The Heiress He Underestimated novel Chapter 135

Finished

Chapter 135 No More Hiding

The morning of the press conference, Elera woke up at five AM in a cold sweat from a nightmare where she’d walked into the press conference completely naked and everyone had laughed at her. Classic anxiety dream. Very helpful, brain. Thanks for that.

She

gave up on sleep and went for a run on the treadmill in the home gym, trying to work off some of the nervous energy. She was halfway through mile three when Clara appeared in the doorway, already dressed and holding two massive cups of coffee.

“I figured you’d be up,” Clara said. “Stress runs are very on brand for you.”

“I had the naked nightmare.”

“The classic. Did you also forget you had a final exam in a class you never attended?”

“No, but I did briefly turn into my father at one point, which was arguably worse than being naked.”

Clara handed her a coffee. “Drink. Then shower. Then we’re doing hair and makeup, and then you’re going to walk into that press conference and own the entire room.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It’s not that easy and It’s terrifying. But you’re going to do it anyway because you’re Elera Vex, and you don’t let fear stop you from doing hard things.”

“When did you become a motivational speaker?”

“When my best friend needed one. Now finish your run and get your butt upstairs. We have three hours to make you look like a CEO who could buy and sell everyone in that room.”

The press conference was being held at a neutral location, a sleek hotel conference center downtown. Frost had personally inspected the venue, checked every entrance and exit, and positioned his team strategically around the room. If someone so much as sneezed wrong, Frost would know about it.

Elera’s hair and makeup team had outdone themselves. She looked polished and professional, her blonde hair in a sleek ponytail, her makeup highlighting her features without being overpowering. The suit she’d chosen was from Celestine’s power collection, a deep navy that Clara had insisted made her look like she could run a country, let alone a company.

The raven necklace Drakonius had given her sat at her throat, a small reminder of her strength.

“You look incredible,” Drakonius said when he saw her. He was in one of his perfectly tailored suits, looking every bit the powerful businessman. “Ready to change the world?”

“Ready to give it a good try.”

They arrived at the hotel thirty minutes early. The conference room was already packed with journalists. cameras, and curious onlookers. The energy in the room was electric, everyone buzzing with anticipation.

Clara had done her job well. Every major outlet was represented. Business press, tech reporters, even some lifestyle journalists who’d followed the Raven Shadowmere story. This was going to be everywhere by

3:40 pm

Chapter 135 No More Hiding

Finished

Junch.

“Five minutes,” Frost said in her earpiece. He was somewhere in the room, invisible but watching everything.

Elera took a deep breath. Beside her, Drakonius squeezed her hand. “You’ve got this.”

“What if I throw up on the podium?”

“Then it’ll be the most memorable press conference of the year. But you’re not going to throw up. You’re going to walk out there and tell them the truth. And the truth is that you’re brilliant and accomplished and they’re lucky to be in the same room as you.”

“That’s a lot of confidence in someone who’s currently considering faking a medical emergency to get out of this.”

“Too late. They’ve already seen us arrive. You’re committed now.”

“Thanks for the support.”

“Always.”

Clara appeared at her elbow. “It’s time. Remember, you control the tale. You decide how much to share, how much to hold back. Don’t let them push you into revealing more than you’re ready for.”

“Got it. Control the story. Don’t throw up. Try not to accidentally reveal I’m also a fashion mogul while I’m

at it.”

“That’s for next month’s press conference.”

“There’s going to be a next month’s press conference too?”

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