Harlan had no clue what Darren was planning in his head. He couldn't even understand why his boss had sent a reporter to Jacob's press conference. However, when he saw the mischievous smile on Darren's face, he knew that everything was under Darren's control.
Meanwhile, in the HT Group, the conference was finally over.
"Mr. Gu, all the reporters and crew already left. Our public relations team is on standby to take care of what just happened," said Sam.
Jacob turned his gaze from the document in front of him and replied, "We don't need to do that. I answered that reporter's question being fully aware of the consequences. I'm not really concerned with what she does with that story. My relationship with Darren will be known to the public sooner or later. It's just a matter of time."
"Yes, sir. I understand.
On another note, that reporter... Would you like me to conduct an investigation on her?"
"No need. It's unnecessary,"
Jacob replied, tapping his pen on the table.
His decision seemed quite reasonable at that moment. After all, that reporter was just Darren's pawn. The real battlefield belonged to him and Darren. There was no reason to involve her in their mess.
These days, one had to admit how amazingly fast news was published. In less than an hour, Jacob's statement at the press conference had already spread throughout the entire city. Some people were amazed that Jacob had dared to tell the truth. In their eyes, it took a lot of guts to come out and say that. With that being said, it was clear to everyone that his statement would definitely affect the development of the HT Group in the future.
Even if the business world was always depicted like a grueling battlefield, most businessmen pretended to get along just fine with each other. Every businessman usually had two sides to him, a good one and a bad one. That being said, even if a gun was pointed at their heads, they still chose to show their good side until the bitter end.
As soon as everyone on the internet learned what Jacob had said, most of them couldn't stop buzzing like bees. Naturally, some didn't care at all and continued scrolling down on their news feed.
Having come across a few comments about her husband on the internet, Emily felt a bit worried. She had no clue what Jacob was going through at that moment.
In her heart, she really wanted to give him a call. But she was worried that it might just distract him from his work. However, unbeknownst to her, Jacob would come home in just a few short hours.
"Honey, why are you just standing there? Did something happen?" To Jacob's surprise, he opened the door to their home and saw Emily in front of him. Emily was in a complete daze and didn't even notice that her husband had arrived.
Upon hearing a familiar voice, Emily came back to her senses. She found herself standing beside the sofa and was still gripping her phone tightly near her chest. Her palms were filled with sweat.
"Why are you home from work so early?" Emily casually asked while she sneaked a peek at the clock. She was in complete disbelief at the realization that she had been standing there for hours. After such a gigantic incident like the press conference today, she had thought that Jacob might not come home for a few days to handle things. His arrival was quite a pleasant surprise for her.
She stealthily examined the expression on Jacob's face. He appeared to be just fine and unbothered by what had happened. Just when she was about to ask about the press conference, he walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek. Afterward, he gave her a slight nudge to the sofa.
"Don't tire yourself out too much. Sit down and have a rest for a while. I'll just go upstairs first and take a shower. Let's talk about it after." Without waiting for Emily's response, Jacob went upstairs.
Although Jacob had been far away from the female reporters at the press conference earlier, he still felt as if the unpleasant smell of women's perfume lingered on his body.
"Wait!" Emily exclaimed. She wanted Jacob to stop, but it was to no avail. As a result, she picked up her phone and flung it at the sofa. Then, she took a pillow and pinched it to relieve the irritation she felt.
Somehow, she recalled everything that had happened between her and Jacob. It caused her heart to soften and appreciate the things that her husband had done for her.
It was Jacob who had always protected her from harm, it was he who had shown her what true love looked it. If she had to think of who was the most trustworthy person she knew besides her family, it was still and only Jacob. That man had vowed to spend the rest of his life with her, just as she had vowed to spend the rest of her life with him.
Remembering the comments she had seen on the internet, Emily let out a soft sigh and decided that it was better to not add anything else to her husband's troubles.
At the thought of this, she bit her lower lip and said in a gentle voice, "Jonas, I think it's better if we stop going out to dinner from now on. To be exact, we'd better not meet again in the future. I'm sorry."
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. It seemed that Jonas couldn't think of a single response. A few moments later, he replied, "Is it because of Jacob? Did he ask you to do this?" His voice was hoarse. It was like Emily's request had hit him hard in the stomach.
"It's not because of him. I just don't think it's a good idea for us to meet each other so frequently. I've heard rumors of you and I having an affair. As you know, I'm already a mother. I don't want my children to hear something they shouldn't have to."
Of course, it was impossible for Emily to explain to Jonas the real reason why she was doing this. She could only tell him the first excuse that came to her mind.
"We don't need to change for others. It's better to be just ourselves. Emily, you shouldn't listen to what people say about us since we know who we really are. We're just good friends, right? Or I can even explain it to everyone. It doesn't have to come to this." Jonas spoke in a pleading manner. In Emily's mind, it was clear he didn't want to lose the friendship they had. He continued on as a final attempt to change her mind.
"A person like Jacob who can't even trust his own wife, doesn't deserve our consideration. A man like him has less credence than just a simple friend," he added.
"Forget it. That's it," Emily replied while her confused eyes became frigid.
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