FAKE IT TILL YOU MAKE IT| JJENINII

7

"It's Showtime." she murmured, standing up. "Let's head to the conference room. The team will be waiting for us to give the go-ahead for the press release."

As they walked through the bustling corridors, their colleagues greeted them with curious glances and whispered congratulations. Jennie maintained a composed exterior, though inside, her anxiety knotted tighter with every step.

In the conference room, the marketing and PR teams were already assembled, each member poised with their part of the day's campaign. Taehyung gave a brief nod, and the head of PR stood up, cueing the launch of the announcement across all major social media platforms.

Jennie watched as the meticulously crafted article appeared on the projector screen—a beautiful, candid shot of them at a company event, laughing together, the caption tastefully announcing their engagement and hinting at a future filled with hope and shared goals.

The reactions were immediate. Comments poured in, ranging from heartfelt congratulations to outright shock. Jennie couldn't help but monitor the responses, each notification a reminder of the reality they had crafted.

As the meeting progressed, Taehyung kept a supportive hand on Jennie's back, a small gesture that wasn't missed by their team. It was subtle but effective, reinforcing their narrative.

After the announcement went live, they lingered in the conference room, monitoring the immediate online reactions.

Jennie's phone was propped against a stack of documents, displaying the constant stream of updates as news outlets picked up the story. The buzz around their engagement was instantaneous, a mix of excitement and, as Jennie dreaded, speculation.

As she scrolled through the latest updates on the KTH group's website and then across general news platforms, her heart sank.

Several outlets had started spinning the narrative, painting her as a "ladder climber" and suggesting that her rapid rise in the company was more due to her personal connections with Taehyung than her legal prowess. Each headline seemed to sting more than the last.

Seeing the distress on her face, Taehyung leaned over to glance at her phone screen. His expression hardened as he read the disparaging comments.

Without a word, he took out his own phone and sent a discreet message to his media team to handle the situation.

He then turned his full attention back to Jennie, his voice low and reassuring. "Don't let them get to you. You and I both know how hard you've worked to get where you are. This isn't true, and we'll make sure it's handled."

Jennie managed a weak smile, comforted by his support but still visibly shaken by the harsh scrutiny. "It's just... overwhelming, you know?"

"I know," he said, his tone soft, hand reaching out to hold hers in hopes to offer any sort of comfort. "But we'll get through this. Together."

After a few more minutes ensuring there were no technical glitches and that their media team was actively managing the narrative, they decided it was time to face the office.

Walking out of the conference room together, they were met with a sea of eyes. Employees glanced their way, whispers filling the air but no one daring to approach directly given their positions—Taehyung as the CEO and Jennie as the head of legal.

"Can you believe it? From legal eagle to the CEO's fiancée. Talk about an upgrade," one voice whispered as she walked past a cluster of cubicles.

"There they are! Do they look like a real couple to you?" Two junior analysts peered over their cubicle walls, eyes tracking every interaction between Jennie and Taehyung, scrutinizing their every move.