The Angel And The Bastard

Chapter 12-Iris

Iris

The morning of the press conference was a blur of rapid-fire phone calls, headlines swirling with gossip, and my parents' insistence that this engagement needed "clarification."

As if clarifying would magically wipe the scandal clean.

It wasn't until I was sitting in front of the cameras, flanked by reporters practically licking their lips at the thought of a juicy story, that the weight of the moment fully hit me.

My engagement to Roman was a trap.

A cage made from gold and politeness, but a cage all the same.

And Damien?

He was supposed to be the last person who could help, but somehow his rebellious presence had sparked an idea—a reckless, impulsive idea that was now just daring me to act.

But let's rewind.

Earlier that day

I scan the room, catching the gleam of camera flashes and the rustle of notepads.

Roman, stoic as ever, sits on my left, barely glancing my way, as if even looking at me now is beneath him, like I'm nothing more than a liability, some tarnished possession he's been unfortunate enough to acquire.

Asshole.

Next to him, my mother's gaze is sharp as a blade, her eyes glinting with a silent warning.

She senses it already, the fracture in my composure, the way I'm barely holding it together.

I can see it in the tense set of her shoulders, her subtle nod, silently instructing me to stay in line.

I'm supposed to be here to announce my engagement to Roman, to sit obediently and watch them craft my life into something neat and socially acceptable.

The plan is straightforward: announce the engagement, smile for the cameras, and allow them to dissect our orchestrated propriety.

But as I lean toward the microphone, my pulse quickening, I know I can't do it.

I can't stomach the thought of pretending any longer, of binding myself even tighter to Roman and the bleak, cage-like future he offers.

My father's tense, poised to step in if I waver, but I don't give him the chance. The words come before I can stop them.

"I know you're all here to hear about my engagement to Roman." My voice echoes, surprisingly steady, as every eye in the room locks onto me. I pause, letting the tension build, savoring the slight twitch in Roman's jaw and the way my father's face tightens with unease. "But there's been... a misunderstanding."

The silence thickens, a palpable anticipation filling the room. Roman stiffens, and my father's hands clench on the table, his knuckles turning white.

For a second, a thrill runs through me.

I almost smile.

Almost.

"For a while now," I continue, holding back my nerves, "I've had someone else in my life."

The reporters exchange glances, the room pulsing with curiosity. I catch a few raised eyebrows, the hint of smirks from the gossip columnists already drafting their headlines in their minds. Roman's jaw tightens even more, if that's possible, and I take a quiet, measured breath before I continue.

"Damien Ashford and I have been seeing each other," I say, and the words hang there, defiant and irrevocable. I see my father's mouth open slightly, like he's about to object, but I keep going, cutting off any chance for interruption. "We've kept it quiet, but I feel it's time to let everyone know. To be honest about... what's real in my life."