CHAPTER EIGHT
1411 Words
Brielle watched her sister pace around her office agitated,after hanging up from her call with Roman it seemed to have made her even more upset than before.
“You shouldn't have answered his call.” Brielle scolded her.
“I couldn't help myself.” She grumbled sitting down at her desk.
“He did this so he could see you upset and uneasy and you just gave him the pleasure of that.” Her sister snapped also taking her seat.
“Well I don't care Brielle, he can be sipping champagne with his hot girlfriend on a yatch celebrating his win for all I care. I have more important things to be worried about.” Reyna retorted sharply, lying her head on her desk.
Just days ago she was awarded designer of the year and now this scandal was threatening everything she had worked so hard to build.
There was a knock at the door and Reyna permitted the person to come in, it was her secretary.
“Miss Styles the press conference you called for has been arranged.” The young man informed her and Reyna dismissed him with a nod.
“You called for a press conference Reyna?” Brielle questioned her, slightly taken aback by the information, “the press is the reason you are in this mess, spreading false rumors just to get viewers.”
“I need to do anything I can to sort this out, people think it's a recent video and not something from five years ago I need to correct their misconceptions and clear my name.” Reyna explained calmly but Brielle didn't like the idea.
“Are you really going to sue Roman Knight?” Brielle asked her sister who was getting ready to receive the press.
“If it comes down to it. Then I would make sure he spends years in prison, I am in no way the Reyna he used five years ago.”
Reyna stepped out of the office leaving her sister behind, now it was time for her to try clear up this mess.
A sleek podium stood at the center of the studio's press lounge, the Aurora Couture logo glowing subtly behind her. Cameras were flashing, reporters whispering inaudible things, the room buzzed with anticipation.
Reyna stepped up on the podium, dressed in a tailored white suit, her auburn red hair pulled back in a ponytail, her face was calm and expressionless.
She adjusted the mic,
“Thank you all for being here. I’ll keep this brief.” She stated.
Silence fell on the room, they all wanted to get every single word she was going to say.
“This morning, a private video from my past was leaked to the public without my consent. It was an invasion of privacy and a violation not only of my personal life but of my basic decency.”
She let that hang for a moment, gathering up her courage.
“I have nothing to be ashamed of. I am a grown woman, in charge of my life, my career, and my choices. What I will not accept is my name and reputation being dragged in the mud for something that happened five years ago.”
Cameras clicked rapidly, reporters jotted notes down.
“So you are trying to say that it's not a recent video of you and Mr. Roman Knight?” A reporter asked.
“It's not, that video is from five years ago when we were in college.” Reyna informed them.
“So you and Roman Knight were college sweethearts?” Another reporter concluded and that sent the room into an eruption.
“No, no we weren't college sweethearts” Reyna retorted, internally she was losing her mind.
“So you both had a fling?” The same reporter said.
“I refuse to answer anymore questions” She said tight lipped trying not to snap. “All I ask the media is to remember that I am not just a headline. I’m a designer, A businesswoman and most of all human being so I would ask that you confirm your information before you spread more rumors.”
Reyna stepped back without another word walking away with her head up high and back straight.
“Let's hope this doesn't backfire.” Brielle whispered to herself, standing in the corner of the room.
Vivian was enjoying it all, the downfall of Reyna Styles, the woman had thought she could mess with her and get away with it.
“I am so lucky to have found that video of her and Roman, talk about a miracle” She chuckled to herself.
She laid face down on a massage bed in a spa room as a masseur, massaged her back.
“Has Roman called me yet?” Vivian asked her assistant who was sitting with her there working on her laptop.
“No Miss Sliver, he hasn't.” Piper replied, sounding apologetic.
Vivian felt anger rise in her chest, but she dismissed it quickly, “He's probably dealing with his mess, he will call me tonight and if he doesn't I will go to his apartment.”
“Miss Styles held a press conference, stating that the video was from five years ago and not a recent one.” Piper announced without a warning making, Vivian jerk up from massage bed.
“Miss…” The masseur said disapprovingly.
“Get out.” she snapped at them, with a curt nod they left her and Piper alone.
“Did people believe what she said?”
“Well people are starting to see the difference between them in the video and now, that they looked much younger.” Piper mentioned while scrolling through her phone.
“Wait, there is a comment here from someone saying they went to the same college as Miss Styles and Mr Knight, you won't believe what it says.” Piper covered her mouth in disbelief, as is holding back a gasp and the urge to burst out laughing the same time her eyes were lit in amusement.
“What does it say Piper?” Vivian commanded, she had no patience to guess.
Piper sat upright before reading “It says here, This video was from the night of our college party I remember it from five years ago, because I saw Roman Knight at the party wearing this exact outfit in the video. Although I didn't see Reyna Styles that night, I am still certain it's from that night.”
“s**t, this person is only confirming the truth.” Vivian punched her bed annoyed.
“I am not done yet Miss Sliver, this is were the good part comes in.” she quipped and then continued, “I do remember that the next day at college someone started spreading gossip that Reyna and Roman hooked up the night of the party and Roman denied it when he was asked he insulted Reyna in front of the whole school saying he would never sleep with someone like her. Then though Reyna wasn't as pretty as she is now but I can't believe Roman Knight lied to the whole school about sleeping with Reyna Styles. What a douchebag.” Piper burst out laughing at the end and out of no where Vivian poured water all over her.
“Miss Sliver.” she exclaimed surprised.
“That comment only says bad things about Roman and non about Reyna, it's Reyna's reputation we are trying to destroy not my boyfriend's.”
“I know that ma'am, I am sorry” she apologized vehemently.
“You should be.” Vivian responded glaring at her, she picked upper robe and put it on. “Find a way to get rid of that comment and release the remaining part of the video, also get me on tomorrow mornings show I need to make this fire harder to quench.”
Roman sat down quietly in his office lost in thought, a half empty bottle of whiskey on his table.
He got a phone call and answered immediately as if he had been waiting for it all day.
“Did find out what I asked?”
“Yes sir, I traced the details of who posted the video.” The caller responded.
“Tell me.”
“It was posted from a very secure account but the location was traced to a Penthouse in the city owned by a lady Vivan Sliver.”
- Writer
