Chapter 187 Fall into Place
In the conference room, a suffocating tension hung in the air, so thick it felt almost palpable. The atmosphere was as sharp as a blade.
Enrique let out a weary sigh. The Century Group was the Semona family's most important asset, handed over to Douglas by Leo himself, a clear sign of his high regard for Douglas. Enrique never imagined that Douglas would let things spiral this far over a woman.
He thought, 'Douglas has turned the situation into a crisis. How could he possibly regain the trust of the company now?'
Just as Enrique was about to continue speaking, Douglas slowly broke the silence.
"First off, I owe everyone an apology. I admit I was at fault."
The moment Douglas finished speaking, the room's atmosphere shifted dramatically.
Whispers spread like wildfire among those who had been watching the internal livestream on their phones.
"Oh my God, could the rumors be true?"
"They really went and did it—both cheating?"
"Hey Sue, are you going to believe it now? Mr. Semona just admitted it himself!"
Sue, who had been arguing passionately in defense of Regina, was now silent, her head bowed.
In short, Douglas' apology had left everyone glued to their screens, reeling from the bombshell.
Lucia watched the unfolding drama with a barely noticeable smirk. She saw Douglas being publicly condemned and admitting his fault and assumed the matter was settled.
She even started fantasizing about what would happen if Regina got fired over this scandal.
She thought, 'Surely, someone would have to take Regina's place—could it be me?;
Lucia's smile grew wider.
Meanwhile, Douglas' voice continued from the video.
"Everyone knows I'm married, but it seems not everyone knows who my wife is. So, I'm apologizing for that oversight."
Without wasting any more words, Douglas took the marriage license, which Jason had prepared, and displayed it to the room.
"My wife is Regina."
The room fell into utter silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop. Even the crowd of people who had been eagerly following the live stream fell eerily quiet, as if their throats had been closed off.
They stared at Douglas in shock.
They thought, 'What is he saying?
'Has our ears gone bad?'
"To be honest, I married my wife just a month before taking on the CEO role at the Century Group. At that time, she was unaware of my identity. If she had known from the beginning, she might not have married me," Douglas continued, pausing for a few seconds with a self-deprecating smile. "The reason we kept this news private initially was due to various concerns on both sides. We decided to keep our marriage under wraps for the time being, focusing on maintaining our relationship away from external pressures and making our marriage work."
Douglas laid everything bare with candid honesty, and the room hung on his every word.
"Later on, she was concerned that my presence might affect her career, so even after our relationship stabilized, we chose not to go public.
"That's why I addressed the assessment issue at the start of this meeting. I wanted you all to understand that her achievements at work are entirely her own. She's not just my wife or an extension of me. I know her capabilities and skills firsthand, and I want you to recognize that too.
"If it weren't for this situation, we might have delayed revealing our relationship even further.
"Keeping our marriage private was a personal choice, but if my personal matters have negatively impacted the company, that's my responsibility to bear. This has nothing to do with my wife."
Douglas' voice was calm and steady, yet it struck a powerful chord deep within everyone's minds.
Still, no one could immediately grasp the full extent of what had just been revealed.
Douglas remained quietly waiting, and so did Regina.
She anxiously checked her watch. Fifty minutes had passed since the meeting began, but she had yet to receive any instructions.
As she watched the seconds tick by, Regina's anxiety grew.
In the conference room, after what seemed like an eternity of silence, a few signs of life began to emerge. Enrique, who had been vocal in his criticism of Douglas, was the first to snap out of his daze as he scrutinized the marriage certificate.
What more was there to say?
A bead of cold sweat formed on Enrique's forehead as he lowered his voice. "It seems this was a misunderstanding. I apologize, Mr. Semona. I was too hasty in my judgments before getting the full picture."
The senior executives, relieved and surprised, exhaled in unison. Their faces brightened with smiles as they echoed Enrique's sentiment.
They thought, 'Thank goodness it was just a misunderstanding. Thank goodness it is resolved.'
With the internal matters now addressed, Douglas shifted his focus to managing the public relations crisis.
Armed with the marriage license, he felt invincible. After eight years of loving Regina, everything seemed to fall into place.
"Mrs. Semona, you can join the meeting now," Jason finally relayed the message to Regina an hour later, bringing her chaotic thoughts to a halt.
Clutching a laptop, a notebook, and a pen, Regina headed towards the meeting room.
As she opened the door, she was taken aback. The room was already packed with people.
She thought, 'Have I arrived late?'
Regina's body stiffened instantly. She stood frozen at the entrance, unsure whether to step in or retreat.
Just then, Douglas rose from his seat at the head of the table, walked over to her, and gently wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
Although some things had already been clarified, he felt it was important to reiterate.
"This is my wife, Regina."
