Vincent couldn't sleep for the whole night. 

After he destroyed everything, he returned to the master bedroom in a daze. His mind was occupied with Chloe, who had ruined everything for him.

He hated her so much that he couldn't wait to kill her.

But at the same time, he also missed her so much. He felt so empty. He was also scared of everything right now. He was scared of the future, of the press conference that would happen soon, and also scared of the idea that his downfall was near.

He knew that in order for him to feel safe, he needed the presence of the only woman that filled his heart. 

He might have fucked so many women in the past, but he knew that he never put his heart to any of them. They were all just past flings, a sex toy he used to vent his frustration, while his true woman was the one at home.

He thought there was nothing wrong with the setup, but it seemed that Chloe had a different idea in her head.

"What should I do now?" Vincent wondered as he stared at the ceiling. "Chloe is gone, Maria is not here to help me, and my dad is not here to protect me in times of need. I am all alone now."

Vincent lamented over his fate, "Why can't I have a happy life like my dad? He beat up my mom pretty often, and abused her so many times, but he still has a fulfilling life. But why can't I have the same thing? WHY?!"

Vincent was left with a question he couldn't answer, and he stayed in the same position for a while, staring at the ceiling like an idiot because he didn't know what to do. 

Until he snapped out of his daze when he heard his phone ring. 

It took him a while to gather enough strength to pick up the phone, and then asked, "Who's this?"

"Sir, this is Tom, the head of the PR team," Tom said. "We've prepared everything for the press conference. It will be held in an hour, please get ready and come here as soon as possible, there are so many reporters waiting for your arrival, Sir."



Vincent went silent for a long time.

If he could be honest, he didn't want to partake in any kind of activity right now.

All he wanted was to hide himself in his room. He didn't want to take care of the company or anything right now.

But he knew that the company's lifeline was in his hand. As much as he hated it, he had to attend that press conference to save the company.

Vincent's mind was still in chaos even after he exploded last night. Chloe had successfully broken him from the inside.

He scoffed as he walked and saw the photo of them in a small frame, "Are you happy now, Chloe? You ruined me, you, our family. We had a perfect family that is well loved by the people, but you decide to run away and cheat on me."

"I will try my best to keep the company afloat. I know that your threat of getting married with that new man of yours is just an empty threat," Vincent said. "Do you think I will believe that you are going to marry him? HAH! You are just a kept woman at best, he will get bored of you soon and kick you away."

"And when that time comes, you will return to me, begging to be saved because you don't have anyone to protect you," Vincent said. "I just have to persevere and stay afloat until that time."

**

Vincent stood behind the wall that separated him from the rest of the reporters. There were so many, way too many compared to what he expected.

He didn't know if it was good or bad, but he knew the show must go on, and he had to face them to restore his reputation.

Unfortunately, he kept being dazed, thinking about Maria and Chloe. 

'Maria would've done something better than this. She will come up with a brilliant plan to salvage me from a difficult situation,' Vincent thought. 'I wouldn't have to worry about something like this if Chloe is still in the mansion. I can beat her up real good, probably punch her a few times in the face and dip her head into the toilet to feel good about myself, and then I can go to work like a normal person.'

'Why is everything stacked against me now?' He wondered.

"Mr. Gray, Mr. Gray!" 

Vincent snapped out of his daze when he heard someone calling him.

"Everyone is waiting for you, Mr. Gray. You may come in," Tom, the head of the PR team, said. 

Vincent took a deep breath and then walked into the small podium where he sat with a mic on the desk.

The blitz from the camera blinded him. He usually liked the attention. He liked the blitz because it showed he was an important businessman nobody could touch. 

But now, the flashes made him uncomfortable because he knew he was like a little lamb surrounded by hungry wolves. They were ready to attack him with various questions that might or might not trigger him.

But in the end, he had to endure everything for the sake of his reputation. 

"Good morning, everyone," Vincent opened the press conference. "My name is Vincent Gray, the owner of Gray company, and I'm here to clarify a few rumors that have been circulating wildly in public."

"I understand that I have been under a lot of bad exposure because of my sister-in-law, Mrs. Chelsea Davis, who has been proven guilty for murdering her own mother and almost murdering her sons."

"But you need to understand that I have no connection whatsoever with the murder. I'm not close to Mrs. Chelsea Davis and I haven't been in contact with her for a while," Vincent said. "The news about the murder also shocked me, and it shocked me even more when I realized that I have been unjustly slandered in public."