My voice rings out loud and clear and the room goes quiet. Dozens of cameras point toward me. Flashes pop, and for a split second, the room feels too bright, too loud, and too crowded. My palms are damp against the edges of the podium.
Breathe.
I swallow and straighten slightly, remembering the steady tone Jayce drilled into me when we practiced for this.
Slow. Clear. Confident.
“My name is Sutton Holloway,” I continue, “and I’m here to shed some light on the events that have taken place in the past week regarding an attempted hostile takeover of Holloway Architecture.”
I glance down briefly at the notes in front of me. They’re mostly blank because Jayce insisted I didn’t need to hide behind them.
“You know this better than anyone,” he’d said. “Just tell the truth.”
I lift my head again.
“Aubrey and Leon Reynolds conspired against Holloway, but it wasn’t the first time.”
The room is perfectly silent as the rows of reporters appear to hang onto my every word. My throat tightens, and for half a second, my voice threatens to stall. My fingers grip the edge of the podium as Jayce’s voice echoes in my head.
“Own the room.”
I inhale slowly, then I continue.
“They attempted a similar plot years ago, targeting Holloway through financial sabotage and fraudulent activity designed to destabilize our business. Thanks to the efforts of a private investigator who wishes to remain anonymous, and my fiance Jayce Vaughn, we’ve been able to uncover evidence of the Reynolds’ conspiracy and they’ve been arrested and will face the consequences of their actions.”
I glance over my shoulder and meet Jayce’s gaze. He’s grinning, pride shining in his eyes.
Turning back to the crowd, I continue, “I want to apologize to all of Holloway’s business partners and clients who were affected by the breaches in our security, and I can assure you that we will be implementing stronger measures and protocols going forward so this type of thing can never happen again.”
As I finish, the room is quiet for several moments. I take a deep breath.
Suddenly, the reporters erupt. They’re lobbing questions at me, rapid-fire.
“Ms. Holloway, has this affected your engagement?”
“Will this breach of security have any bearing on your deal with Jackson Romero?”
“Can you comment on the rumors that you’re being prepped to take over Holloway Architecture as its new CEO?”
None of the questions surprise me, but I don’t offer any answers. I’ve said what I needed to say, and I’ve been through enough stress for one day. Plus, I feel good about my comments, and I want to leave it at that.
Turning, I walk away from the podium. The reporters keep calling for me, but I ignore them. Jayce is smiling, pride shining in his blue eyes as he offers me his hand. He’s dressed in a charcoal gray suit, his blond hair slicked back. He’s so handsome, my stomach flutters as I take his hand and he pulls me to his side and leads me out of the room. Tingles rush up my arm at his touch, and I can’t help imagining his fingers dancing along my bare skin as he takes his time tying me up with intricate knots.
“You did amazing,” he tells me in a low voice.
I glance up at him. “Thanks to you.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “No, that was all you, Starling.”
We head to the adjoining conference room, which acted as a sort of dressing room for me to get ready to meet the press. The noise from the main room dulls instantly. The reporters are still talking, but now it all sounds distant. Muffled through the wall and the thick wooden door. Like the ocean rumbling far away.
This room is empty of the glam squad that was in here with me earlier, and I feel like I can take a full breath.
“I’m glad that’s over,” I confess, leaning against the long table in the middle of the room. “Now we can just move on.”
Jayce leans over me, bracing his hands on the table on either side of my hips. He presses his lips to mine in a tender kiss.
“I love you,” he murmurs. “I’m so proud of you.”
