CH 26
Harmony
+3 Point:
She frowned at Garrett as he stood before her desk just on knock off time, she was just packing up her belongings to head home for the day. “Harmony, if you could accompany me to the conference room.” He’d stated, and she’d looked from him to Wyatt who was standing just behind him, and then standing down the hall was Ryan and Dallas.
‘Great.‘ She thought to herself, she was being called in for a meeting with all the CEOs of the
company. “Is Deidre going to be there as well?” she asked, knowing if this was something
really bad, the head of HR would likely be involved in the meeting.
“No, stop thinking bad things. I’ve already told you, Harmony, that your place is here. I meant
that. There, however, is a press conference being held by Gregory Blackwell in five minutes.”
“And I need to be there for that because?” she frowned at him as she stepped around the
desk.
“Because he called the company multiple times, as has his wife and Damien, they’ve all tried
to speak with you, Gregory got put through to Wyatt here after he insisted on speaking with you. Something I have stopped all of them from doing. I don’t see a need for you to deal with.
them. He, however, is of another opinion.”
“I don’t have anything to say to anyone in Blackwell Industries.” She shook her head.
“That is what I told them.” Wyatt smiled at her, “I also took that box of things directly over to
the Blackwell Estate, and personally handed it over to Mrs Blackwell herself, and made sure to
show her the family heirloom was in there. She came right to the gate.”
“Alright.” She nodded.
“She didn’t seem to understand why I was returning your things. Muttered something about a
gift is a gift, and she wanted you to have that broach still.” Wyatt smiled at her.
“I just want no ties left to them is all.”
“That’s pretty much exactly what I told her.” he nodded as they all walked down the hallway to
the conference room.
“So why the press release?” Harmony asked.
“His shares took a dive from today’s fallout of his sons‘ behaviour. He’s likely looking to try and stop it falling any further, and he is probably going to have Damien apologise formally to
1/5
+ Poin
CH 26
you in full view of the public.” Garrett told her simply.
“I don’t want it.” she muttered, and she didn’t.
“Hmm, understood, but he asked when he spoke to Wyatt that you watch it. Seeing as you’re not taking his calls personally or at your desk. Did you block his number?”
“No, I simply turned my phone silent, I saw him call, I didn’t care to answer it.”
“Good, continue to do that.” Garrett smiled at her and pushed into the conference room. Ushered her to a seat and then slid a tray of snack food across to her. “It might run long, and already there are press downstairs, waiting on you to come from the building, i’m guessing they’re going to want to get your opinion on whatever he states.”
“Just great.” She muttered “My nice quiet life is down the drain, I see.”
All of them laughed a little at her now, and she shook her head. “It’s really not funny.” She
muttered.
“Hmm, well, we’re planning on getting you out of here on the sly if necessary, so just relax.”
Dallas smiled at her “And we’re good at sneaking about.”
“Had to be, with our dads.” Ryan chuckled “Bloody hard to get past that lot.”
She heard Garrett laugh, as he sank down after bringing hot drinks to the table for all of them,
he held out a cup of tea to her.
“I don’t really drink tea.” She commented and shook her head.
He just nodded and went back to get her a glass of water, and then sank down next to her.
She watched the screen light up in front of them and was expecting to see a podium right in the middle of Gregory’s conference room or out the front of his company, with lots of microphones attached to it like any normal press release his company would do.
However, that was not what she saw, it was a picture of the family estate and the gates were open, there was a view of the house in the background, and Gregory Blackwell was walking down the driveway towards the gathered crowd, his wife Laurel right there next to him.
“Oh, it’s a personal plea,” Ryan snorted, sounding amused to her.
“Personal?” she questioned.
“Mm, looks to be going to be tailored to you specifically, a proper apology, and they want your acceptance of it. You got along well with them?” Garrett asked.
“I did.” She nodded, “They’re nice people.”
2/5
+8 Point
CH 26
“They’re going to appeal to your caring nature. If he can get you to accept and forgive his son, that will bring shares in the company back up a little, stopping the downward trend.”
She shook her head, she didn’t see Damien anywhere there at all, he wasn’t going to apologise to her, so why should she forgive him?
Gregory stepped up and hushed the gathered crowd. “Firstly I would like to thank you all for coming here to my estate, a little out of your way.” he addressed the reporters, “Now, I would like to get directly to the point… and apologise to Harmony Preston for the unfortunate press she has gotten today. It was not very flattering and unwarranted, I feel.
