“Windsors,” Silas says. “You’re going to want to see this.”
I frown as I follow him into the living room, my eyes widening when I see Ares on the screen.
“He’s broadcasting on all channels that the Windsors own, which is pretty much everything.”
I raise my hand to my heart as I watch him smile through the screen, his eyes as haunted as mine must be.
“It has come to my attention that false information is being spread by the media about my wife, so allow me to address these rumors. While I don’t believe our private business is for you to know, I’m well aware that you won’t stop the witch-hunt you’ve created until you have the full story — and I need it to stop. I need you to stop harassing and hurting my wife.
To start off, I’d like you to know that it’s true that Hannah Du Pont and I dated for some time. What you don’t know, however, is that we were only together because of family obligations. The Du Ponts and the Windsor have had a marriage agreement in place for years now, agreeing to merge Windsor Media and Dreamessence, with the aim of leaving the company as a whole to be inherited by children resulting from this marriage.
With Hannah and I being closest in age, we seemed like the best fit, and we did everything in our power to make it work. I tried my hardest to love her, but I could never escape my feelings for my wife. In this time, I never crossed the line with Raven. Unlike what the media is reporting, there were no affairs, not even close. For years, Raven and I were nothing but friends. Until Hannah chose to walk away from the engagement our families had decided on.”
He pauses and runs a hand through his hair.
“Raven is the love of my life, and walking away from our relationship is the single best thing Hannah ever could have done for me. Hannah wasn’t wronged — she left. My wife isnota home wrecker, nor is she the seductress so many have claimed she is. She’s just a woman who loves her family more than they deserve. She lovesmemore than I deserve, and for as long as I live, I’ll love her in return. So here I am, just a man who loves his wife more than anything, asking you to stop this witch-hunt. I beg of you, stop harassing her, stop damaging the designs she spent many sleepless nights over, stop spreading rumors. The only mistake she has ever made was loving a man that doesn’t deserve her, and for my sake, I hope she’ll never want to remedy it.”
Ares looks away for a moment. “Now that you have the truth, any lies being spread about my wife will be deemed slander. Those of you who won’t heed my warning will face legal action. Any slander we find circulating twenty-four hours from now will be reported, and we’ll leave our legal team to deal with that. I ask that you think carefully about the words you spread. Celebrities like my wife are still human, too. My wife, in particular, is the most soft-hearted person I know. Every single one of your words, she takes to heart. Do you want to be responsible for a woman crying herself to sleep, when the gossip you’re so happily sharing isn’t true? Please, I ask you to do the right thing.” He smiles then. “And Raven? I love you, Cupcake. No matter what.”
The TV goes black for a few moments, and then his message starts to replay, but I can barely see the screen through my tears.
ChapterSixty-Seven
Raven
* * *
I watch as Alanna jokes around with Sierra and Valentina, my heart full. Luca, Zane, Lex, Sierra and Valentina have been staying here with me, much to Alanna’s delight and Silas’s annoyance.
Valentina and Sierra have been taking turns sleeping next to me, ensuring I don’t get caught in a downward spiral caused by social media. Though truth be told, there isn’t much being shared anymore. Ares’s plea worked, and people massively took down their posts. It sparked discussions about cyber bullying and the mental health of celebrities, but while that topic is on people’s minds, so are we.
“Raven,” Alanna calls.
I walk up to her, and she frowns as she pulls their security feed up on the TV. It shows Ares walking into the building, and my eyes widen.
Silas groans and grits his teeth. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t my least favorite Windsor.”
Alanna and I stare at him wide-eyed as he calls the police and requests that Ares be removed. He turns to me then, his jaw clenched. “You’re not walking out of this house unless you choose to. I won’t let him pressure you. You take all the time you need to make up your mind.”
Luca walks up to me and throws his arm around me. “Agreed,” he says. I lean into him, my heart overflowing. One of the things I feared most was losing the family I gained when I married Ares, but they’ve made it clear that they’ll stick with me, no matter what.
“I’m not sure calling the police was warranted,” I say carefully.
Lex narrows his eyes at me. “Of course it was. There’s no way Ares would leave otherwise, and you’d cave.”
We all watch as the police asks him to leave. Ares walks out, and I tense, tempted to follow him. I’ve done my best to assess whether I should leave or stay, but I’m as confused as ever. We may have been able to get the media off my back, but that only solves one problem. There’s still Hannah, and the child they’re having together.
“Fucking hell,” Zane says, pointing at the screen.
I glance at it to find Ares walking back in, the Mayor by his side, and something that looks an awful lot like a pop-up tent in his arms. He seems to be chatting happily with the Mayor, who helps him set up a tent in the middle of Silas’s lobby.
“Is he serious right now?” Silas asks.
Alanna bursts out laughing. “Oh, come on, Si,” she says. “This is exactly the kind of thing you would do. I think it’s cute.”
I start to pace, my heart wavering. More than anything, I want to go to him and throw myself into his arms, but if I do that, I also need to have the courage to deal with everything that comes with it.
“Um, Rave?” Lex says, pointing out the window.