Chapter 224

ARIA'S POV

The reporters clapped as I introduced myself and thanked them for making out time to talk. Behind me, I could feel Brandon's soothing presence as I cleared my throat and then started my speech.

"Our main goal for this quarter is to focus on sustainability and expanding our reach into global markets," I said smoothly into the microphone, my voice echoing clearly through the packed media hall.

I looked down at my notes, feeling a strong sense of pride. The press conference was going perfectly. In the front row, Brandon was watching me with a steady, proud smile.

The reporters were all taking notes, and the camera lights were blinking softly. I felt like I was finally doing justice to my father's memory. But suddenly, the entire mood in the room changed.

It started with a low buzz. One by one, the phones of every reporter in the audience began to vibrate at the exact same time. People started whispering loudly, their eyes shifting from their screens up to me.

The quiet, professional atmosphere vanished in an instant, replaced by a heavy, suffocating tension. A reporter in the second row stood up abruptly, not even waiting to be called on.

"Miss Aria!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the room. "A massive leak just went live on every major news outlet. Internal financial documents and secure data files from your company have been made public. The reports claim your father’s legacy is built on completely fraudulent numbers and that you are entirely unfit to lead. How do you respond to these allegations?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. The air left my lungs completely. "What?" I breathed out, my hands gripping the edges of the wooden podium to keep myself steady.

Suddenly, the rest of the reporters erupted into total chaos. They all stood up, thrusting their microphones forward, their voices combining into a loud, terrifying roar.

"Is it true that the company is failing?"

"Did your father fake the financial records?"

"Are you going to step down as CEO?" Flashlights from the cameras began to blink aggressively, blinding my vision. I stood there, completely frozen, my heart shattering into a million pieces.

My father's legacy, everything he had built with his bare hands, was being dragged through the dirt on live television. Before I could sink into the floor, Brandon was on the stage.

His face was a mask of pure, terrifying rage. He stepped directly in front of me, shielding my body from the cameras, and glared at the shouting crowd. "This press conference is over," he commanded, his deep voice easily cutting through the noise.

He didn't wait for another question. He wrapped his strong arm securely around my waist and guided my shaking body off the stage, leaving the chaos behind the heavy velvet curtains.

We drove straight back to the corporate headquarters in complete silence. My mind was completely numb. I sat at my desk, staring blankly ahead, while Brandon paced the floor of my office.

His phone was pressed to his ear as he gave sharp, low commands to his elite security and tech teams. "Trace the upload. Find the exact IP address and the network it came from. Now," Brandon ordered before slamming his phone down.

He walked over to my desk and knelt down in front of my chair, taking my freezing hands in his warm ones. "Aria, look at me. I am going to find out who did this, and I am going to destroy them. I promise you."

I couldn't even cry. The pain in my chest was too heavy for tears. A little over an hour later, the door to my office opened. Brandon’s chief security officer walked in, looking incredibly grim.

He handed a printed document to Brandon, gave me a pitiful look, and quickly walked back out.

Brandon looked down at the paper. In an instant, his entire body went completely rigid. His jaw clenched so tightly I thought it might break, and his dark eyes narrowed into dangerous slits.

"What is it, Brandon?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "Who did it?"

Without a word, Brandon walked over and slowly slid the document across my desk. I looked down at the paper. It was a digital tracking report. My eyes scanned the lines of code until they landed on the final summary at the bottom.

The leaked files had been downloaded and uploaded directly from a private residential network. The account name on the network belonged to Julian Vance.

I stared at his name, and for a few seconds, I couldn't breathe. Julian. The father of my child. The man who just a few days ago had sworn to his entire team that I was the love of his life.

He had used his old access to my father's business files to destroy me. He would rather see my father's entire legacy burn to the ground than see me happy and successful without him.

Something inside me snapped. The deep heartbreak and the lingering pain of our past suddenly froze over, turning into a cold, unbreakable numbness.

The final emotional tie I had to Julian Vance was completely severed right then and there. I stood up from my desk, my face completely expressionless. "Where are you going?" Brandon asked, his voice full of dark concern as he stood up with me.

"To finish this," I said coldly. I left the office and drove straight to Julian’s house. I didn't care about the consequences. I didn't care about anything anymore. I slammed the front door open and walked into the living room.

Julian was sitting on the sofa, a glass of liquor in his hand, looking disheveled and miserable.

Leonie was standing near the kitchen, a smirking look on her face. When Julian saw me walk in, he stood up quickly, his eyes widening. "Aria..." he started, his voice shaking.

"Did you do it?" I asked, my voice dead and completely empty of any emotion. Julian looked down at his glass, then looked back at me. There was no remorse in his eyes.

Instead, a dark, twisted look took over his face. He looked completely unhinged. "You made me your enemy, Aria," Julian said, stepping closer to me.

He let out a bitter, crazy laugh. "You chose to stand with Brandon. You chose to humiliate me in front of my team. If you don't come back to me with Amelia, I will do even crazier things. This is just the beginning."

I looked him dead in the eye. I didn't flinch. I didn't cry. He looked like a complete monster to me now.

"You are a pathetic excuse for a man, Julian," I said, my voice completely steady and freezing cold.

"You are married to another woman, yet you are still begging for my attention. Look at yourself. You are completely dead to me. Do not ever speak my name, or my daughter's name, ever again."

I turned around on my heels and walked out of the house, ignoring his shouts behind me. When I got back to my office, Brandon was waiting for me. He saw the cold look on my face and stepped forward.

"Aria, give me the word. I will use every ounce of my wealth and power to completely crush him. I will ruin his career, his fortune, everything." I looked at Brandon, appreciating his love, but I shook my head.

"No, Brandon," I said, my voice full of a dangerous new strength. "This is my personal fight. If you handle this for me, the board members and the public will think I am weak. They will think I need a man to protect me. I need to show the company and the board that I am fit to rule on my own."

Brandon looked at me for a long moment, seeing the fierce determination in my eyes. Slowly, a look of pure respect and admiration washed over his face. He nodded. "Whatever you need, my queen. I am behind you."

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number immediately. "Chloe," I said firmly when she answered. "Arrange another press conference for tomorrow morning. Make sure every single news outlet is there."

"Tomorrow, Miss Aria?" Chloe asked, sounding shocked. "But after today's disaster—"

"Do it, Chloe," I interrupted, my voice commanding. "Tomorrow, I am going to look the public in the eye and prove to the world that my father's company is completely legit. I will protect his legacy with my own hands." I hung up the phone and stared out the window at the city.

I wasn't going to expose Julian. I wasn't even going to give him the satisfaction of mentioning his name to the media. He wanted to play dirty, but I was going to defeat him by rising higher than he could ever reach.

That chapter of my life was officially closed. And a new, ruthless Aria was born.