front of us.

"Don't—go—inside!" She huffed in between her breaths making me frown in confusion. Everything was just fine not long ago, what happened? Before I could ask what happened in such a short time Xavier did.

"What do you mean don't go inside?" Xavier grim voice sounded from behind me making her nervously glance at him. I was troubled upon seeing her in a difficult situation all alone.

"There's a problem sir." She said timidly.

"There's a problem. What did I tell you if anything is messed up?"

She visibly gulped at his threat."That I'll be fired."

"Exactly. So you better pray this isn't your doing." He said severely.

David rushed to us as well while ranting on his phone continuously, he ended the call upon reaching us.

"Actually we have two problems." He announced typing away on his phone before focusing his attention on a furious Xavier, his eyebrows were creased together in frustration and his fists were tightened, Ruby behind him was looking like she was going to cry, Samantha was consoling her.

"What is it?" He asked controlling his anger, it was obvious that he wasn't doing a great job by the veins bulging out in his neck.

"Someone leaked a video of your nightclub's employee involved in drug marketing."David let out and I felt my heartbeat pace in my ribcage, getting a very strong instinct that very soon everything is going to go down. I suppressed it and focused on the situation, he went silent instead of continuing further.

"And?" I asked not able to take the suspense anymore.

He eyed me for a second and continued softly, "And Angelina twitted about being engaged to Xavier, there are pictures too and believe it or not press speculates it wholeheartedly. They are going to ask you about these two scandals rather than the previous one and you all aren't ready."

I felt air whoosh out of me at the information, we are doomed. Catherine glanced at me concerned before slowly pulling up the rumoured snaps towards Xavier in her iPad. I didn't know what to do, someone was clutching my arm tightly and I was pretty sure it was Aiden, keeping me from collapsing down.

"These aren't real. I never proposed to her." Xavier denied it, but all I could think was him being engaged to Angelina, KING INC. was most precious to him and he would do anything to keep it away from diminishing even if it meant accepting false rumours and making them true to do so.

"I know. I know that this isn't you but the official statement was given out by Angelina's modelling company about her being engaged to you and you can't just deny it and expect the press to believe you." David explained.

"So you're suggesting to cancel the conference," Aiden asked from behind me and I hopefully stared at David, he glanced at me pitifully before shaking his head in defiance.

"Cancelling it will indirectly confirm the rumours," David said, I didn't want to feel this way, after all, Xavier had made me go through but just the thought of him together with Angelina was ripping out my heart.

Xavier's eyes met mine for a second before he swiftly diverted his gaze to David." What are our better options?"

"Two at this point. Either accept your engagement to Angelina and let Aiden explain the drug dealing situation, or overshadow these scandals with another scandal that is in your favour." David explained declining another call.

"Scandal in my favour," Xavier murmured, involuntarily gaping at me all this time, my thoughts were not sane at this point. I was having trouble thinking anything positive. I consciously turned to another hiss.

"You're insane! What the heck do you think will happen if we add one more scandal in already long line?!" Catherine frustratingly hissed at David making him frown in frustration as well.

"Maybe we can bribe her modelling company to take the statement back," Samantha suggested thoughtfully.

"How much are you going to pay them? What do you think will give them more publicity? Their model engaged to a multi-billionaire bachelor or falsing out their own statement?" Aiden retorted annoyed from behind me, firmly keeping his grip on my shoulders.

At one point I couldn't hear their bickering to find an impossible solution, my mind was numb and void of any emotions, I could only hear my brain repeatedly convincing me to give up. Give up on the false hope I was clutching to. Giving up on the lost cause that is our toxic relationship. I need to prior myself first.

Slowly focusing back into reality I asked David. "Where is Angelina?"

"She hasn't been spotted out after her tweet." He acknowledged me and I nodded gradually before deliberately standing on my own, holding Aiden's arm for support and turned to Xavier, his glassy eyes burning me whole, those eyes were never genuine and never will be.

"Accept it. There's no way around." I knew that he was going to, and my opinion didn't matter to him but it gave me the least of the satisfaction of finally letting him go on my own rather than complaining to him to let me go. I smiled a little when I felt my heart swell, he was going to remain a bittersweet memory of mine in my heart, locked away from the rest of the world, he will always be someone I wasn't able to console when he needed me, I knew there was something, the reason behind his actions that he wasn't telling me would remain a mystery to me forever. It will be like waking up from a rollercoaster of a dream.

"Don't let another precious thing slip through your fingers," I mumbled again, there wasn't any tears only pure relief of knowing that I was strong enough to give up.

Everyone was silent before Catherine distressedly mumbled."There has to be another way!" Focusing her gaze on David. "Can't you do something?" She hopefully asked again but he kept quiet.

I was a little happy to keep myself first rather than degrading myself by going back to him, a genuine smile contoured my face as I shifted my gaze to the floor, I felt empowered upon standing for myself, I should have just let it all go rather than holding onto a lost cause, hurting myself by thinking I could take back us to our old selves.

I should have parted with my feelings the day he did that to me instead of believing we could be happy again, you can't love someone if you don't love yourself enough.

What I didn't notice was Xavier's expression, while I was revelling silently in my small conquest of freeing us both he wasn't having it.

Slowly and I mean very slowly he mumbled in a deadly voice like he couldn't believe how I just said that rest alone thought about it. "You want me to accept the rumours?"

He stepped closer to me and I kept my ground instead of backing away, "You want me to go out and introduce Angelina as my fiáncee?" He continued asking unbelievably.

"You're okay with that?"

"You shouldn't let the dearest thing to you crumble down slowly, this is the right choice," I tried to explain as softly as I can, understanding his sudden anxiousness, but it is time to set ourselves free of the invisible cage we built together.

"I need you to let go," I murmured.

"And who are you to order me around!" He snarled and I flinched in shock at his sudden exclamation, not expecting him to burst out like that, isn't that what he wanted? To save his company?

"I—I was just trying to—" I couldn't complete my sentence before he harshly gripped my wrist and started dragging me back in the direction of private elevators. Aiden's grip slipped from upon me, his bodyguards tried to follow him but he snarled back at everyone.

"Don't follow us!"

My wrist was stinging from his tight grip, I knew a bruise was in the queue, I pleadingly stared at Aiden to stop him until he was out of my sight but he didn't know what his best friend was capable of doing to me, when I thought he would push me into the elevators he opened a door beside it and shoved both of us in, the room was dimly lit, making it hard to accustom eyesight to it, I was blinking to let my eyes get used to darkness when he harshly shoved me into the door making it close due to force of the push.

My breath constricted in my throat from the impact, I was trying to catch my breath when I felt his face just mere centimetres away from me, I stopped breathing altogether. "You want me to accept the rumours! You want me to take her as my fiáncee! Have you ever asked me what I want?!" He snarled pushing himself upon me, caging me to the door by placing his hands on either side of my head, there was nowhere I could go to save myself if he tried anything. My hands were trapped between us, restricting any type of movement from me.