Page 116 of Valentine’s Billionaire Auction

“It’s time,” someone said.

I nodded and took the notecards. Several board members and I walked into the conference room. The room was packed with reporters. The flashes of cameras felt like tiny daggers against my skin.

When I stepped up to the podium, the murmurs hushed, replaced by a suffocating silence.

I told myself to read the statement and call it good. I didn’t owe anyone answers.

I cleared my throat, gripping the edges of the podium as though it could anchor me. “Thank you all for coming today,” I began, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. “I have an announcement to make regarding my engagement to Kaira…”

The words stuck in my throat, but I forced them out. “It’s over. We’ve chosen to go our separate ways.”

The room erupted. Cameras clicked frantically, reporters shot up, shouting over one another. I held up a hand, signaling for quiet, and miraculously, they obliged. I had their undivided attention.

“I know there’s been speculation about the authenticity of our relationship,” I said, each word carefully measured. “And I won’t waste your time denying it. The truth is it wasn’t real. The engagement was a PR strategy—my strategy.”

A gasp rippled through the crowd, followed by a renewed surge of questions. I ignored them, pressing on.

I heard the board members behind me suck in a breath. One stepped forward and put a hand on my arm as if to pull me away from the podium. The rumors had been circulating and the board wanted me to deny it. But I was tired of lying. If I lost future investments, whatever. I had money. I didn’t need more.

I quietly shrugged off the hand on my arm and turned my attention back to the crowd that was waiting with bated breath for me to explain the situation.

“Kaira had nothing to do with the plan’s conception. I made her an offer she couldn’t refuse, and she agreed to help me. That’s the truth.” My jaw clenched. “If anyone wants to blame someone, blame me. I take full responsibility.”

I looked out at the sea of faces, knowing full well how this would be spun in the headlines. I could almost see the sensationalist articles: “Roman Kelly Admits Engagement Hoax!” or “Kaira Foster: Victim or Accomplice?”

The thought made my stomach churn. “She’s not at fault,” I added, my voice firm. “Kaira is a good person. She didn’t deserve to be dragged into my mess, and I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. The plan was a bad move. It only hurt both of us. There are no winners here.”

The room was silent again as I stepped back from the podium. “That’s all I have to say.”

An explosion of flashing lights and shouted questions erupted.

Despite the cacophony, I walked away with a mixture of relief and dread swirling in my chest. I thought it would be freeing to have the truth out there.

I was wrong.

My assistant was waiting by the door, wide-eyed. “That was… candid,” she said as I passed her.

“That was the truth,” I snapped, brushing past her.

My board members were waiting for me in the small room. “Give us the room,” one of them demanded.

The assistants scrambled to get out. A few of the board members looked as though they’d aged a decade in the past hour.

“Roman, do you realize what you’ve just done? You’ve blown up your own empire. The brand. The trust. Everything!”

“And for what?” chimed in another. “To play the martyr?”

I held up a hand. “Spare me the lecture.”

“No, Roman, you’re going to hear this,” my CFO said, his voice rising. “You’re going to lose millions. Do you understand that? Millions. Our stock will tank. Sponsorships will pull out. And for what? To protect a woman who walked away from you?”

“She didn’t walk out on me. We decided the whole sham was stupid. It was never going to work.”

“It was working just fine. Why would you do that? You could have said she left you. We gave you a statement! You were supposed to say you cared about each other but realized you weren’t ready to get married just yet. Mutual respect and blah, blah, blah! The lawyers drafted it beautifully.”

My temper flared. “I’m past giving a damn,” I said coldly. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure your staggering salary remains untouched.”

The venom in my tone silenced them. I walked away before I could say something I’d truly regret. Anthony was waiting for me. He said nothing as he started to drive away.