CHAPTER 10 — THE TRUTH THEY NEVER EXPECTED
The press conference was scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
By 7:30, every major news network had already arrived outside Montrose Global Headquarters.
Cameras filled the entrance.
Reporters waited behind security barriers.
The business world wanted answers.
For the first time, Isabella Montrose was no longer a hidden name.
She was the center of the storm.
The woman who had quietly protected one of the world’s largest companies was now being accused of the very thing she had spent her life preventing.
Fraud.
Manipulation.
Deception.
Victor Hale had carefully designed his attack.
He didn’t attack her finances.
He attacked her credibility.
Because he understood one thing:
People forgive losing money.
They rarely forgive losing trust.
Inside the private preparation room, Isabella stood in front of a mirror.
Her reflection looked different from the woman who walked out of the Cross mansion days earlier.
Not because her appearance had changed.
Because her confidence had returned.
Her assistant entered.
“Everything is ready.”
Isabella nodded.
“The legal team?”
“In place.”
“The documents?”
“Verified.”
“The witnesses?”
“Waiting.”
Her assistant hesitated.
“Are you sure you want to reveal everything?”
Isabella looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“Your family history. The Cross agreements. The private investments.”
A pause.
“Once the world knows, there’s no going back.”
Isabella looked through the glass wall toward the reporters outside.
“There was never a way back.”
At the same time…
Victor Hale watched the event from his penthouse.
He sat comfortably in a leather chair, holding a glass of whiskey.
His daughter Vanessa stood nearby.
“She’s going to speak tonight,” Vanessa said.
Victor smiled.
“Good.”
“You seem happy.”
“I am.”
“Why?”
Victor looked at the television screen showing Isabella’s arrival.
“Because powerful people always make the same mistake.”
Vanessa frowned.
“What mistake?”
“They believe the truth will protect them.”
He smiled.
“But the truth is only useful if people believe it.”
The doors opened.
The room outside immediately went silent.
Isabella Montrose stepped onto the stage.
The cameras started flashing.
Thousands watched live.
She stood behind the microphone.
No anger.
No fear.
Just calm.
“Good evening.”
Her voice carried through the room.
“For the past several days, my name has appeared in headlines around the world.”
“Claims have been made.”
“Questions have been raised.”
She paused.
“And tonight, I will answer them.”
A reporter immediately raised his hand.
“Ms. Montrose, are you denying the allegations made by Victor Hale?”
Isabella looked directly at the cameras.
“Yes.”
“Completely.”
The room became quiet.
She continued.
“But before I explain why…”
“I want to address something else.”
She looked down briefly.
“Four years ago, I married Damian Cross.”
Across town, Damian watched the broadcast.
Hearing his name made him uncomfortable.
Not because of embarrassment.
Because he knew what was coming.
Isabella continued.
“When I entered the Cross family, I chose to hide my identity.”
“Not because I was ashamed.”
“Not because I lacked power.”
“But because I wanted to know whether people would value me without knowing my last name.”
The reporters listened carefully.
“And what I discovered was painful.”
A pause.
“Some people only respect what they fear.”
The screen behind her changed.
Documents appeared.
Old agreements.
Financial records.
Investment histories.
The first revelation appeared.
MONTROSE CAPITAL RESCUE AGREEMENT — CROSS GLOBAL HOLDINGS
Murmurs filled the room.
Isabella spoke calmly.
“Years ago, my family provided financial support to Cross Global Holdings.”
“We invested when the company was struggling.”
“We created strategies that allowed the company to expand.”
“We protected thousands of jobs.”
Another document appeared.
“And every investment was legal.”
“Every agreement was documented.”
“Every transaction was approved.”
The room became louder.
Victor’s expression changed.
He leaned closer to the screen.
“What is she doing?”
Isabella continued.
“Now, let’s discuss the allegations made by Victor Hale.”
A lawyer stepped forward.
A new set of documents appeared.
But these were different.
Private records.
Hidden agreements.
Financial transfers.
The room became silent.
Isabella looked at the camera.
“Victor Hale claimed to expose corruption.”
“He forgot one thing.”
“Evidence works both ways.”
The next document appeared.
HALE STRATEGIC PARTNERS — UNAUTHORIZED MARKET MANIPULATION PLAN
The reporters reacted immediately.
Victor stood up.
“No.”
Vanessa looked terrified.
“What is that?”
Isabella continued.
“Mr. Hale did not discover a weakness in Montrose Capital.”
“He created a crisis designed to profit from fear.”
“He attempted to manipulate investors.”
“He attempted to damage a company’s reputation.”
“And he attempted to destroy anyone who stood in his way.”
The room exploded with questions.
“Is this proof?”
“Do you have witnesses?”
“Will there be legal action?”
Isabella raised her hand.
The room slowly quieted.
“Yes.”
“We have evidence.”
“We have witnesses.”
“And we have already submitted everything to the appropriate authorities.”
At that moment, another surprise appeared.
The doors at the back of the press room opened.
Everyone turned.
Damian Cross walked in.
The cameras immediately focused on him.
He approached the microphone.
Isabella looked surprised.
She had not expected him.
Damian faced the reporters.
“For years, I allowed people to believe a false story.”
His voice was steady.
“I allowed myself to believe it too.”
He looked at Isabella.
“The truth is…”
“She was never the person standing behind my success.”
A pause.
“She was the reason I had success at all.”
The room went silent.
Damian continued.
“I failed her.”
“I underestimated her.”
“And I allowed my pride to hurt the person who helped me the most.”
Isabella watched him carefully.
For the first time…
She saw no arrogance.
Only accountability.
The next morning, the headlines changed completely.
VICTOR HALE INVESTIGATION BEGINS AFTER MONTROSE REVEALS EVIDENCE
DAMIAN CROSS ADMITS ROLE IN YEARS OF MISUNDERSTANDING
ISABELLA MONTROSE EMERGES STRONGER AFTER PUBLIC ATTACK
But Victor Hale was not finished.
Not yet.
Because before investigators reached his company…
He disappeared.
And on Isabella’s desk arrived one final message.
A handwritten note.
Only five words.
You still don’t know everything.
Isabella stared at it.
Her expression hardened.
Because she realized…
The war was not over.
Victor Hale had one last secret.
May you like
And whatever it was…
It involved her family.
