Chapter 75
Chapter 75:
Once the press conference wrapped up, Helena was already typing furiously in the car, racing to get her report submitted before the evening news.
Only after hitting send did a sense of calm finally wash over her. Dominick sat beside her, laptop open, still deep in his own edits, adding extra details to round out their coverage.
What he was seeing unsettled him. A storm of controversy was quietly taking shape.
Patterns were emerging—Wilson Group had experienced eight similar construction accidents before Alden’s return, all within the same year. Each incident had been buried without public scrutiny, and the name tied to them every time was Rylan.
This latest crisis, however, had played out differently. Alden had taken control and turned public opinion in his favor.
What stood out even more was that the construction materials supplier behind the collapse appeared to have ties to Rylan, too. Helena leaned closer, eyes locked on Dominick’s screen, her breath shallow as the facts aligned.
Everything she had feared was being confirmed—Rylan was likely the one pulling the strings behind the disaster.
That man had always been lurking beneath the surface, striking only when it suited him.
What came next felt impossible to predict.
Dominick snapped his laptop shut. “Let’s just remember we’re media practitioners. These high-society soap operas aren’t our concern p>
Helena exhaled quietly, her thoughts drifting to the five workers injured in the accident.
All Alden had wanted was to give people with disabilities a shot at a better life. Instead, they’d been dragged into Rylan’s political games. She reached instinctively for her phone, ready to message Alden, only to freeze. Her phone was still missing.
Panic rising, Helena jumped out of the car to start searching.
But the moment she opened the door, she was caught off guard by the sight of Xavier standing there, calm as ever.
𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓯𝔂 𝓈𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓽
“Mr. Wilson would like to treat the Nexus TV team to dinner,” Xavier said with perfect courtesy. “He asked me to escort you p>
Dominick’s face lit up with a pleased grin. “That’s awfully kind of him. We did help your PR situation today, but still, it’s just part of the job.” Even so, the thought of food had him straightening up, looking ready to sprint to the table.
Just then, Xavier extended Helena’s missing phone. She gave a quick, grateful motion in response.
With a quiet nod, Xavier acknowledged her thanks.
Right at that moment, Dominick—already a few steps ahead—whirled around and caught their little exchange.
Rubbing the back of his neck, Dominick glanced between them. “Hey, Mr. Ashton, are you and Helena close or something? It’s like you two have your own secret language p>
Helena stiffened, her smile tight and forced. “You’re overthinking it.” Though he didn’t press the topic, Dominick found the moment oddly suspicious.
Something about Xavier tickled his memory. He was sure he’d seen him before, but the details slipped through his fingers.
Letting out a quiet sigh, Helena tried to pull herself together.
Handling Dominick on her own was already a headache.
And now that Alden had extended a dinner invitation to her entire team, she’d be forced to sit across from him and pretend they were nothing more than acquaintances. The discomfort was almost unbearable.
Xavier had reserved a table at the Bell Tower, located on the south side of the city—a respected four-star spot that ranked just beneath the well-known Sehao Maison in the downtown area, which belonged to Dorian. When Xavier passed her the menu, Helena grimaced. The prices alone made her stomach clench.
How much would Alden spend to host this?
She had already advised him to start setting money aside and thinking ahead, but it was clear he hadn’t taken any of it seriously.
Dominick leaned forward, rattling off one item after another from Helena’s menu.
Helena folded the menu with a sharp snap. “That’s plenty. How are we expected to eat all of that p>
Dominick responded in a quieter tone, “Helena, Mr. Wilson doesn’t treat us like this every day. Isn’t it okay to enjoy something a little special? If we can’t finish, we can always pack it up. Our colleagues work hard—there’s no reason to hold back p>
Rolling her eyes, Helena cast him a sharp glare. When had he turned into such a shameless freeloader?
“I haven’t even ordered drinks yet!” Dominick exclaimed, rising halfway from his seat to grab the menu back.
Quick to react, Helena raised the menu above her head, keeping it out of his reach with playful defiance.
Xavier had meant to tell Helena that the Wilson Group was covering the entire expense, so there was no need for her to pinch pennies—but the opportunity to mention it had already slipped away.
Just then, the private dining room door swung open. Alden entered with slow, deliberate steps, catching sight of Helena and Dominick mid-laugh.
His face, usually unreadable, clouded over in an instant.
Alden’s voice cut through the room like frost, saying, “Seems like everyone’s having a wonderful time p>