Chapter 24: Victor's Downfall
710 Words
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*Monday. 9:00am. Cole Ventures. 40th Floor.*
I was in a meeting.
Adrian was next to me.
Eleanor kicking like she was in the board meeting too.
Then David burst in.
Face red.
“Boss,” he said.
“We have a problem.”
Adrian didn’t look up.
“Make it quick.”
“Victor leaked the Amber story,” David said.
“To TMZ. To Page Six. To everyone.”
The room went silent.
Adrian finally looked up.
Slow.
Dangerous.
“What did he say?”
“That you had an affair.
That you paid her off.
That you’re hiding a secret baby.
That Zara is a homewrecker.”
I felt sick.
Adrian stood up.
Chair scraping.
“Get me his number,” he said.
“I already tried,” David said.
“He blocked you.”
Adrian nodded.
“Then we do it my way.”
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*10:30am. Press Conference. Cole Tower.*
Adrian didn’t call a PR team.
He called the press.
Himself.
Cameras.
Microphones.
100 reporters.
And Adrian.
In a black suit.
No tie.
Eyes tired.
Hand in mine.
“Good morning,” he said.
Voice calm.
Dead calm.
“I’m not going to waste your time.
So I’ll get to it.”
He looked at the cameras.
“4 years ago, I made a mistake.
I was drunk. I was heartbroken.
I slept with someone.
Once.”
Gasps.
“I thought she was pregnant.
She wasn’t.
But I was scared.
Scared of losing the woman I loved.
Scared of the press.
So I paid her to sign an NDA
and leave.”
He paused.
“That was wrong.
I was wrong.
And I’ve regretted it every day since.”
He squeezed my hand.
“The woman standing next to me
is Zara Cole.
My wife.
The mother of my daughter, Eleanor.
She is not a homewrecker.
She is the best thing that ever happened to me.
And anyone who says otherwise
can answer to me.”
He looked directly into the camera.
“Victor Hayes leaked this.
Because he’s angry.
Because he’s bitter.
Because he tried to hurt my family.
And he failed.”
He stepped back.
“No questions.”
And walked out.
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*11:00am. The Fallout.*
It took 20 minutes.
#AdrianCole was trending.
#EleanorZaraCole was trending.
Headlines:
`BILLIONAIRE ADMITS MISTAKE, DEFENDS WIFE`
`COLE: "SHE IS THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME"`
`VICTOR HAYES EXPOSED AS BITTER EX`
But the best part?
Amber posted.
From a private account.
Verified.
`He’s telling the truth.
It wasn’t his.
I lied.
I’m sorry, Zara.`
The internet exploded.
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*1:00pm. Victor's Office.*
He was fired.
By 3 different companies.
His stocks tanked.
His investors pulled out.
David sent us a text:
`He’s done.`
Adrian read it.
Deleted it.
“Good,” he said.
And went back to holding my hand.
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*6:00pm. Penthouse. Nursery.*
We were painting.
Again.
The wall Eleanor kicked during the press conference.
Adrian was quiet.
“You okay?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
“Just thinking.”
“About?”
“About how 4 years ago
I thought money could fix everything.
And today I learned it can’t.
But the truth can.”
He set the roller down.
Came to me.
“I was so scared,” he said.
“That this would ruin us.
That people would think less of you.
Of me.
Of us.”
I shook my head.
“They saw you,” I said.
“They saw you choose me.
In front of everyone.”
He nodded.
Pulled me into him.
“I would do it again,” he said.
“Stand up there.
Tell the truth.
For you.
For Eleanor.”
`kick`
Eleanor agreed.
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*10:00pm. Bed.*
Adrian couldn’t sleep.
Kept checking his phone.
“Stop,” I said.
“Come here.”
He did.
Wrapped around me.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you so much it scares me.”
“I love you too,” I said.
“Even when you’re stupid.
Even when you’re brave.
Even when you’re both.”
He laughed.
Buried his face in my neck.
“Eleanor’s gonna be so proud of us,”
he said.
“She already is,” I said.
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- Writer
