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“Right this way then, Mr. Ravenscroft.” Janet leads me through the many people standing around working different camera equipment, lighting, or holding various objects from makeup to coffee.
As we approach the open area before us, I note the raised platform of white tile with cream couches. The person interviewing me is Diana Preston, a world renowned journalist who covers serious topics around the globe. How King managed to swindle her into this mess is beyond me.
Diana is sitting in a white shirt with a long blue pencil skirt, her blond hair cropped close to her face, and wire rimmed glasses perched on the edge of her nose. She looks like she’s lived a thousand lives in her forty years based on the look she gives me over the edge of her coffee cup.
“Mrs. Preston,” I say as I step onto the stage, reaching forward to shake her hand.
She firmly shakes mine, smiling politely at me. “Mr. Ravenscroft. You keep fabulous company from what I hear. Bexley Hastings is a wonderful, talented young woman.”
I can’t tell if she’s being kind or facetious when she mentions Bex.
Diana cracks a smile as if she can read my mind. “Her mother was one of my idols. I worked a few jobs with her when I was younger. From all of my research, Bexley is very much the epitome of her mother. I also have met with Bexley a handful of times over the years during different volunteer experiences. She’s truly a phenomenal young woman.”
“She is,” I confirm. “I’m a very lucky man to have been graced by her selfless spirit throughout the years.”
Diana nods. “We’re about to get ready. I know you already saw the questions I plan on asking you, but are you ready for the world to hear about this?”
Without hesitation, I confirm, “I am.” People deserve to hear the truth, even if some of it will be kept out of the public where Bex is concerned. She’s the reason I feel at ease speaking today after telling me she would handle the fallout if I wasn’t ready and no one would pressure me to talk until I was. Her undying loyalty to me makes it easy to sit across from someone about to pry into one of the darkest moments of my life.
Music blares throughout the room before a camera glides closer to Diana’s face. I know they said to look and speak directly to her as if we’re in a room by ourselves but it feels like an idiotic thing to say when it’s far from the truth. “Good morning, I’m Diana Preston withWorldwide Action News On the Move, here to bring you the latest in news across all walks of life. Today we’re here with Thorin Ravenscroft of Ravenscroft Hotels. Good morning Thorin, thank you for being here.”
I flash her the same polite smile I do to everyone during interviews and train my focus on her so I’m not looking around at the different cameras moving about. “Good morning, Diana.”
“Now, I know this is a difficult topic to talk about, but we’re here to dive into what really happened at your thirtieth birthday party. A lot of allegations have come up, but this is the first time you’re willing to discuss what happened.”
“That’s correct,” I nod stiffly, unable to completely get the nerves to disappear as I recall the painful experience. “My birthday was earlier this year. I don’t tend to make a fuss about it, so it began with my two best friends atDelirium. From there we went back to my apartment to have a small get together with associates and other friends.”
“But this turned into something much larger,” Diana segues.
“It did,” I agree. “People invited other people and it grew out of control fairly quickly. A lot of people take advantage in situations like that because they don’t care about the repercussions. I had a drink and began to feel ill. I didn’t think anything of it at first because I had been drinking. I went in search of my friends but ended up passing out in my own guest bedroom.”
“The one where the infamous picture takes place?” Diana questions kindly.
“Yes. I don’t remember anything except being alone when I fell asleep. I woke up to King yelling–”
“Coleman ‘King’ Huntington-Ward,” Diana interrupts.
“Both he and Aillard Brookwell are my family,” I explain. “They were worried about me when they found me. King kicked everyone out then drove me to the emergency room.”
This is clearly news to her as her eyebrows raise exponentially. “They did?”
I nod. “I don’t do drugs. I never have. I don’t surround myself with people who partake in those kinds of activities. However someone clearly felt the need to target me. From my bloodwork, it shows I was given a dose of GHB, otherwise known as the date rape drug.”
“This kind of drug induces grogginess, blackouts, and can make some people vomit,” Diana says with concern clear in her voice. “And someone slipped it to you?”
“Unfortunately. There’s no trace of any drug in my system besides that and the alcohol I was consuming,” I tell her. “The picture is fabricated to make it seem as though I was doing something illicit, but it was taken as an extortion tactic.” Even though we haven’t been able to prove it, King feels strongly that’s the reason the photos didn’t get submitted to media outlets until later.
“It’s hard to cope with someone doing something so violating to you.”
“I think the hardest part for me is not knowing what happened. Did one of those girls doing cocaine take advantage of my inability to consent? As a man, having a rape kit done is very traumatizing because these types of things don’t happen, so we think. The truth is they happen far more often than people like to admit because our society doesn’t focus on the few who are targeted, but on the many.Everyoneshould be spoken about,” I adamantly state. “This way it’s all viewed as normal and no one feels ashamed having to come forward.”
Diana swallows roughly. “Are you saying you were sexually assaulted at your thirtieth birthday party?”
“I’m saying the test is inconclusive and it pains me to know that means there’s a chance I was.” Do I spend much time thinking about it? No. I’ll only drive myself crazy with thinking anyone I come across could be the person who did it. To protect myself, I made my circle of trust smaller which seems fitting since it brought me Bex.
“So this whole thing about exposing your supposed drug abuse and ex-wife is an extortion of some kind?” Diana asks.
“We believe so. The pictures weren’t given to the media immediately. It only came out after my interview as one of the top richest men in the world.”
