Chapter 15 A Scandalous Announcement
742 Words
Listening, Katherine's heart pounded so violently that her entire body trembled. What does he mean by taking me to marry him? Weren’t they just bound by a mere contract?
Why was there suddenly talk of marriage?
The flashing spotlights bombarded her from all directions. Clad in an ivory-white tube dress, she exuded an elegant grace. The lace-trimmed fabric draped her like the modesty of a goddess, but in this moment, she felt anything but divine.
Then chaos erupted.
The moment Leon's words fell, reporters bombarded her with ruthless questions.
"Miss Sinclair, are you truly going to marry your brother-in-law?"
"Miss Sinclair, it's said that you were born out of wedlock. Your sister adored you immensely. After her passing, you seized her husband. What are your thoughts on this?"
"Miss Sinclair, could you give us a rational explanation for this behavior? What is the stance of the Sinclair family's elder? Is he aware that you're going to be with Mr. Blackwood?"
"Mr. Blackwood, isn’t this issue just a baseless rumor?"
The sharp, accusing words swirled around her like a curse, coiling tighter and tighter, leaving her no room to breathe. No matter how hard she tried to shake them off, she couldn’t even utter a defense!
And yet, Leon — her supposed tormentor—stood there, exuding a calm satisfaction. He merely raised his hand slightly, and as if he controlled the world itself, the room instantly hushed. Every reporter, every camera, every murmur fell silent, waiting eagerly for his next words.
His deep voice echoed through the hall. "Yes! I, Leon Blackwood, want to announce to the world that I will marry Katherine Sinclair."
Gasps. Shock.
The entire room erupted into chaos once more.
"My God! Is this real? Is Miss Sinclair going to marry her brother-in-law?"
His words sent shockwaves across the venue, setting off an uproar.
Katherine felt her entire being collapse under the weight of his declaration. She sat frozen, drained of all strength. Her fingers trembled as she clenched the hem of her dress, trying to grasp onto any sense of reality.
What is he thinking?
Does he want to ruin me completely?
Her fury boiled over. Suddenly, she slammed her hand against the table and bellowed, her voice icy and defiant.
"No! He is my brother-in-law! I will not marry him! Everything he said is false—false!"
A tense silence followed.
Leon’s gaze darkened, a subtle shift flickering in his sapphire-blue eyes. Yet, his demeanor remained composed. Unfazed.
Then, he moved.
With effortless arrogance, he stood and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close. His voice, deep and indulgent, cooed, "Baby, what’s wrong? I know you dislike such scenes, but we’re public figures—we have to face this. Don’t be mad, alright?"
A collective sigh of admiration swept through the crowd at his unexpected display of tenderness. Women in the audience secretly envied her, while men were left in awe.
But only Katherine could hear the threat lurking beneath his gentle facade.
She turned to him, her voice a broken whisper. "What do you want from me? Haven’t you had enough?"
His embrace tightened, a false sense of warmth pressing into her skin. His lips brushed against her ear as he whispered menacingly, "Be a good girl. It’ll pass soon." He paused, then added coldly, "Unless… you want the scene where you crawled into my bed to be tomorrow’s headline?"
Katherine stiffened instantly.
Her breath hitched.
She lifted her gaze in horror at the man before her—the man who, to the outside world, seemed flawless. His sapphire eyes, admired by so many, held a glint of cruelty. To others, he was the perfect gentleman. But to her…
To her, he was a monster.
Click. Click. Click.
The cameras captured every intimate angle of their “romantic” moment. The LED screens outside the venue lit up with their images, plastering their scandalous engagement across the entire city. News anchors interrupted broadcasts to report on the breaking story.
Every household tuned in to witness the shocking revelation.
At the Sinclair Mansion
Smash!
A porcelain teapot shattered against the marble floor.
Maxwell Sinclair stood fuming, his face livid as he watched the broadcast. His chest heaved with rage, veins popping along his temple.
"What audacity! My daughter is barely in her grave, and now she's seducing my son-in-law!"
His enraged roar echoed through the halls, shaking the very foundation of the Sinclair estate.
- Writer
