It had been 12 hours since the news broke.
"NEW WITNESS REVEALS COVER-UP IN ROSS FINANCIAL SCANDAL"Emily Ross's father may face retrial after the corporate accountant flips. Will the heiress be implicated too?
Emily sat on the edge of the bed, phone in hand, staring blankly at the dozens of missed calls, texts, and emails.
From journalists.From distant relatives.From brands that had "politely paused" their partnerships with Knight International.
Alexander stood near the window, suit jacket abandoned, phone pressed to his ear.
"No," he said tightly. "We will not be releasing a statement at this time. My wife is not on trial."
A pause.
"You can either honor our privacy or lose your exclusive access for the next twelve months. Your call."
He hung up, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to her.
"You okay?"
She nodded slowly. "No."
He moved to her side. "They can't prove anything."
"They don't need to," she whispered. "They just need doubt. I'm not the one in court, but it feels like I'm already guilty."
He took her hand.
"You don't have to fight this alone."
She looked at him, tears in her eyes. "But you shouldn't have to fight it at all. Not because of me."
Alexander shook his head. "You are not a liability, Emily. You are the only part of my life that isn't built on leverage."
Later that day, the press surrounded the penthouse building.
Emily tried to step out for air — and immediately found herself trapped in a hailstorm of flashes and microphones.
"Miss Ross! Is the marriage still valid?""Will Knight International cut ties with your family?""Do you have anything to say about your father's fraud?"
She froze.
Then suddenly, arms wrapped around her, a barrier between her and the chaos.
Alexander.
He guided her back inside, shielding her completely.
"Go upstairs," he said. "Let me handle this."
But the damage was spreading.
Knight International stocks dropped 4% by afternoon.
The board called an emergency meeting.
Alexander returned late, his eyes sharp, expression unreadable.
Emily rushed toward him. "What did they say?"
"They want a temporary separation," he said flatly.
Her heart stopped. "What?"
"Not from me," he clarified. "From you. Publicly."
Her stomach sank. "They want you to—"
"Disavow you. Distance myself. Frame the marriage as temporary, business-related, already ending."
Silence.
Then she asked, "What are you going to do?"
Alexander walked to her, stared into her eyes, and said clearly:
"Nothing. I'm not leaving you."
She shook her head. "If you don't, they'll push you out."
He nodded. "Then let them try."
Later that night, Emily stood alone on the balcony, wrapped in a silk robe, the city lights blurred by fresh tears.
Alexander joined her, silent.
She spoke first. "You could lose everything."
"I already have everything I need," he replied.
She turned toward him. "You love control. Power. Empire. Are you really ready to throw that away for me?"
He didn't flinch. "You were never the cost. You're the reason."
And then, before she could stop herself, she whispered:
"Then let's burn it down."
The next morning, Emily issued her own press statement.Brief. Direct. Unflinching.
"I have never participated in, benefited from, or attempted to cover up any crime related to the Ross Financial Scandal. I stand by my father's innocence until proven otherwise. I stand by my husband. Always."
Public reaction was split.But the effect was clear:
Emily Ross was not hiding.
And neither was her marriage.
#ScandalHitsHard
#HeDidNotLeaveHer
#StandingTogether
#CorporateVsLove
#SheStandsHerGround