Chapter 155 Seen What?
That afternoon, Rebecca sat in her office, trying to focus.
The earlier part of the day had been steady, meetings, documents, emails, but now, as the hours stretched on, her concentration had begun to slip.
Her desk was neatly arranged, files stacked in order, her laptop open in front of her. On the surface, everything looked controlled.
But her mind wasn’t.
Every now and then, she would pause mid-sentence while reviewing a document, her thoughts drifting without permission.
She didn’t know why.
Or maybe she did, and simply didn’t want to admit it.
Just as she reached for another file, her phone vibrated softly against the desk.
She glanced at the screen.
Adrian.
For a brief second, she hesitated before answering. Then, pushing aside whatever distraction lingered in her mind, she picked up the call.
"Hello?" she said, her tone calm and professional.
There was a slight pause on the other end before his voice came through.
"Rebecca… hey," Adrian said, his voice softer than usual, almost careful. "How are you doing?"
The question caught her slightly off guard.
She blinked faintly, leaning back into her chair. "I’m fine," she replied, her tone polite but neutral. "Just at work. You?"
"I’m… good," he said, though there was a tightness beneath his words, like he was holding something back. "Busy, you know how it is."
Rebecca nodded slightly, even though he couldn’t see her. "Of course."
There was another brief pause, as if he was figuring out what to say, before he continued.
"I actually called to ask if we could schedule a meeting," he said. "Regarding the project… I think we should go over a few things in person."
Rebecca glanced at the stack of files on her desk and exhaled softly.
"Not today," she said gently. "I’m really tied up right now. Maybe we can fix something later in the week."
"Or maybe you’re just avoiding me," Adrian said, his voice sounding a bit sharper than the Adrian Rebecca knew.
The sudden sharpness in his voice made her frown immediately. She drew back her phone a little to check and he sure it was really Adrian she was talking to.
"What?" she asked, sitting up slightly.
Adrian let out a short, humorless laugh, but it didn’t sound amused, it sounded strained.
"Come on, Rebecca," he said, his tone tightening. "You saw it, didn’t you?" He asked, his voice tight with restrained anger.
Her confusion deepened. "Saw what?" She asked confused.
"The press conference," he replied, his voice rising slightly before he caught himself. "Derek standing there, saying all that… apologizing, and confessing.."
Rebecca’s brows pulled together and her frown deepened.
"Wait," she cut in, her voice firm now. "What press conference are you talking about?"
There was an abrupt pause on the line, as Adrian froze.
It hit him instantly. He had just been worked up over nothing.
She didn’t know.
A sharp breath left him, and for a moment, he said nothing, like someone trying to regain control after stepping too far.
"I…You haven’t seen it?" he asked, his voice low and controlled.
"Seen what?" Rebecca replied, her confusion now laced with unease. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."
Silence fell over them as Adrian cursed softly under his breath, realizing he'd just gone off.
"Damn it…" he muttered. "I—Rebecca, I’m sorry."
His voice sounded different now, regretful, restrained.
"I shouldn’t have said that like that. I just… I thought you already knew and were trying to cut me off."
Rebecca didn’t respond immediately.
Her grip on the phone tightened slightly.
Because that sudden shift, that flash of irritation, that sharp edge in his voice, it didn’t go unnoticed.
"I’m sorry," Adrian repeated, more quietly this time. "That was out of line."
Rebecca swallowed, forcing her tone to remain steady. "It’s fine."
But it wasn’t, not anymore.
"Let’s just… talk later," he added. "When things are clearer."
"Okay," she said softly.
The call ended shortly after.
Rebecca slowly lowered the phone from her ear, placing it gently on the desk in front of her.
For a moment, she just sat there, her mind still replaying what had just happened and how Adrian whom she knew to be calm and composed, had snapped at her.
“What was that?” she murmured to herself.
Her brows knitted together slightly.
Adrian had never spoken to her like that before, never.
There had always been confidence in him, yes, maybe a hint of arrogance also but it has always been controlled and intentional.
What she had just heard was different.
That wasn’t confidence, that was irritation. Possessiveness, even.
And the way it had slipped out so suddenly and then the way he had tried to cover it up, as if it never happened really unsettled her.
I can’t deal with that… she thought to herself.
She had just come out of something complicated, something emotionally draining. The last thing she needed was someone unpredictable… someone who could snap like that, even if it lasted only a second.
She exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers lightly against her temple.
But then, her thoughts shifted.
Press conference?
Her brows furrowed again.
"What was he talking about…?" she murmured softly.
Before she could think further, her phone buzzed again, she hoped it wasn't Adrian calling again, because she knew she wasn't ready to talk to him just yet.
She glanced at it and this time, it was Amelia.
Rebecca picked up almost immediately.
"Hey," she said.
"Becca," Amelia’s voice came through quickly, urgent. "Have you seen what’s going on?"
Rebecca straightened slightly. "No. Adrian just mentioned something, but I don’t understand what he was talking about." It was as if everyone knew or had an idea of what was going on but her.
There was a brief pause. Then Amelia spoke again, her tone more serious now.
"I’m sending you a link."
A second later, Rebecca’s phone chimed with a notification.
"Watch it," Amelia added. "Then call me back."
The call ended.
Rebecca stared at the message for a moment before slowly opening the link.
A video player opened. There was Derek, standing behind a podium, looking more vulnerable than she had ever seen him.
She watched him address the scandal, heard him speak about his grandfather’s interference with Celia, and felt her breath hitch when he admitted his marriage was strained.
Then came the question from one of the reporters: "Do you still love your wife?"
Rebecca watched Derek’s face on the screen as he gave his reply without blinking or hesitating.
"Yes. My wife is the most important person in my life. And I hurt her."
The office seemed to spin. She watched him apologize directly to the camera, directly to 'her', promising to fix it, to pursue her, to prove she was his future.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the phone.
Her mind was no longer clear.
It was filled with confusion, anger, longing and hurt.
Too many emotions at once.
Even after the video had finished playing, she just sat there, staring at the blank screen.
Her emotions tangled, messy, and overwhelming.
She didn’t know what to feel.
She didn’t know what to believe.
She just leaned her head back against her chair, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.