Chapter118 The Interview
Zachary Bailey opened his eyes to a gust of pale smoke drifting between his lips and nostrils. The living room was dark, lit only by the glow of street lamps filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows. The dim light grew hazy as smoke curled through the air, blurring his vision.
Clearing his throat, he uttered a monosyllabic grunt, "Mm."
After hanging up, Dylan Collins quickly sent over the draft of the news article.
Staring at his phone in the dark, the brightness was a bit harsh on Zachary’s eyes, but he didn't bother turning on the lights. He made do, despite his home being fully equipped with smart technology; all it would take was a quick exit from WhatsApp and a tap in the smart home control app.
As expected, the moment Winona Sullivan had raised her hand against Fiona Clark was caught on camera, but the shot only captured her upraised hand, missing the fallout. The article seemed to sympathize with Fiona Clark, subtly painting Winona Sullivan as arrogant and unworthy of the title Mrs. Bailey.
The language used was tactful, but Zachary Bailey knew that this piece was nothing more than an attempt to probe his reaction. If he let it slide, the article going public tomorrow would be far more cutting.
Dylan Collins called, right on time. "Mr. Bailey, should we release it?"
Zachary nonchalantly tapped his fingers against the armrest of the sofa, his sharp facial features accentuated by the ghastly white light from his phone screen, casting shadows in his eyes that deepened to pitch-black. "What do you think, Dylan?" he asked coolly. "Did she become Mrs. Bailey by sleeping with me?"
Dylan Collins was silent.
Dylan couldn't fathom Zachary's stance and didn't dare to respond. He'd suspected as much once, having worked with Winona for over two years. It was plain to anyone with eyes that Mr. Bailey didn't like Winona.
But Zachary's occasionally cryptic behavior of late hinted that things might not be as straightforward as they appeared.
Zachary didn't resent Dylan’s silence; his voice rough, he spoke again, his tone carrying an ambiguous hint of amusement, "The one pushed into marriage was me, actually."
Dylan fell silent again.
He wasn't sure if Mr. Bailey's words reflected the truth or if he was simply indicating what he wanted to see in the news.
Either way, the message from Zachary Bailey was crystal clear.
"I'll have them revise it immediately."
"And the journalist who wrote this piece," Zachary paused for emphasis, "I don't want to see him in the industry again."
"Yes, sir," Dylan replied.
He felt no sympathy for the reporter; anyone with half a brain wouldn't have tried to test Mr. Bailey's boundaries in that way, had they not been fishing for favors or approval.
Regardless of Mr. Bailey's feelings for Winona, she was still the one wearing Mrs. Bailey’s ring.
While Miss Clark might be the darling, her status has now been downgraded to that of a mere mistress.
...
The next morning, Winona Sullivan unlocked her phone and was thunderstruck by the news article depicting her and Zachary Bailey’s marital bliss. The photo captured the couple's hands interlocked, smiling as they faced the media barrage.
She closed the app, flipped to Twitter, and right there at the top of the trending list was: "CEO of the Bailey Group Exposes Secret Marriage, Admits to Marriage Ultimatum." She switched apps, and there they were again.
“Rebecca Davis called just then, her voice filled with shock and the excitement of juicy gossip. 'Winona, what’s going on? I thought you and Zachary Bailey were splitting up. This morning, I wake up to news of your relationship going public. Talk about a plot twist!"
Winona Sullivan lay in bed, despondently staring at the ceiling: "What if I told you I’m as clueless as you? Would you believe me?”
“...” Rebecca Davis fell silent for half a minute. “He finally realized what he’s got in you and now he’s coming after you?”
“It's not that, probably got his wires crossed by Austin Robinson last night.”
“Austin Robinson?”
Winona clenched her teeth in frustration and sat up abruptly: “That man. To prevent me from dining out with Austin, he concocted a sneaky plot to trap me here.”
The photo came from last night’s auction. The article gushed about their undying love, with no mention of Fiona Clark whatsoever.
Given the media’s hunger for clickbait, they wouldn’t skip the chance to cover something as sensational unless there was only one narrative meant to be shared.
The rightful wife publicly shredding the paramour – such a tantalizing tale, yet not a word was mentioned.
It had Zachary Bailey’s fingerprints all over it!
" Zachary can openly show affection for Fiona Clark, but I can't even have lunch with a friend without him causing a spectacle.”
With this kind of extensive media coverage, her face would be recognized by anyone following the news. Now, if she were to go out for a meal alone with Austin—given his playboy rep—what would people say?
Rebecca Davis was completely out of the loop about what went down last night and couldn’t keep up with Winona Sullivan. She hastily cut her off, “Wait, hold up, Austin? The guy who used to hang out by the campus gates waiting for you? You bumped into him last night? And now you guys are going to grab a bite?”
With focus, Winona recounted the previous evening’s events.
"Let's do it," Rebecca slapped her thigh with enthusiasm. "Hang on, I'll doll you up so well, honey, no one would recognize you even if they were staring right at your face."
She had been the biggest cheerleader for Winona and Austin back in the day. Too bad Winona had been clueless, oblivious to Austin's affection.
Although one of them was now married and the other’s feelings were a mystery, a simple meal seemed harmless enough, perhaps even a balm for her friend’s bruised heart.
Winona hesitated, "Maybe not..."
She didn't want to drag Austin into any mess. Agreeing to dinner was just about catching up after years, but now—
If it was going to cause unnecessary drama, better to skip it.
"Just wait, I’m on my way. Zachary Bailey doesn’t want you going out with Austin, so let's not give him the satisfaction," Rebecca declared and hung up.
Winona stood in silence.
A drive from Rebecca’s place would take over half an hour. Winona decided to head downstairs for breakfast in the meantime.
As she pulled open the door, she was met by two hulking men standing like statues, dressed in identical black suits and overcoats.
Winona frowned, "What are you doing standing here?"
She had a good idea whose doing this was but asked anyway.
One of the men turned, “Ma’am, we’ve been instructed to ensure your safety.”
“To protect me?” Winona scoffed with a chilling laugh, her voice tinged with sharpness. “Is it protecting me or keeping tabs on me?”
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