Chapter Fourty

Pablo was hiding something from me, why do I need to seek a therapist? I wasn't wrong in the head neither was I experiencing difficulties in my new blooming relationship.
I made up my mind to ask the reason for the sudden change of heart, after all he has been responsive since, so why suggest a therapist now and why suggest a therapist at all?
"Your fiancee is absolutely capable and outstanding," Pablo said disrupting my plan and leaving me with a puzzled expression. Why was he talking as if he knew Maya?
"Huh?"
But he went on.
"We've had several deals with her throughout the past month and I didn't realize she was your fiancee until moments ago when I glanced through the news on my cellphone while we were discussing," Pablo told me but it didn't take away the sudden uneasiness that washed over me.
My smiling face shifted, "what are you talking about? What news?"
"You haven't seen your en...?" Pablo hesitated when he saw my state of mind.
Quickly, I grabbed my phone and found out I had uncountable missed calls from Judy and from several recognized and unrecognized numbers.
What thefuck is going on?
I had a habit of silencing my phone whener I had an important meeting which explained why I didn't hear my phone ring.
I called Judy at one and the only words she said was, "check the news."
Without hesitation I opened the nearest news app on my phone and I didn't even have to search for '#hottesttrendingnews' cause it was already there.
My blood chilled while my eyes darkened and clenched my fist; I had to murder someone right now!

False and Invalid
Archer's POV
With a mere tilt of my head I dismissed Pablo and headed to my car with furious strides, my phone places on the right ear as I barked orders.
"I want every post - every single of it deleted. Bring down the news from every website, blogs and news articles! What? Then sue any platform that refuses to comply with my orders! I don't care, just do it! I don't pay you dummies every month just to give me this nonsense. If you can't handle this then just prepare to submit your resignation!"
I bloomed and ended the call, teeth gritting and my hands shaking. After drilling my company's public relations director who would probably be replaced very soon, I called Judy.
My father just stepped on my toes, he openly declared war and I am going to give him one.
HEADLINE: ARCHER GROUP CEO AND LEGENDARY PLAYBOY, ARCHER FINALLY ENGAGED TO HIS LONG TIME GIRLFRIEND AND DEBRA GROUP HEIRESS, CHRISTINA
I felt like someone poured cold water on me but that didn't seem to calm down the volcano boiling inside me and on the verge if erupting.
I didn't have to guess whom could have done this - my father as expected. Christina wouldn't. She doesn't have the guts especially now we have a fallout with each other, neither would Eden, he would show his trumph card this early and easily.
Only my father would have the balls to do such a thing. Morever, he didn't want Maya as his daughter-in-law from the beginning, so the spies he placed around me must have tipped him off that I had intended to marry her and this? His form of retaliating.
White hot anger rippled through my body whener I remember all this is done by someone close to me. I wasn't stupid, I knew even if public relations do manage to delete the post, there was a fifty percent chance the news might have reached Maya already.
I couldn't bare to call Maya at that very moment, what would she think? No, I had to clean up all this mess before getting her opinion. What if I call her and she doesn't listen, thinking this is one of my little shenanigans?
My heart sunk just thinking about it. What if she believes me without a complain? Nah, that is absolutely impossible, she probably doesn't have that much trust in me.
I would even believe myself if I were in her shoes, imagine a chronic cassanova trying to deny claims of having secret engagements, who would believe that?
So I had to clean up all this mess before returning home to her - that is ifshe us still at home and hasn't left already.
Thankfully Judy picked up on time, I said icily, "send me the old man's location."
But Judy sighed, "already did but he is off the radar."
After a short shocked silence, I leaned back to my seat and released a long, malignant, mirthless and ysterical laughter that made my body shake with the effort. The laughter reverberated through the car sending shivers down the spine of my driver.
Suddenly, as if following a script, my face darkened and traces of warmth left my countenance instead replaced my cold emotionless smirk.
I scoffed, what was I expecting anyway? Unless the old man wanted to be found, there was no way on earth I could locate him once he goes into hiding.
Well, I couldn't exactly blame him, he knows my violent tendencies when pushed to the wall, after all he brought me up that way.
He must be waiting for me to calm down,how funny, he knows me to the core. I am the most unreasonable when furious and can only make a discerning judgement when I calm down. He must have thought if everything before pulling this off.
Unfortunately, I wanted a heart-to-heart talk with my father and ** if I the mountains would not come down to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountains.
"Organise a press conference, it time to make something's clear," I said to Judy who hadn't dared to end the call.
"Alright," she answered and ended the call.
" Drive," I glanced up coldly to the driver who did not hesitate to obeying my orders.
I tapped my fingers rythmically on my nose, thinking on my next course of action. There was no way the old man could have done this without an external force, it was well thought and planned.
Hmm, Tina, the both of them must be cahoots. Tina probably the writer and the old man the executor. I chuckled, what a perfect combination.
The ride to my officewa agonizing slow and frustrating,though the driver was almost over the speed limit, I just wanted nothing but to get over this with.
The company's confrence hall was used as the venue for the press conference and after I changed my clothes I strode confidently towards the hall followed bythe company's top level executives, directors, managers and public relations director- both invited and uninvited, all in their view of supporting their presidential candidate in whatever decision he is about to make - a clear bootlicking tactic I wouldn't bother myself with at the moment.
Our stoic and cold look made everything look like a military invasion while idle workers in the hallway scampered for safety. Nobody wanted to experience the CEO'S transfer of aggression.
As soon as I walked into the hall, camera shutters and flashes went off like fireworks while a great murmuring and chattering aroused.
There was no smiling for cameras or posing for photos and stepped on to the podium. I tapped the mic to ensure it was well functioning while camera flashes lit up my unexpressionless face framed by dark glasses.
I faced the expectant journalists, reporters and of course the paparazzi ready for whatever juicy news I had in store for them.
"Welcome," my voice ran through the hall and I began my official statement without wasting much time.
"I called this press conference to refute any rumours allegedly claiming that I Archer, CEO of Archer Group is engaged to Miss Christina, heiress of Tina Group. I hereby declare such rumours false and Invalid and wouldn't hesitate to press any legal actions on anyone who spreads such rumours, thank you."
I addressed the small crowd, bowed and stepped down from the stage instantly become a target for the reporters who bombarded me with questions I obviously didn't bother to answer.
The security held them back while I sauntered back to my office with immediate effect, I had already done what I wanted to do.
My office telephone incessantly rang but I ignored it and plopped down on my couch exhausted. I let out a tired sigh and loosened the tie that was literally chocking me, tossing it to God knows where.
Rubbing my temple, my thoughts wandered off to Maya, has she left as usual or was she quietly waiting for me this time? I missed, hopefully she has watched the proceedings of the press conference. Yeah, hopefully.
Fine, I decided to call her but just as I picked my phone it rang and an all too familiar I.D flashed a Ross the screen.
Speak of the devil.