The air was thick with anticipation mixed with a palpable sense of unease settled over the conference room. The camera lights of every reporter were solely fixed on the face of Max, eagerly waiting to capture every bit of information divulged by him.
A sense of trepidation gripped Liam as he felt the impending revelation charged at the air. He inhaled deeply as if to suck the oxygen out of space. The wide, infuriating smile on Max’s face was annoying him to the core but any slight exhibition of anger could further ruin his public image which he was currently fighting to protect.
“Spill it out Max” Liam uttered with a voice fully restrained to its limit as he seethed his teeth in anger” We don’t have much time”
“Oh! No, we have all the time in the world, Liam” Max countered with his tone filled with satisfaction as he relished the troubled expression on his cousin’s face. He was fully aware of the significant damage he was about to cause. ” I’m quite sure the press do not mind me taking my time” he added as his playful gaze lingered on the people present.
“Kyle Brenett, your claimed potential lover” he uttered with a disdainful tone “You both were involved in an unspeakable disgusting act which I’m very certain, would interest everyone present here”his tone was gloating thereby piquing the interest of the press.
“What could be the deep secret behind the cold war between the Cahallan family” was the question fixed on everyone’s mind.
“An unspeakable disgusting act” these words rung loudly in Liam’s ear. His heart thumped loudly in despair as he felt a great apprehension towards the secrets held in his cousin’s palms. His jaws tightened as he braced himself up for the sharp arrow set to be shot at him but deep down in his heart was a large vine of anxiety brewing.
“Max..” he inhaled deeply while constantly reminding himself of what the consequences of his irrational action would be if he failed to control his anger. “As I said, I don’t have time for your ranting”
“Haha.. you call this ranting” Max chuckled playfully”Fine, if you’re so eager to know what I have then I should be honored to let you have it” The sarcasm in his tone was glaring to the ears. The lights of the cameras flashed continuously to grab the useful intel that was about to be revealed. But… Those who don’t expect disappointment are bound to get disappointed…
A shrill scream resonated through the hall garnering the attention of everybody. It was from a young lady visibly shaken from the horrendous sight in her vision. A young man suspected to be a reporter, whose body was gripped by a violent tremor, fell to the ground, twitching and jerking to the dismay of others.
“He’s having a seizure” a man among the crowd yelled out as he moved towards the supposed victim “I can help, I’m partly a medical practitioner” the man explained to the suspicious eyes of the people who gave way to him.
Right there, at that very moment, the unexpected incident had taken center stage, diverting the focus of the reporters all to resuscitating the epileptic man. The sharp gaze of Liam collided with Max’s. A clear declaration of war was confirmed at that time.
“It’s not over yet, Liam. I’ve other plans for you” Max smiled tauntingly to mask the feeling of anger threatening to burst out. His plan to pull down his cousin was thwarted. Liam was slow to give a comeback as he was still reminiscing on the sudden change of events.
“Sir, we need to leave now” Sarah, Liam’s secretary said in a voice clouded with agitation” This is an opportunity, we can’t miss this”
A sharp glint flashed in Liam’s eyes at the word”opportunity”. Who in his right senses, knowing fully how deadly his health condition can be if taken lightly, still appears in a place crowded, all in the name of a press conference? A feeling of unease grew in his heart at the thought of the sudden occurrence being orchestrated. But whoever was behind it had a motive for bailing him out of a dire situation. He needed to fish out the audacious person who could turn out to be a useful and reliable weapon in bringing down his opposition. With a new conviction, he took long strides to his office with his secretary trailing behind him.
A wave of relief washed over him the very moment he stepped into the comfort of his office. He recollected his thoughts and averted his gaze to his secretary “Sarah..” he called out with his gaze lingering on her.
“Something just doesn’t add up. I’m not convinced but I have a hunch that the epilepsy incident was planned out precisely for the press conference. I want you to investigate… Also, the relationship between Kyle and my cousin Max” Liam uttered with all levels of seriousness. The battle line had been drawn. His enemies had made their move, so he needed to plan a counterattack.
He abruptly picked up the telecom on the left side of his office desk.”Adrian hacked into Kyle’s phone. I want to know those he had contacted within the period of last night and today”
“Alright sir” the caller on the other end yawned tiredly, an evidence of sleepless nights.”I’ve gotten a lead on the mole but I don’t think it’s safe to discuss this on the phone. Maybe I should…..”
“It’s fine, Adrian. I’ll come to you myself” Liam interrupted him, his tone laced with a tinge of concern “Just prepare everything I need” he concluded, hanging the call.
As Liam rose to his feet, a crucial name popped into his head ” Isabelle… She must have seen the news” he thought to himself. ” I should go see her” he muttered for fear of losing her completely. Her distant self lately, was already bothersome enough. Any further strain on their relationship could lead to more problematic issues that would be detrimental to his current situation.