“Are they true?” she hesitantly asks.
“Yes.” My tone is unflinching.
“Why would you do it?
“Don’t tell me you only read the headline?”
She narrows her eyes, reprimanding, “I’d rather hear it from you. If you expect me to do my job properly, I need to know.”
“The Singhania and Sons empire is built on traditional and family values that my great-grandfather passed down. I needed to fix my playboy image to convince the board and my father that I deserved to be the CEO. Iris needed money to pay her tuition.So, we made a deal. It worked until she fell in love with my brother, Kian.”
“This news must’ve made it worse.”
“It doesn’t help that my own father is conspiring against me.”
“I’m sorry.”
This right here is the reason I call her an angel. A lesser woman wouldn’t feel sorry for me after the way I treated her. Every accusation she hurled my way was true. Nonetheless, it had to be done.
“Don’t be. His behavior isn’t a surprise.”
“May I ask why he’s against you?”
“He wanted a puppet, not an heir who can lead on his own.” He was livid the first time I made a business decision that went against his wishes. I made the call to cut ties with a long-time supplier of ours, whose product qualities weren’t up to the standards for the absorbent amount we were paying him. We had a contract with them for as long as we did because the owner was an old friend of my father.
“Now, he’s found the perfect opportunity to kick you out,” surmises Arya. A sharklike glint that I’d never expect from her sharpens her eyes. “We’ll need to reshape your public persona from scratch because this con is far damaging than your playboy image. It makes you look avaricious and deceitful. A power-hungry man with no morals. This isn’t something you can ignore and assume it’ll blow over with time.”
Perhaps I judged her a bit too harshly because her perceptiveness is astute. “Do you have experience with a case like this?”
“I worked on a similar case with an actress involved in an affair with a producer, who hid the fact that he was married and tried to have her removed from the film. He also spread false rumors about her. All her hard work went down thedrain because everyone believed she slept her way to the top. We were successfully able to save her career.” Pointing at me, she says, “Of course, your case is a lot more complicated, but I can absolutely help you. We have to make you appear as someone trustworthy and reliable. Someone who wouldn’t put the company in jeopardy and holds core familial values. Have you put out an official statement?”
“I haven’t nor do I plan to.”
Her brow furrows. “If the truth is out, why don’t you take responsibility and apologize? In today’s world, it’s better to be honest. We can then look into ways to rehabilitate your image and strategies to save your CEO position from being replaced by the board.”
I’m already shaking my head in disagreement. “There’s no solid proof to back up the claims. Either come up with a solution that solves my problem without admitting the truth or where the blame falls solely on me. I don’t want anything coming back on Iris. It’s nonnegotiable.”
I’ve made Iris suffer enough to last a lifetime. While I can’t take back what I’ve done against her in the past, I will not be committing any more sins.
Arya tenses, watching me raptly before her gaze widens slightly. Lurching back in her seat, she gasps, “D-did you truly fall for her, Nathan? Is that why you’re protecting her?”
“I thought our personal lives were off-limits.”
“You’re not denying it,” she counters.
“I’m protecting her because she’s my brother’s fiancée,” I utter rigidly. “I don’t want their lives to be complicated because of my actions. That’s all you need to know, Arya.”
Either sensing my patience is running thin or the topic is a sore spot, she shakes off the shock and puts on the professional veneer. “All right. We will not disclose the truth. However, we will need to address the rumor and prove it as fake news.”
“Good.”
Unlocking her iPad, she asks, “Do you have a clue who could’ve leaked this information? How many people knew about your fake engagement?”
“Unfortunately, no. My close friends learned of the truth recently, but they won’t be behind this.”
She raises a sardonic brow. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
