The CEO's Seductive Doll-Chapter 141: Press Conference with the Doll

"Are you ready, Eternity?" Evan asked, holding her hand and giving it a soft squeeze.

"I’m ready," she said, returning the gesture and squeezing his hand as well. "Though I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous."

"Don’t be," he said, smiling gently at her. "You know I’ll be the one doing the talking."

Eternity chuckled. "That’s true."

"Sir Holz, Miss Doll," a man called out, appearing and joining them backstage. He was probably one of the staff members of RBAB. "The conference will start soon."

"We’ll be on stage in a few seconds," Evan replied to the personnel before shifting his attention back to her. "Let’s clear our names, shall we?"

"Let’s,"

***

"It’s simple," J said, smirking as if he had just come up with the grandest idea ever. "You hold a press conference with the media before things get any worse than they already are. Deny all the rumors and reveal that they were all made up by Jakob Schmidt, also known as ’the CEO’s psychopathic stalker.’"

Eternity knitted her eyebrows together.

"You think the media will believe that?"

He shrugged.

"Of course, there will be doubters, but as long as you frame the situation the way you want it to be, everything will go with the flow."

***

That was exactly what was happening at the moment.

Even without Eternity relaying J’s suggestion to him, Evan had already planned a press conference to manage the damage. The rumors had spread beyond the company, reaching the vastness of the internet and spreading like wildfire.

"Why are you smiling?" Eternity whispered to Evan as they sat on a steel chair in front of a long table draped in white fabric. "Shouldn’t you look remorseful?"

"Was I?" Evan glanced at her, his blue eyes widening. "I didn’t notice."

"Oh, really?" she teased.

"I’m just excited, that’s all," Evan said, not even trying to hide his grin anymore.

She tilted her head to the side. "Why’s that?"

Before Evan could answer, the press conference emcee spoke into a microphone, interrupting their conversation.

"We are now about to start the press conference. Kindly take your seats and..."

The emcee reminded the audience, composed mainly of media personnel, about common etiquette. He continued speaking, but Eternity’s ears were ringing madly with nervousness, and she couldn’t focus on his words.

"Now," the emcee said, "the CEO of Royal Blue Alcohol and Beverages, Mr. Evanescence Holz, will be accepting questions."

Almost immediately, hands flew up in the air, and shouts erupted as reporters raced to ask Evan the juiciest questions.

Eternity didn’t know what to expect at a press conference. No, she was lying, she actually did. She had researched what usually happens at a press conference, but she didn’t expect it to be this boring.

It should’ve been obvious to her from the start that the media men were like vultures, asking questions meant to ruin Evan’s reputation. However, he was able to professionally answer and even deflect them when needed. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

As the questions continued, the same pattern emerged: a challenging question, a poised response from Evan, and a subtle shift in the room’s atmosphere. Eternity watched as he navigated each question with a mix of charisma and control.

She admired how he maintained his composure, acting confident and professional even in the face of accusations and uncomfortable inquiries.

"Mr. Holz, what do you have to say about the rumors regarding an inappropriate relationship with your secretary, Miss Doll?" a reporter from Tabloid Y, as indicated on her ID lanyard, asked.

Everyone leaned forward, their eyes predatory, as if this was the question they’d all been waiting for.

"Ah, I’ve been waiting for this question," Evan said, feeling the same anticipation.

He smiled, glancing at Eternity. She only saw it for a second, but she was sure there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.

When Evan returned his attention to the audience, his face became neutral. "I am in a consensual relationship with Ms. Eternity Doll. We’ve been dating for a while now."

The room erupted in chaos. A combination of murmurs and shouts filled the area. If Eternity thought the flashes from their cameras were painful to the eyes a while ago, this time she was absolutely sure she was going to be blind.

On the right side of the table stood a woman who looked like she was part of RBAB’s PR team.

"What are you doing?!" She mouthed to Evan.

Or perhaps she was screaming, but it couldn’t be heard since the reporters were louder.

"Please, allow me to explain," Evan held up his hand, mere hand motion was enough to silence the media personnel. "We have maintained a professional demeanor within the workplace, adhering strictly to company policies and standards.

"We understand the importance of transparency and professionalism, our relationship has never interfered with our responsibilities or the integrity of Royal Blue Alcohol and Beverages. I trust this clarifies any misunderstandings and puts an end to the baseless rumors.

"However, I would like to clarify one thing about my relationship with Miss Doll," Evan continued, his voice steady and firm. "She’s not just my secretary and girlfriend; she’s my fiancée." He paused, letting the words sink in before adding, "Well, not yet."

The crowd erupted into a frenzy. The flashes from the cameras were melting her eyes, and the murmurs grew louder. The PR team looked frantic on the sidelines, their aggressive hand gestures silently begging Evan to stop speaking and prevent the situation from spiraling further.

Eternity’s moss-green eyes locked onto Evan’s icy blue ones. She grabbed his arm tightly, her mind racing.

’Is Evan just bullshitting the press?’ she thought, panic coursing through her. ’Is this some kind of weird joke?’

Much to the PR team’s horror and Eternity’s utter shock, Evan stood up from his chair and dropped to one knee. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fancy red box that screamed luxury.

"Eternity Doll," Evan said, opening the box to reveal a sparkling diamond ring. "Will you marry me?"