Chapter 40 Attacked
The moment the first few questions were answered, the room lost whatever sense of order it had been trying to maintain. What had started as a controlled exchange quickly turned into something far more chaotic, with reporters speaking over one another, raising their voices, and pushing for attention like they were afraid they would miss their only chance. Adeline stood at the podium, her posture still straight and composed, but inside, she could feel the shift happening. The tone had changed, and it was no longer just curiosity. It had become something sharper, something more aggressive.
At first, she tried to keep up with it, answering each question with the same calm tone she had started with, choosing her words carefully and making sure not to slip, but as more voices joined in, she began to notice something that didn’t sit right with her. Almost every question was directed at her. Julian was standing right beside her, clearly visible, clearly part of the situation, yet it was as if he had become invisible to them. They weren’t looking at him anymore. They weren’t asking him anything. Their focus had narrowed, and she had become the center of it all.
It didn’t surprise her, not really.
She had expected it the moment she agreed to stand in front of them. She was the married one. She was the woman, and in situations like this, that was all it took for people to decide who deserved the most scrutiny. Misogyny wasn’t something she had only seen at home. It wasn’t limited to her father’s views or the way he had treated her growing up. It existed everywhere, in quieter ways sometimes, and in moments like this, in ways that were impossible to ignore.
Still, knowing it didn’t make it easier.
The questions kept coming, one after another, each one sharper than the last, each one pushing a little further past what could be considered respectful. None of them said it outright, but the implication was always there, sitting just beneath the surface. The way they spoke, the way they framed their questions, it all pointed in the same direction.
They were judging her.
At some point, the words started to blur together, but the meaning stayed clear. She had been asked if she was pregnant, if that was the real reason behind the sudden engagement, or if she was trying to cover something up before it became public. Another question followed almost immediately after, asking if she had ever truly been loyal to her marriage in the first place even though it wasn't a love match. The phrasing was careful, but the intention wasn’t hidden.
It felt like they were calling her something without saying the word.
Adeline kept her expression steady, but her fingers tightened slightly at her sides. Every answer she gave felt heavier than the last, not because she didn’t know what to say, but because of the way the questions were being asked. There was no interest in understanding. There was only interest in tearing something apart.
Julian remained beside her, and for a while, he let her handle it. He knew she could. She had been doing it well, answering each question with control and clarity, not allowing herself to be shaken, but even he could see the direction things were going in, and eventually, it became too much to ignore.
When another question came, one that crossed the line just a little too far, he stepped forward slightly, his presence shifting in a way that made a few of the reporters pause.
“That’s enough,” he said firmly, his voice cutting through the noise just enough to make them listen. “You can ask your questions, but there’s no need to question her dignity in the process.”
The room didn’t go completely silent, but there was a noticeable shift. Some of the reporters looked slightly taken aback, while others simply adjusted their approach, their expressions unreadable.
Adeline didn’t look at him, but she heard the words clearly. She appreciated the interruption more than she wanted to admit, but at the same time, it took everything in her not to react emotionally. She could feel the frustration building inside her, a slow burn that made it harder to keep her composure with each passing second.
For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind, one that made her jaw tighten slightly.
Her father.
She wouldn’t put it past him.
Jonathan Carter was not a man who handled defiance well, and she had made it very clear that she was not going to follow his expectations anymore. It would not be surprising if he had decided to make this as difficult as possible for her, to remind her of the consequences of stepping out of line. Paying a few reporters to push harder, to ask questions that would chip away at her confidence, sounded exactly like something he would do.
The thought didn’t help. If anything, it made the situation feel even more suffocating.
She answered a few more questions after that, each one requiring more effort than the last, her voice still steady but her patience wearing thinner with every passing second. Just when she thought the worst of it might be over, another voice cut through the room.
This time, it was a male reporter. His tone was different from the others', less subtle and more direct, and the moment he spoke, Adeline felt something shift again.
“Miss Carter,” he said, “is it possible that this marriage has less to do with love and more to do with business?”
The room quieted slightly, the question drawing attention immediately.
“Specifically,” he continued, “are you marrying Julian Hale in order to use his name and create the illusion of unity, just to save Carter Global Holdings from financial collapse?”
The words hit harder than anything that had been said before. Adeline’s expression changed instantly, her calm composure cracking just enough for a frown to form. Her brows pulled together, and for the first time since the conference began, her reaction was immediate, almost instinctive.
“Carter Global is doing just fine,” she said clearly, her voice sharper now, leaving no room for misinterpretation. “There is no issue of bankruptcy involving my company.”
There was a slight murmur in the room, but the reporter didn’t back down. If anything, he looked more certain, like he was waiting for that exact response.
“With all due respect,” he said, “there are rumors suggesting otherwise. There are claims that the company is dealing with significant debt. If that’s the case, then it wouldn’t be surprising if this marriage is a strategic move to keep things afloat.”
Adeline’s hands clenched slightly at her sides, the frustration she had been holding back finally pushing closer to the surface. There was something in the way he said it, something that suggested he believed it, or worse, that he knew something she didn’t.
That thought unsettled her more than she expected. For a split second, she considered responding, considered shutting him down completely, but before she could speak, Julian stepped in again.
His tone this time was firmer, leaving no room for argument. “That’s enough questions for today,” he said.
The room reacted immediately, voices rising again as reporters tried to push back, to ask one more question, to get one more answer, but Julian didn’t acknowledge any of it.
“You’re starting to cross the line,” he added, his voice controlled but final. “We won’t be taking any more questions.”
He didn’t look at Adeline to check if she agreed. He didn’t hesitate, instead, he reached for her, his hand firm as he guided her away from the podium.
The reporters didn’t stop. Questions were still being shouted, cameras still flashing, voices overlapping in a desperate attempt to pull them back, but Julian ignored all of it. He led her off the stage without slowing down, and Adeline followed, but her mind wasn’t calm.
If anything, she felt more unsettled than before. The anger that had been building inside her hadn’t gone anywhere. It had only grown, mixing with something else now, something that didn’t sit right in her chest. The question about Carter Global lingered in her mind, repeating itself in a way that made it hard to ignore, and as they walked away from the noise, from the cameras, from the chaos they had just stepped out of, she couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong.
Very wrong, and that realization only made her angrier.