26. Karma Strikes

Despite the lingering pain in Briella's body, she held her composure in front of the people at the press conference. It was clear that they were not pleased with her actions, and they likely had different thoughts about her. Xander accompanied her to ensure that everything went smoothly and to witness the reactions and ridicule from the attendees. When Mr. Cruz called her to give a speech, she stood up and approached the microphone. An older man handed her a paper with the scripted speech she was supposed to deliver. She furrowed her brow, and as she glanced at Xander, he just smiled and nodded in agreement. She reluctantly accepted the paper and began to read. 'Thank you for giving me this opportunity to be part of this company. I owe you a big debt of gratitude for making me grow and boost my confidence," she read aloud. She couldn't help but let out an exasperated sigh as she continued reading. 'I'm sorry, but I can't do it," she suddenly announced, halting her speech. 'What?" Mr. Cruz exclaimed in surprise. Xander clenched his fists, feeling the tension rise as he hadn't expected Briella's sudden change of heart. The reporters started buzzing with confusion and surprise at her unexpected revelation. 'The truth is..." Briella trailed off, dropping the script paper and taking a deep breath. 'I really don't want to be here in this company. Aside from their underrated beauty soap products and bad reviews, they are known for manipulating their models. I've even heard that the owner himself, Mr. Cruz, was harassing some of the models he hires." 'What the fck are you saying?!" Mr. Cruz angrily retorted. Briella turned to face him, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. 'Mr. Madrigal, do you know about this? How could you entrust one of your talents to such a dirty company?" a reporter boldly questioned. He swallowed hard, unable to respond to the reporter's question because he knew he'd be trapped. If he claimed ignorance, Mr. Cruz would likely reveal that he had introduced Briella to him. On the other hand, if he sided with Mr. Cruz, it would tarnish Briella's reputation. 'Stop worrying about that bitch! Can't you see? She's tarnishing your image in front of everyone!" his conscience screamed at him. He took a deep breath and pretended to sigh in resignation. 'Briella, you've come too far. You're getting too full of yourself, and you're overwhelmed by your sudden rise to fame. Stop begging for everyone's attention." 'So, are you saying that Briella Montes' claims are untrue, and she's just making up stories to be the center of attention?" another reporter asked. She approached Briella, who remained calm and expressionless, her emotions well-hidden. 'Yes, this script was created by her to discredit Mr. Cruz. From the beginning, she didn't want to work for this company; she wanted me to find her a bigger company that would hire her. She envied Matilda for securing a contract with Sun Glow fashion," he explained. The reporters reacted with a mix of disappointment and disbelief, now leaning more towards the latter. He discreetly glanced at Briella, who was silent and unresponsive. 'That's right. He's right!" Mr. Cruz agreed with his statement and approached the two of them. However, he never expected what Mr. Cruz would do next. Mr. Cruz forcefully grabbed Briella by the arm, and all he could do was try to restrain him. He watched as he dragged Briella off the stage, and he couldn't believe her eyes. 'You sure have the guts to insult me without realizing how you're damaging yourself?" Briella said as she was being pulled away. Suddenly, the conference room door swung open, and two lawyers and five policemen entered. The reporters were in shock at their unexpected arrival. 'Mr. Cruz, we are the legal team from Crown Star Agency, and we're here to discuss your illegal use of the photos and names of some of our talent. We have a warrant for your arrest and sufficient evidence. If you do not cooperate, we will have no choice but to use force and file a case in court," one of the lawyers declared. 'Crown Star Agency? Are you serious? This is great headline material! Let's talk!" The reporters immediately surrounded the two lawyers. He was left standing alone on the stage, shocked and bewildered by the turn of events. He watched as Briella locked eyes with the lawyers, her face expressionless. He couldn't fathom what was going through Briella's mind because there was no emotion visible on her face. He then turned to look at Mr. Cruz, who was trembling and turning pale, realizing that he had been caught in his illegal activities. 'Sir, just one question. What exactly did Mr. Cruz violate with Crown Star Agency?" a reporter asked. 'He's been using our talents' photos and altering them to avoid immediate detection. He's been using our models to boost the ratings of their beauty products. During our investigation, we also discovered that he has been harassing some of our new models, who were too afraid to file a case because of his threats," one of the lawyers explained. W-What?! He felt like the world was crashing down on him as all the reporters turned their attention to him, their expressions filled with disappointment and judgment. Some began taking photos, and he was left in the spotlight. 'This is all your fault!" Mr. Cruz angrily accused him. 'If you hadn't introduced that girl to me, I wouldn't be in this situation!" 