CHAPTER 34: PRESS CONFERENCE

Friday afternoon came with a storm of silence

The tension in Stefan’s office was thick enough to cut through. Ruby sat across from him, her fingers tightly interlaced on her lap.

The room was unusually quiet—no tapping keyboards, no idle chatter from the hallway. Even Naomi’s usual clicking heels had gone mute after her last check-in.

Everyone in the building seemed to be holding their breath since they were all aware of the storm brewing.

Stefan sat behind his desk, his jaw taut and his fingers drumming slowly against the polished wood. Though his expression was unreadable, Ruby could sense the anticipation in him, the way his shoulders stiffened every time knowing the clock was ticking a little closer to noon with each passing second.

Now it was 12:05 but still, nothing from Mr Sherlock’s end.

"Do you think he’s going to show? It’s past noon," Ruby asked softly.

"No," Stefan said flatly. "But I gave him a chance."

Though he knew Mr Sherlock wasn’t going to show up, Stefan didn’t mind waiting a little longer just to give him the benefit of the doubt so that when he takes action, no one would say it was too hasty.

After sometime, he asked, "What’s the time now?"

"It’s forty five minutes past noon," Ruby said with a sigh.

Hearing that, Stefan stood abruptly. "Call Naomi," he said. "Tell her to arrange for a press conference immediately. We’re not waiting anymore. We know what his stand is."

Ruby gave a short nod and rose to her feet, grabbing the telecom to ring Naomi.

Within minutes, Naomi returned to confirm the arrangements, and the press was summoned.

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By twenty minutes past one, the media was set up in the company’s conference room. Reporters gathered with recorders, phones, and cameras flashing while murmurs spread throughout the crowd.

Stefan stepped forward with Ruby by his side, her hand guiding him gently toward the podium. The microphones were adjusted, and the camera lights flickered on.

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Ruby gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go slowly while her heart thudded heavily in her chest.

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Though she had wanted him to help those workers, she hadn’t thought it was going to be this tough. Now she could understand why he hadn’t done anything to help the workers since logically, they weren’t even under his payroll.

Stefan leaned forward, his voice steady and authoritative. "Good afternoon. I stand here today, not just as the CEO of Winters Corp, but as someone with a conscience. A few days ago, I visited one of our partnered construction sites unannounced. What I witnessed there was appalling—overworked laborers, unsafe conditions, and blatant disregard for human well-being."

The room fell silent as reporters leaned in, pens poised.

"It is for this reason that I, along with my legal team, have made the decision to terminate our company’s contract with the Shel corp." he continued. "This decision wasn’t made lightly. But I will not allow Winters Corp’s name to be associated with any institution that treats workers as expendable."

Ruby stood a little straighter beside him, proud of every word. This was Stefan—her husband—taking a stand not just with his power, but with his heart.

"We will take whatever legal steps necessary to ensure this decision is upheld. But let it be known: Winters Corp will always stand for dignity, safety, and integrity."

The murmurs rose again, this time louder, sharper with intrigue and questions. Stefan stepped back as the conference wrapped, reporters buzzing and cameras flashing.

Back in his office after he had finished with the press conference, the atmosphere remained charged, though the tension had shifted—less anxious now, more grounded. Ruby walked with Stefan as he returned to his chair, guiding him gently before sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked quietly.

"Yes," Stefan replied without hesitation. "It’s the right thing to do."

Just then, his phone buzzed on the table. Ruby reached for it instinctively and glanced at the screen.

"It’s your mom," she said, already bracing herself.

She knew Elizabeth was likely going to blame her seeing as she had been with Stefan, supporting and guiding him.

"Put it on speaker," Stefan said with a tired sigh, and she did.

"Stefan?" Elizabeth’s voice was sharp, immediately demanding. "What on earth do you think you’re doing? Do you know how much this move is going to cost us? That company is one of our highest-grossing partnerships!"

Stefan’s face didn’t flinch. "Mother, let me run my company the way I want and stop trying to run it for me. I know what I’m doing so let me."

There was silence on the line before he added, "I’m doing what you always said we should do—protect the Winters name. Well, this is me doing just that. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do."

He handed the phone toward Ruby, who didn’t hesitate to end the call while hoping Elizabeth wouldn’t lash out on her later.

The moment she placed the phone back down, Naomi walked in, urgency written all over her face.

"Sir," she said quickly, "Mr. Sherlock just called. He said you need to arrange another press conference immediately and issue an apology—or else he’ll pursue legal action for breach of contract."

Stefan turned toward the sound of her voice, his face unreadable. "Did he now?"

"Yes, sir," Naomi said.

"Send him the contract file," Stefan said calmly. "Highlight the section we discussed—the clause that gives us the right to terminate if the investor fails to follow appropriate safety procedures. I’m sure he’d be willing to talk when he sees he breached the contract first."

Naomi straightened. "Right away, sir." And with that, she left the office again.

Once she was gone, Stefan leaned back in his chair, expression still cool and calm. But Ruby could tell his mind was already a mile ahead—calculating, preparing.

Ruby moved to sit on the armrest beside him, reaching down to brush his hand. "You okay?"

He nodded. "I’m more than okay. I’m finally doing what I should’ve done a long time ago."

She smiled at him, pride swelling in her chest as she couldn’t help the new found admiration she found for him.