She Was Never Just the Wife novel Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Chapter 58

47

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Blinding flashes exploded like silent thunder, turning the narrow hallway outside the apartment into a field of harsh, white light. Waves of noise followed-reporters shouting questions, photographers adjusting their cameras, and the chaotic jostling of the crowd.

Beckham was taken by surprise, struck squarely in the face by the sudden burst of lights. His vision went completely white. He instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes. Staggering backward, he slammed hard against the half-opened door behind him.

“Mr. Lucero! Look over here. Mr. Lucero!”

“Did you and Ms. Stein spend the night together at Aloft?”

“Mrs. Emily Lucero herself came by this morning; does that mean the Lucero family has accepted Ms. Stein?”

“Is it true your divorce from your ex-wife, Celia Ross, was related to Ms. Stein?”

“Ms. Stein! Ms. Stein, please answer!”

“Mrs. Emily Lucero, what is your stance on their relationship?”

Questions pelted down on him like hail in a hailstorm. Microphones nearly jabbed him in the face as the reporters surged forward, trying to squeeze past the door and shove their cameras into the apartment.

Lowering his arm, he squinted against the glare. His pupils contracted with anger. Now that his vision had returned to him, he could finally see clearly again.

The hallway was packed with reporters from every major outlet, cameras pointing straight at him. Some even craned their necks to peer over his shoulder, hoping for a glimpse inside the apartment.

A cold fury surged within him.

This was no coincidence. Aloft was famous for its strict privacy. How could the press have appeared here, at this exact moment, when his mother had just arrived, and Laylah was in such a vulnerable state?

Someone was behind this.

“Who tipped you off?” His voice was icy, his rage barely restrained. He swept his gaze over their eager faces. “Where did you get this information?”

The reporters exchanged glances, but nobody answered his question. Instead, a female journalist in a baseball cap yelled out, “What is your current relationship with Ms. Stein, Mr. Lucero? Are you two seeing each other?”

Another male reporter immediately chimed in, “There are rumors that you and Ms. Stein will be tying the knot soon. Is the wedding already in the works? Will Ricardo Stein be changing his last name to Lucero?”

The questions kept coming, each one more blunter than the last, deliberately focused on topics such as “relationship,” “marriage,” and “children.”

19:36 Mon, May 11 d

Chapter 58

55 vouchers

The reporters completely ignored his initial demand for answers. It was as though the narrative had already been determined in advance. Today’s coverage was only meant to cement his supposed romantic relationship with Laylah, and maybe even extract confirmation of a “wedding announcement.”

His expression darkened further at the realization. Pushing aside the microphones, he coldly warned them. “No comment. Leave now, or I’ll have security and the police escort you out.”

But his threat meant nothing to the reporters. If anything, they believed his evasion was proof they had stumbled upon a major scoop. Their questions only grew even more aggressive as a result.

“Mr. Lucero, does your silence imply you’re admitting it?”

“Is Ms. Stein inside right now? Can you ask her to come out and say a few words?”

“Has the Lucero family already decided on your marriage to Ms. Stein?”

**

Inside the living room, both Emily and Laylah were caught off guard by the blinding flashes and chaotic clamor of voices flooding into the apartment.

Emily sprang up from the couch. The color drained from her face as she stared at the blinding flashes of white light and the crowd at the door. “Reporters? How are there reporters here?”

Her thoughts immediately jumped to the Lucero family’s reputation. If this scandal were exposed in such a disgraceful way, the consequences would be unimaginably disastrous.

She tried to block Laylah from view, but it was too late.

The photographers had already captured everything-the messy living room, the visibly flustered Emily, as well as the disheveled young woman on the couch, barefoot and dressed only in a man’s shirt, her face buried in her hands.

“It’s Ms. Stein!”

“Please respond, Mrs. Emily Lucero!”

“What’s really going on between you and Mr. Lucero, Ms. Stein?”

The photographers went absolutely crazy, zooming in on every detail inside the apartment with their

cameras.

Laylah whimpered in fear, startled by the explosion of flashes. Curling into herself on the couch, she covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking violently.