“Yes, my son Damien and Miss Harmony Preston have broken up, many weeks ago, due to.”
He took in a breath and sighed heavily, “All that has been seen in the papers today. My son,
Damien, has greatly disappointed not only his long–term and loving girlfriend, Harmony
Preston, but myself and my wife, Laurel.”
He turned and looked at her, and she sighed and looked apologetically to the crowd, nodded
her head almost solemnly, Harmony thought. “We both found Harmony to be an intelligent,
bright and caring young woman, that we liked very much.
“My son greatly regrets the events of that night. So much so he is ashamed of his actions and can’t face Harmony here today, in this press release. He has told me he was more than drunk that night. Something I nor my wife approve of…” the man sighed and shook his head as if disappointed.
“He was out celebrating his birthday as well as our company’s Christmas party, and it got out of hand. He admits to wronging Miss Preston that night. But he has also stated it is not who he is. He loves Harmony, and wants to marry her. This was just a silly slip up on his behalf,
which he deeply regrets.
“Damien has asked that I, relay to you, Harmony, that he has never touched another
throughout your relationship, he would never do this to you, still loves you. To please forgive
him, that this was a one–off drunken incident.
“He is greatly saddened that he has hurt you, Harmony. That he is now hurting himself because of this. Hurt that you not only left him, but the company as well, and have steadfastly refused to even speak with him, when he’s reached out to you multiple times to apologise, and see if things can be worked out and forgiven. Due to this being the one and only time he has
strayed…”
“Bullshit.” She muttered and found many sets of eyes on her. She waved it off, but she didn’t
believe that for a single second anymore. Not with all the times she passed out drunk, after
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CH 26
+ Paints
he’d plied her with alcohol, and she’d woken up to find him and Chloe in the apartment.
together chatting happily.
“We would like to sit down with you, Harmony. We, my wife and I, feel very saddened by your sudden leaving of our son, our family, and we feel it can be worked out. He would also like the chance to show you his remorse and guilt over his one–time drunken accident.”
She could hear the crowd of reporters yelling out questions about Damien and Chloe having been seen together, the entire time since the break–up, why would he do that if he wanted Harmony back, why he was seen with the other woman, that destroyed their relationship.
“Chloe Sliverton is a childhood friend of my son Damien. She didn’t intend to get involved in this either, she was also more than a little tipsy and regrets the incident. She is only with him at the moment to try and console him is all. They are friends and nothing more. Have been friends since they were small children.”
“Yeah, console him in his bed.” Someone yelled out.
“That is not true,” Gregory stated.
“It is true, they’re all over each other in the clubs, your son isn’t devastated at all, going out there with Chloe on his arm, kissing her in public. Let’s hear from your son and his mistress.”
“I don’t know anything about that. As for Chloe, as far as I know, she is currently not even in the state. Gone off on some family vacation for the holidays and won’t be returning until after
the new year.”
“Did your son go with her? Is that why he’s not here right now?” someone yelled.
“No, he did not, and I think you’ll all find he’s on his way to Harmony right this very minute, to apologise in person.” He held his hands up to shush them all. “I’m certain the reporters will
see him do so.”
She watched him look right at the camera, “Harmony, please a one–off incident that can be worked out. That is what we all want. For you to come back to us, be our daughter in–law. Please do see to giving Damien a second chance. Unfortunately, no one is perfect; it was just one error on his part, which he deeply regrets.”
She watched him turn and walk away with his wife, and sighed heavily. She did not want to
see that man, let alone hear an apology that she knew he didn’t mean, and was being forced
to make by his father.
“You don’t believe any of that?” Garrett asked.
4/5
CH 26
+ Point:
“No.” she sighed “Well, maybe Mr and Mrs Blackwell’s regret, but nothing from Damien. I’ve had a lot of time to think back on our relationship and I know without a doubt, that was not
the first time he’d been with Chloe.” She muttered “I was so bloody blind. I should have seen it.
”
“You’d only have seen it if they wanted you too. People like Damien and his father can hide all manner of things. A mistress is easy to do, especially if they’re in plain sight all the time, as part of the social circle or working environment, and she was both of that, as well as his childhood friend.” Garrett murmured and leaned on the table.
“Accounts for all the press downstairs.” Wyatt commented “I’ll see if he’s down there.”
