The Ex Who Became His Obsession - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Bright Orange Media wasn't after money. The head said sarcastically, "We know money's no object for you, Mr. Dixon, but we aren't some charity case.
"Here's what we'll do. I'll give you our list of demands. Take a look, and if it works for you, we'll talk. If not, we'll walk."
In no time, every department head at Vanguard Media received that lengthy list of demands.
Brianna was the first to explode. "We've spent a whole month compiling the authoritative financial rankings data for the first half of the year, and Bright Orange Media just thinks they can waltz in and take it from us?"
The sports editor scoffed, "They want a solo interview with Williams? In your dreams. Do they know how many strings we had to pull just to secure this spot?"
"This is beyond ridiculous," scoffed the editor of the social affairs department. "My reporter nearly died getting this story, and now Bright Orange Media wants a co-byline?"
Just last month, the social affairs department faced a grave crisis. A reporter who had spent years undercover in an underground industry had his cover blown.
On the run, he was hit by a car, clinging to life by a thread, when he reached the hospital, still tightly gripping the evidence drive.
Vanguard Media stood their ground and ran the story despite immense pressure from all sides, sparking a huge public reaction.
Although the final article was revised and finalized by other colleagues in the department, no one dared to put their name on it. Otherwise, it was too shameless.
And now Bright Orange Media waltzed in, demanding a co-byline, and even wanted top billing.
This wasn't about the byline. Bright Orange Media wanted to embarrass Vanguard Media.
Surprisingly, faced with these increasingly outrageous demands, Charlie didn't immediately turn them down. Instead, he calmly instructed, "Tell them I'll consider it and get back to them soon."
Charlie stepped out of the private room, with Brianna hot on his heels.
The private room door creaked open just a crack.
In any other company, if the boss stepped out for a heated argument, colleagues would probably be too embarrassed to eavesdrop.
But these were journalists. They never cared much.
The gap widened a little, then a bit more, until every word of Brianna's voice came through, crystal clear.
Brianna snapped, "Charlie, Vanguard Media doesn't belong to you alone. If you really like Alyssia, go ahead and shower her with lots of money, but don't you dare hand over the company we've all built with our efforts, just for her."
"Ms. Parker," Charlie countered coolly, "do you have any proof for these claims?"
Brianna snapped, "What more proof do you need? How did she even get that grand prize for her graduation project? You handed her an offer the moment she graduated, and now that she can't find a job anywhere else, you pick her up."
Each formal address from Charlie utterly shattered Brianna's composure.
She'd been raised like a precious pearl, pampered and adored. So proud, so aloof, yet for years, she'd chased after Charlie.
But Charlie never saw her brilliance. He only cared for Alyssia, that scheming, innocent type.
Charlie claimed he had known Alyssia since childhood. Brianna didn't buy it.
Brianna had been Charlie's dance partner at every elementary school prom. Since he enjoyed collecting butterfly specimens, she went with him to catch butterflies for his collection.
There was never any Alyssia. They were childhood sweethearts, inseparable since they were kids. Brianna had never thought he'd deny all this shamelessly.
Brianna choked through tears. "Tell me. Is she that woman, the one you mentioned after the celebration party?"
Charlie frowned deeply. "Ms. Parker, calm down. Do you need to take some annual leave?"
Brianna wiped away her tears, painfully aware that she was now the laughingstock among her colleagues.
The calmer Charlie appeared, the more it underscored Brianna's loss of composure.
Years of competitiveness as a journalist had forced Brianna to keep her emotions in check.
She said, "Fine, let's get back to the Bright Orange Media situation. They're holding so-called evidence that Alyssia tried and failed to seduce Archer, and now they're demanding you trade away all those resources just to humiliate Vanguard Media.
"Their relationship with us? Need I say more? Charlie, firing Alyssia right now would solve everything. Are you going to fire her, or are you really going to sacrifice the hard work of all our departments?"
Brianna jabbed a finger toward the half-open room door. "Every single department editor is in there, listening right now. Tell them. What's your choice, my dear editor-in-chief?"
Charlie gazed at Brianna's face, radiant yet stubbornly defiant.
He sighed softly, "Brianna, why are you so convinced that the evidence Bright Orange Media holds is genuine?"
Brianna froze. Charlie pressed on, "Why are you so convinced Alyssia would seduce Archer just for an interview?"
He scoffed coldly. Any journalist in this world might pull a stunt like that, but Alyssia would never do it. A two-bit celebrity like him wasn't even worth her scheming.
"So you're saying Alyssia couldn't possibly have seduced Archer?" Brianna shot him a jealous glare. "You want to clear her name? But we don't even know what evidence Bright Orange Media has. How exactly do you plan to save her?"
'Just for Alyssia, he's willing to go to such lengths and put in all this effort,' Brianna wondered.
"Exactly. We don't even know what the evidence is, and why assume it's genuine? Unless," Charlie's gaze turned icy as he continued, "Brianna, you know something we don't?"
A cold shiver shot up Brianna's spine. She had been so worked up that she'd forgotten that Charlie, like her, was also a graduate of Ravendale University, and his abilities vastly outstripped hers. Besides, his insight, intuition, and logic were all far beyond hers.
"I-I wasn't thinking straight," Brianna admitted, but she quickly shifted tactics. "But seriously, would Bright Orange Media dare to make such outrageous demands without ironclad proof? If they really did this, aren't they afraid Alyssia might sue them for defamation?"
As soon as Brianna finished speaking, a gentle, cloud-soft voice floated in from the doorway.
It was Alyssia. She said softly, "Because they think I don't have any leverage over Archer anymore."
She stood at the doorway of the private room, smiling gently, her gaze warm as she watched Brianna abruptly turn around.
Her smile was soft, tender, even. Yet all Brianna felt was a creeping chill crawling up her spine, vertebra by vertebra.
Alyssia said, "Brianna, don't worry. If Bright Orange Media can prove I attempted to seduce Archer, I'll resign immediately. I won't compromise Vanguard Media."
Alyssia walked over to Charlie and said, "Charlie, thank you for trusting me. But please, don't give in to Bright Orange Media's blackmail. This is my mess, and I'll handle it myself.
"I really enjoyed today's team-building. Thank you, everyone. I'll be heading out now."
In the afternoon, Vivian had already tipped off Alyssia that Archer would retaliate and seek revenge. Alyssia had been expecting this all along.
'Leonard is right,' Alyssia thought. 'You never know where the traps are. All you can do is keep your wits about you.'
Though he had been emotionally abusive to her, Alyssia couldn't deny he had imparted some valuable lessons.
"You still have dirt on Archer?" Brianna finally blurted out, calling after Alyssia's retreating figure.
Alyssia turned back and gave Brianna a bright, dazzling smile. "No, I don't. No matter what, something you never did can't become true, right?
"As journalists, we all know how cheap it is to spread rumors, but we also know that pursuing the truth is our professional creed. Truth, like justice, may be delayed, but it will never be denied."
Charlie didn't go after Alyssia.
He shot Brianna a chilling look and dropped a bombshell that made her blood run cold. "There's a mole among us tonight, right here in this team-building room."