The hem of her oversized shirt rode up slightly, exposing the faint marks on her legs-details that, in the camera lenses, only made the scene more damning.

But inside, her heart was racing. ‘It worked! The pressure of public opinion will be on my side. That man’s plan was flawless.’

19:36 Mon, May 11 d

Chapter 58

47

55 vouchers

Peeking through her fingers, she secretly watched Beckham, cornered at the door, and Emily, shaking with anger. There was no hiding anymore-everyone had seen.

“Don’t be scared, Laylah, but keep your head down!” Emily whispered urgently, trying to block the cameras.

Her mind raced. She wondered who had brought the reporters here. But that didn’t matter right now. Her biggest priority was damage control.

She couldn’t let the reporters continue digging into their family matters, or who knew what other undesirable rumors might come out next?

She glanced at Beckham, trapped at the door, his expression dark with fury, then at Laylah, panicked and disheveled. It was no secret that, to the reporters, Laylah’s current state already counted as iron-clad proof.

When she saw that the crowd of reporters outside was only growing bigger, with no sign of dispersing, she knew she had to act fast.

A decision quickly formed in her mind: She had to cut their losses and seize control of the narrative before things spiraled completely out of control.

“Brogan!” she snapped.

Brogan, stationed at the entrance to the inner hallway, responded at once. “Security and the PR team are on their way.”

Emily inhaled deeply. Straightening her back, she smoothed out her clothes and composed herself, regaining some of the poise expected of the Lucero family matriarch, though the anxiety lingered in her eyes.

She gently patted Laylah’s trembling shoulder in reassurance and whispered, “Don’t be afraid.” Then, she stepped toward the door.

“Don’t come here, Mom!” Beckham growled when he realized her intention.

She ignored him. Standing beside him, she faced the blinding flashes and the swarm of cameras. Her presence caused a brief lull in the commotion outside.

Lifting her hand, she gestured for silence. The reporters in front immediately quieted down and waited expectantly.

“Ladies and gentlemen.” Her voice, intentionally slow and steady, carried clearly over the crowd. “It’s quite a surprise to see you gathered here today. Unfortunately, this is my son’s private residence. It should not be subjected to such unwanted disturbance.”

Pausing for a moment, she swept her gaze over the crowd.

Her tone switched to one of tired, honest resignation. “But since everyone seems to be concerned about Beckham and Laylah, and to avoid any unnecessary speculation or rumors, I will make a brief statement as Beckham’s mother.”

Beckham turned sharply, a flicker of surprise flashing through his eyes as he shot her a silent look of warning and disapproval.

19:36 Mon, May 11 d

Chapter 58

55 vouchers

On the couch, Laylah parted her fingers slightly and stole another glance. Her heart pounded wildly.

Emily announced in a calm but authoritative voice. “Ms. Stein is someone my son holds dear. They’ve… shared a bond for years now.” She purposely kept things vague, blurring the line between past and present. “As for the future…”

She glanced at Beckham, whose expression was thunderous, his jaw tightly set in anger, then at Laylah, looking weak and vulnerable on the couch. What she saw seemed to solidify her decision.

She raised her voice further. “The Lucero family is giving serious thought to their relationship. What we can currently confirm is that there are indeed plans for an engagement. The specific timing and details will be announced to the media once they’ve been finalized.”

The crowd erupted into chaos as the reporters broke into excited commotion. Emily had personally confirmed there were “ongoing plans for an engagement.” It was practically an official announcement!

“Does that mean the engagement is confirmed, Mrs. Emily Lucero??”

“Will the wedding be held this year?”

“Has Ms. Stein been acknowledged by the entire family?”

Beckham’s expression turned livid at the announcement. He stared at his mother in pure disbelief, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

A pounding headache throbbed at his temples. ‘Engagement? When did I ever agree to that? I can’t believe she announced the news to the media without even asking me! This is public coercion!’

He wanted to speak, to deny everything. But with the countless microphones and cameras trained on him, waiting for his reaction, he knew he couldn’t. Denying it now would humiliate the Lucero family, making them seem unreliable and untrustworthy.

It would also paint him as a heartless womanizer.

Yet to just accept the absurd “engagement”…

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