Chapter 48 Handling the Press
Chapter 48 Handling the Press
JAXON'S POV:
“Laura Jacobs is just an employee, an artist under my label.” I answered him, meeting his gaze firmly, untill he averted his gaze and looked away. Falling back in to his seat.
“That's all I wanted to confirm.” He announced. I nodded still staring at him warily. My Dad coughed, dragging my attention back to him.
“Dad what's all this about Will Bushel?” I asked, staring at him. His face contorted in to a mask.
“That sly bastard.” He cursed under his breath, his face was rapidly loosing color.
I took two steps closer to him. “What's he done again, Sir?”
“I have been tipped that Will has been spreading malicious stuffs about you, fueling the rumors and telling investors about your incompetency and recklessness!”
“What?” My face darkened. “How could he do something so despicable!”
My Dad stood up from the chair. “Will has always been underhanded man, and this is all your fault anyway!”
I lowered my head. This was indeed all my fault, we could be loosing face right now just because of me.
“I'm sorry father.”
“I have been having calls from almost everyone. Everyone is anxious because of your incompetency, do you think you're still off in highschool, where you could fool around as you pleased?”
I stared hard at the tiled floor not daring to raise my head up.
“If you keep this up, I'll have no choice than to make you step down.” He barked loudly, his nose flaring up.
My chest sank, as I lifted my head to stare at his scarlet face.
“I'm sorry sir.” I muttered helplessly.
“You better be.” He snorted. I swallowed hard and lowered my head again, unable to look him in the face.
Who could have thought, Will Bushel would be so petty? Was he even a business man or a clown?
Dad pushed his chair back and walked back to stand behind the table. He placed his two hands on the desk and leaned over it, all the time his eyes were fixated on me. Deadpanned and cold.
“Since you made this mess yourself, I think it's best if you are the one to clean it up yourself too.”
I felt my leg go weak, but I braced myself up for his next words. My supposed punishment.
“You'll have to give a public statement to the press before night fall today.” He announced slowly.
I just couldn't escape that press statement, could I?
I held my breath in.
“And schedule a board meeting tomorrow, to address everyone.”
“Ugh!” A lump lurched in my throat, as I stared at him incredulously.
“Do you understand?”
I coughed. “Yes, sir.”
When I finally managed to climb down the pavement, I couldn't help sighing so loudly in relief.
“How'd it go?” Reene asked as I drew closer.
“Much better than I expected.” I said, managing a weak smile.
“It must have really gone were, for you to still to remember how to smile.”
I chuckled softly and walked round the car to the other side and pulled open the car door.
I slid in and fastened my seatbelt. Reene joined me a minute later and started up the ignition.
She shot me a glance. “So where to now?”
I squinted my eyes a bit, ignoring her question. “Do you still have that speech you prepared for my press talk with you?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes, I do. Are we heading there then?”
“Yes.” I asserted and fell back in to the warm leather seat. I'd give everything to be safely at home, right now.
Reene eased the handbrake back and stepped on the gas pedal, the car lurched forward and sailed smoothly out of the curb. Out through the giant gate and into the road.
I rolled down my window and stuck out my head, the breeze blew over my face, whipping my hair out of the way. I looked longingly at the calm blue of the sky, several thoughts were whirling through my mind.
Several complicated bullshits and Will Bushel was forcefully shoving himself in to the list. Fuck him! And Evan and all the whole bunch of crazy silly reporters.
A red car slowed down beside us, the window rolled down and a brunette teenager with heavy makeup looked out through the window. “Christ, Erm. Isn't that Jaxon Fallon?”
She pointed at me, while calling to her companion in the car.
I turned my head away and rolled back the glass up.
“Step on the gas Reene.”
I already had enough on my plates, I wasn't ready to add some silly teenagers to the long list.
Reene stepped on the gas and the car lurched forward and soon the teenagers and their red car were far back behind us.
A few more minutes of driving followed before we turned off the highway and cruised slowly in to the garage of the three storeyed plaza that served as the location of The Montage Record Company.
I slid off my seatbelt and clambered out of the car. I stood outside for a couple of minutes weighing what I needed to do and say, how many steps I needed to fucking take to get to the news box and get all this over with.
And then returned to my peaceful life. That is if there was something like that. People like me really didn't have such privileges.
“You ready, boss?” Reene called from the opposite side.
I sucked in a deep breath and tried to smile. “I could say I am.”
Minutes later I was standing in front of several wired microphones and enduring the continuous camera flashes from eager reporters who were ready to photograph anything they could get of me— the lights made me dizzy, I had to blink several times before I could adjust to the light.
Once I had recovered my sight, I looked down at the teleprompter which had been expertly placed on the podium, displaying the speech Reene had so meticulously prepared before hand.
If my throat had been any drier while I was speaking with my Dad earlier on, this was far worse. A lump had lurched in my throat and was tightening by the minute as I stared at the words.
Another camera flashed right in to my eyes—temporarily dazzling my vision. I blinked once and twice before frowning at the reporters.
Look at them all eager to record and spread malicious stories and tarnish everyone's reputation. The hate burned in my eyes as I stared at them. I cleared my throat, loudly.
Loud enough, to calm the whole noise and flashing in a second, restoring a rare calmness and sadness.
“It has come to my notice.” I said slowly, scowling at the cameras. “That certain individuals and media outlets have been circulating dangerous rumours and absurd stories about me and some singers signed to this company.”
I paused, the shutter lights hit my face again, but I didn't blink this time. I gathered all the anger that had been burning in me, forming them in to words without sparing a glance at any of the speech Reene had prepared before hand.
“I would love to inform the public, that none of this twisted stories are true. Rather they are propagandas from some biased set of individuals, in an attempt to ruin my image and credibility. I urge the public to cease abd desist from spreading this misinformation. All media outlets are further advised to take down any of such rumors. Defaulters would have to face legal penalties—” I said coldly
Another camera clicked away, bathing my face in the after flash.