Chapter Nine
The weight of public scrutiny pressing down like a vise.
My voice shook as I spoke, barely keeping the panic at bay. "And what do I have to do? My fans are against me. How do I keep getting work from my clients? How?"
Noah leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, a calm expression on his face that did nothing to soothe my anxiety. "I'll just call Leo," he said, his voice steady. "He can release a statement to clear the air about what happened, and that he caused all this."
I turned to him, incredulous. "And do you think that's going to happen? Do you think he will do that?"
Noah didn't flinch, didn't even hesitate. "He will. I know he would."His certainty unsettled me.
It wasn't that I didn't want to believe him, I wish to believe him . But the reality of Leo's betrayal was too fresh.
The idea that he would step up now, after everything, seemed like a joke.
I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. "You really think he'll just come out and admit it? Take the blame?"Noah pushed off the wall and walked towards me, his eyes holding mine with a kind of quiet confidence that I envied.
"Yes, Rachel. He knows what he did, and he knows he has betrayed you so much, don't worry. He'll do it because it's the right thing to do. And because, deep down, he still cares."
"Okay, you know what? Call him now so I can know, I don't know what to even tell my PA if she called"
"Oh! Let me call him" he picked his phone and dialed his number.
"Hello Leo" Noah said, after Leo picked up the call.
"Hello, what's going on? Why the sudden call?"
"Hmm, you saw things that are reverberating in social media?"
"What does that has to do with me"
"You know Rachel didn't leave you because she wants to, you prompt her to do so, you went after her step-sister"
"Please, get to the point"
"I want you to release a statement to clear the air that she is not someone like that…."
"Did you release a statement when you want to have a contract marriage with her?"
"Common brother, just do this because of her reputation, her hard-earn work shouldn't be ruined with this"
"Really? But she's staying with you and you don't want it to be ruined? Please, if you have anything good you want to discuss you can call me back" he said and hung the call.
"I said it, I knew he wouldn't help, what do I do?"
"Just leave the matter to me, I'll settle it"
"Settle what exactly? Is this not the plan you had to settle it? Your brother isn't even saying any positive things about it"
Before we knew it, we already heard voices of people shouting outside, they clearly wanted to know if I was truly living with him or not.
"What do I do Noah?"
Noah's face hardened, his calm demeanor slipping as the urgency of the situation began to set in.
He moved to the window, peeking through the blinds at the growing crowd outside. "We need to address this now, before it spirals even further out of control," he muttered, more to himself than to me.
Turning back, he met my eyes, the weight of the moment bearing down on both of us. "Let them know the truth that I am in love with you, I don't even want to hide it, I want everyone to know about this"
"Noah, you understand this situation, it's no possible to reveal that, right now, we need to do something, I need to hide, I can't let them confirm that I am living here now"
Noah stared at me for a moment, his jaw clenched, clearly torn between his desire to protect me and the impulse to just lay everything bare.
But he nodded, his eyes softening as he recognized the panic in mine. "Alright, we'll do it your way. But this isn't a long-term solution, Rachel. We can't keep hiding forever."I knew he was right, but right now, I couldn't think about the future.
I just needed to get through the next few minutes, the next few hours, without everything crashing down around me.
Noah took his cap in the living room, "I'll go out to address the situation, make sure you go inside your room, I am sure they will be doing live videos, you can keep on watching and please, stay in your room Incase"
"Thank you Noah for always supporting me, I love you" I kissed him sharply.
He was shocked, "Oh! Yeah, you won't let me get myself, I'll be right back" he smiled and left.
I held my breath, eyes glued to the screen as the live video streamed from the front of Noah's house. The scene was chaotic—cameras flashing, voices overlapping, and people craning their necks to catch a glimpse of him. Noah stood tall, composed despite the barrage of questions hurled his way.
A speaker came forward to ask, "Is it true that your brother fiancé is now living with you"
Another asked, "Did you snatch your brother's fiancé because you are wealthier than him?
"Did you fall in love with your brother's fiancé and decided to snatch him or is it an agreement between the both you to date same lady"
"Is she currently in your house?"
Cameras were flashing as they were asking questions, Noah stood tall watching them ask different questions.
"You know what, I am just going to say what I have to say, it's up to you all to believe or not, I am not supposed to be discussing family matter here, but I'll" he paused and continued, "You know Rachel has a sister, a step-sister, Rachel caught Leo with her, and she realized they were in a relationship. She got angry and broke up with him, which is why the wedding was canceled. Well I actually wished she could be mine, because I have had feelings for her before my brother dated her"