'H-Huh?" he stammered in shock. Why was he suddenly the target of blame? It wasn't his fault that he had been careless and reckless. With so many other companies to choose from, why did he have to target Crown Star Agency? 'I never expected things to get this complicated! I came here to witness how Briella would ruin herself in front of the media, but it turns out there's an even bigger scandal!" one reporter commented. 'If what Crown Star Legal Team is saying is true, it means Briella was right. She was being manipulated by her own company and pressured into doing something against her will. And he even sided with Mr. Cruz, humiliating herself in front of us!" another reporter added. He clenched his fists, his face turning beet red from sheer embarrassment. Being in the center of the stage, all eyes were on him, with numerous cameras that he rented and invited just to cover everything. 'He even talked about Sun Glow Fashion! What if they hear about it? I'll surely be humiliated all over again if that happens." 'Miss Briella, what can you say about what happened?" he turned to look at her. She remained calm, showing no signs of panic. Why should she be panicking? Everything that had happened seemed to be in her favor! Annoying! If he did nothing, the media would probably have a negative view of him. But if he retracted what he said, he would end up looking ridiculous. What should he do? 'How did you find out about all this? And may I also get your opinion on what the CEO of Star Agency said?" another reporter asked. He broke into a cold sweat as he looked at Briella. He quickly approached her and pulled her away from the reporters. 'Excuse us. A lot has happened today, and it's a good thing you weren't harmed or implicated in this kind of company," he said while holding her arm and excusing themselves from the reporters. He quickly led Briella out of the room through a different exit to avoid being followed by the reporters. Once he had her to himself, he released her hand and looked at her intently. 'Why do you always enjoy causing trouble?" he raised an eyebrow in irritation. She just shrugged and didn't say anything, which irritated him even more. 'If only you had just signed the contract, it wouldn't have come to this. Do you know what could happen to Mr. Cruz?" he retorted. 'You mean you'd rather have me swallow my pride and be ridiculed by everyone than have that deceiver and greedy man face justice?" She asked him without emotion. 'Do you really care about me, Xander?" He was taken aback by her question and lowered his head. He couldn't bring himself to look at her, fearing that she might see the disappointment in his eyes. Ever since he found out about his child with Matilda, he had lost interest in her. The only thing that mattered to him now was his child with Matilda, and one day, he would dispose of her and make sure to get her money before they separated. In their three years of relationship, he had subjugated her, and it felt good to him that someone like Briella was willing to do anything for him. She was beautiful, and if he based it on looks alone, Matilda was no match for her, and the same went for her figure. It was as if God had created Briella as one of the gifted ones when He showered His blessings. But for him, all of that wasn't very sensible if he couldn't have her. He tried to talk to her and ask for what he wanted, but he was disappointed when she told him that she would only give herself to him once they were married. That's what led him to be tempted by Matilda. Aside from being classmates in college, he had secretly admired her back then. He regretted when she suddenly stopped pursuing her studies, and when they met again, he was already committed to Briella. Matilda could give him everything he wanted, and most importantly, she agreed to keep their secret and understood him. 'I'm going home, and I don't feel well. I'll be gone for a few weeks. I'll be on vacation with my friend," she said, returning his disturbance. 'What?" He raised his eyebrows in question. She really knew how to enjoy herself, even when she was facing controversy. 'You heard me," she replied coolly. 'Or maybe you just don't want to listen to what I'm saying because you don't care about me." After saying that, she turned away from him and left, but before she could get far, he stopped her. He couldn't afford to show his true feelings to her. He needed her and her money. 'I'm sorry, honey. I'm just tired. That's why I'm acting like this," he said, releasing a deep sigh. 'Maybe you're right, you should go on vacation. I think it's the best thing you can do right now to get away from everything that's happening around you." She didn't react, and inside, he wanted to shout at her for her stubbornness. 'Where are you going on vacation, and who are you going with? At least, let me know who you're going with so—" he started to ask, but Briella cut him off. 'Don't worry, I trust them. They're not like others who take advantage when no one else is around," she said, leaving him standing there. He had nothing else to do but chase her with his gaze. He had noticed something different in Briella's behavior over the past few days. It seemed like she had become distant from him, and the spark in her eyes had faded. Even her beautiful smiles were gone. He froze. Could it be possible that she had found someone else and was deceiving him? He clenched his fists, and his gaze toward Briella turned hostile. If he found out that she was deceiving him, he would humiliate her in front of all the staff here and the entire world!