A hard sob slipped out, and he latched onto Severo. “I w-want t-to go h-home. I w-want m-my baby, and I w-want t-to go home,” he stuttered.
Severo cradled him to his chest. “Yes, we’ll go home. I’m sorry…I’m sorry.”
Seri couldn’t help but sob harder.
Severo stood there,staring down at Seri and Skya. His eyes felt raw from crying. The Nymph had sobbed himself to sleep when they’d gotten home. Skya just clinging to him, confused and teary-eyed, before falling asleep herself.
His heart hurt. Staring for a few seconds longer, he pulled out his cell phone, released the screen, and made the call he kept putting off. Maybe…if he hadn't, this wouldn’t have happened.
“What? Decided to finally talk to me after avoiding each and every one of my calls for who knows how long, Severo?” His mother huffed, sounding put out.
“Mamma…I need help,” Severo managed to say, voice breaking as tears filled his eyes. He felt lost on how to fix this… He thought once Preston was taken care of, he could keep Seri safe…but this didn’t feel like an enemy he could beat down. It never had been one he could beat down…
“Who hurt my baby? I’ll kill them!” she roared.
With a sob, he let the last seven months spew out. Every single detail, all except…what he read in Seri’s statement…that wasn’t his to share…
In a meeting room, on the tenth floor of the CEB, Severo sat in the head seat at the large oval table. Seri was in his lap, with a sleeping Skya strapped to his chest. The Nymph was quiet, and had been since waking up that morning.
There were a lot of people in the room. The man currently standing by a floating screen and talking, was the head of the Public Relations Department, Executive Director Carrick Novak. Honestly, Severo barely knew the man, usually leaving Cyrus to talk to him…mainly due to his dislike of reporters, and all things related to them. Carrick, being the Director of the Public Relations Department, meantthat the press was a lot of who he dealt with.
Seated around the room were Cyrus, Killian, and a slew of other people. But the only person he really cared about, and wanted there, besides Seri, was the woman sitting to his right—Cassia Oravec.
Light lilac hair, eyes the color of honeysuckles, the woman may have only been five-feet tall, but the Pixie was packed full of ‘you don’t want to fuck with me’ energy. Which was why she was fully in charge of everything dealing with his family, and the Voli group as a whole, when it came to public image, relations, and taking care of issues related to all of the previous. She had dealt with every major crisis and situation his family had faced since long before he was born. The woman was an absolute shark with the media, and great at shutting things down.
Shaking his head, Severo forced himself to focus on what was being said.
“The public was already slightly on Seri’s side after the news first hit,” Carrick stated. “But as the days went by, and more stories were spun, public opinion began to turn against him.”
Cassia hummed. “Yes, but after yesterday morning, not so much. And we are going to use that. These reporters plastered images of an obviously traumatized Seri, terrified and crying, all over the internet. After the images went viral, the response has been an avalanche of condemnation from the public.”
Seri flinched at her words. Severo pulled him closer, whispering, “I’m sorry.”
Cassia sent a sympathetic look their way. “I apologize, Seri. I’ll try to be more careful of my wording.”
The Nymph shook his head. “You said nothing incorrect.”
“Still, I’m not here to cause you more harm. That being said, I think it’s time we put out a statement during a closed press conference. Letting the media continue to run their mouths would be a mistake. Mind you, I understand it may be too much for you to speak in front of these…maggots, but I will set it up in a way where you will just be talking, no questions will be asked.”
Carrick tsked. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. They could just take whatever he says and try to spin it again.”
“The public is currently tearing them to shreds. Even now, articles and posts are being removed as the backlash grows. We need to feed that backlash, so it doesn’t snuff out. I can handle the feeding part. But I want you to hammer one last nail in their coffins.
“Besides, the point is not to tell them new information. I, in fact, don’t want you to tell them anything more than what is already publicly known. No more than what you revealed the day you valiantly freed yourself from that monster. What I do want you to do, is speak of the extreme distress this is causing you all. Emphasize how it makes you feel. The vultures won’t care, but the public will.
“It may be a good idea to mention how you grew up. Those who were in your position once, or who are still in that position, will sympathize and relate. I don’t doubt some of this is speared on by Preston himself, but I assure you, he will be taken care of in due time.”
“What if they ask about our relationship? The things they said to Seri…” Severo ground his teeth together.
“Tell them the truth. Seri has nothing to be ashamed of, or to hide, when it comes to your relationship with him. By not saying anything, you are letting them think that there is reason to hide. So, tell the truth. Most will find it romantic. A big, strong CEB agent coming to the rescue, only to fall in love with the person he is saving. The public will eat the story up like candy.”
“I’ll do it…” Seri said softly.
He grasped hold of Seri’s hands. “And I’ll be right there by your side.”
Seri stoodthere behind the curtain, just out of sight of the crowd of reporters. His heart was already racing. Had he really thought he could do this?! He hated public speaking! The last time he had to give a speech, he had stood there frozen for two minutes before spewing out his entire ten-minute presentation in five. Seri had been talking so fast the audience had barely understood him. And like, that was a class of his peers! This was a group of hungry lions waiting to tear him apart.
He jumped when hands landed on his shoulders. “Seri…it’s going to be fine. I won’t leave your side. And the reporters who dare to utter one word will be dragged out by security,” Severo murmured softly.
