Chapter 7 - The Contract of Hearts and Business
The noon sun beat down on the sleek glass facade of Voss Tower as hundreds of journalists and camera crews crowded the plaza.
Inside the private holding room backstage, the hum of nervous energy was palpable.
Elena adjusted the collar of her charcoal-gray dress, staring at her reflection in the polished brass mirror.
The door clicked open, and Cassian stepped inside, carrying a small, velvet-lined mahogany box.
He walked up behind her, his reflection merging with hers in the glass.
“Are you ready for this?” Cassian asked quietly, resting his hands gently on her shoulders.
“I’ve spent seventeen years waiting for the world to know the truth about my father,” Elena whispered, her gaze meeting his in the mirror.
“Facing a room full of reporters feels small compared to that.”
Cassian opened the mahogany box, revealing a stunning, antique diamond ring that sparkled with cold, brilliant fire.
It wasn't a modern, flashy bauble designed for social media display; it was an heirloom piece from the early twentieth century, intricate and timeless.
“This belonged to my mother,” Cassian said softly, lifting the ring from its velvet bed.
“She taught me that true strength is never loud, but it is unbreakable.”
He slid the ring onto the fourth finger of Elena’s left hand.
It fit with absolute, miraculous precision.
“Cassian, this is too much,” Elena protested gently, staring at the flashing facets of the diamond.
“Nothing is too much for the woman who brought my sister’s memory back to life through sound,” Cassian replied, his voice dropping to a tender whisper.
“Our marriage is a legal necessity for the restructuring of the Bellgrave estate and the protection of your father’s catalogue.”
“But let there be no mistake, Elena—I intend to earn every right to stand beside you.”
The heavy oak door opened, and Margaret poked her head inside with a brisk smile.
“Ten minutes, children,” Margaret announced cheerfully.
“The press corps is practically foaming at the mouth out there.”
Elena took a deep, steadying breath and turned to face Cassian.
“Let’s give them a performance they’ll never forget,” she said.
They walked side by side down the vaulted corridor toward the double doors of the grand auditorium.
As the heavy doors pushed open, a blinding wall of camera flashes erupted like a thunderstorm.
The noise of a hundred reporters shouting questions simultaneously crashed over them like an ocean wave.
Cassian guided Elena with a firm, protective hand at her waist, leading her toward two leather chairs set before a bank of microphones.
Margaret and a senior federal prosecutor sat at a long table to their right, stacked with heavy binders of original copyright deeds and bank records.
Cassian seated Elena first before taking his place beside her, resting his arm casually along the back of her chair.
The murmurs in the auditorium died down instantly as Cassian raised his hand.
“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,” Cassian’s deep, commanding voice filled the auditorium without the need for a raised tone.
“Twenty years ago, a systematic campaign of corporate theft, forgery, and intimidation destroyed the career of composer Arthur Marlow.”
“Today, under the supervision of federal investigators and Voss Global legal counsel, that injustice is officially being dismantled.”
A flurry of camera shutters clicked furiously as reporters began typing furiously on their laptops.
One journalist in the front row raised his hand sharply.
“Mr. Voss, what does this have to do with the rumors of your engagement to an unknown woman found working as a maid at the Ashcroft gala?”
Cassian turned his head slightly, looking directly into the lens of the primary broadcast camera.
“She is not an unknown woman,” Cassian stated clearly, his voice ringing with absolute authority.
“She is Elena Marlow, the rightful heir to the greatest musical legacy of our generation.”
“And as of last night, she is also my fiancée.”
A collective gasp rippled through the assembled press corps, followed by an explosion of rapid-fire questions.
May you like
Before anyone could shout another inquiry, Cassian gestured toward Elena.
“And she has something she would like to share with the world.”
