Chapter 49 The Explosion
I stare at the sea of reporters sitting across from me. Every major news outlet has a representative in this room. Every minor one does too.
My fingers tighten around the tablet in my hands. The screen is cool, and lights up at the touch—waiting to destroy the entertainment world as we know it.
Keith, Kenneth and Kyle are seated on one side, while we're waiting for Coleman's arrival.
Celeste sits next to them, almost obscured.
Chris waits on the opposite side, behind the empty seats of Coleman's team. Many policemen are scattered across the room, some posing as reporters, and others disguised as members of private security hired for the event.
There is a special team stationed around all key areas Coleman will be passing through at any given point, to ensure he doesn't succeed should he try to run.
I also spot Asha Winters—Ash—leaning against the wall in a shadowed corner speaking into a walkie-talkie.
They are going to arrest Detective Boon the moment this press conference begins.
I exhale through my mouth, trying to calm my nerves.
We've also been able to confirm that Coleman's sleazebag lawyer is coming with him—the same one that drafted Celeste's NDA.
Ash signals to someone at the back of the room and the doors open.
Coleman enters the room slowly, raising an arm to greet reporters as he walks towards the stage.
His eyes shine with a predatory gleam as he spots me and Celeste.
His team follows him at a clipped pace, and reaches the stage at almost the same time as him.
He raises both arms in victory, before turning towards his section of the stage.
He sits down and leans back, relaxed as can be. His eyes keep flicking between Celeste and me, and I'm hard pressed not to punch the living daylights out of him right then.
The only thing keeping me in check is the fact that there are so many armed law-enforcement officials in this venue that Coleman won't be able to touch even the air around Celeste.
I inhale deeply to steady myself and pull the mic closer.
Immediately, the press settles and silence descends on the grand meeting room—except for the occasional flutter of camera flashes.
My body feels stiff—even my knuckles are locked around the tablet. I turn to face the gathered press and start speaking.
"Good morning, and thank you for coming. I, Marcus Holden, Chairman of Ingram Tech, welcome you to witness a momentous event between our company and HC Studios."
Murmurs pass through the audience section before they settle again.
"Many questions have been raised recently regarding both companies and their key stakeholders due to a shared misunderstanding that has since been cleared."
I glance at Coleman from the corner of my eye, to find a triumphant smirk on his lips. He crosses his arms and legs and leans back, like a king deliberating a happy execution.
My jaw clenches, and a beat passes before I'm able to continue speaking.
"As a part of the effort to rectify the friction between both the groups, I would like to invite Ms. Celeste Shaw to speak a few words."
Celeste gets up gracefully, face a serene mask. Watching her walk forward with purpose, back straight and eyes calm—I'm suddenly reminded of her prowess as an actress.
She comes to a stop beside me. She has a wireless mic in her hands that she brings to her mouth.
Her fingers lock with mine on the lectern for a few seconds—cold and stiff as ice.
I squeeze them for just a second before she starts speaking.
She turns to Coleman and smiles, bringing a frown to his forehead.
"Mr. Harry Coleman—I'm so sorry..."
—----------------------
Marcus calls me forward and I rise to my feet.
My knees feel unsteady, but I make sure my gait doesn't reflect that.
Years of actor training comes to my aid as I perform the most important role of my life.
Marcus's warm hands squeeze my fingers, giving me just the final encouragement I needed to take down my tormentor.
I turn to Harry Coleman and smile, pouring years of loathing and vitriol into it. He immediately frowns—a gratifying sight.
"Mr. Harry Coleman—I'm so sorry that it took me so long to come collect what you owe me. But now that we're here—let's complete the payback in its entirety."
Coleman turns a confused frown in Marcus's direction, but Marcus studiously ignores him.
"Many of you must have wondered as to what happened on the night I won my BAFTA award. Let me tell you."
Exclamations erupt in the audience. Coleman's face turns an ugly shade of puce, and his lawyer jumps up, as if to call for an objection in court. But, security immediately restrains him and pushes him back into his seat.
I allow the audience to settle a bit before continuing.
"That night, as I waited in the green room for my assistant to get me some sustenance, Harry Coleman cornered me.
"He asked me if I needed help unzipping my dress. When I refused and asked him to leave, he aggressively entered my personal space and told me he'd always wanted me and that he would now have me.
"He grabbed my face in his..." My voice cracks, but I continue on, "...disgusting hands and told me he'd wanted me ever since he'd noticed my unique eyes, and if I knew what was good for me and my career, I would give in."
I suppress a shudder of revulsion at those memories. Beside me, Marcus is vibrating with such fury, I think he'll shatter the tablet with his bare hands.
Coleman's face is now a deep shade of puce, and his frown promises retribution.
I'm no longer afraid.
I turn to my enraptured audience and continue.
"When he kept coming closer, hand tight around my face—I fought back the only way I could. I bit the hand he was grabbing me with.
"A fight ensued between us. Too much commotion had already been created. He couldn't successfully rape me at that point. So, he had his guards beat me and hold me down until he slammed my head against the floor and knocked me unconscious."
Silence engulfs the room for a few seconds after my account before reporters start shouting questions. I hear something about the police.
"Why didn't they investigate at the time, you ask? The detective in charge of my case was in Coleman's back pocket."
If the shouting before was loud, the noise now is deafening.
Coleman jumps to his feet, contempt etched into every line of his face. His gaze is trained on Marcus.
"Is this why you invited me here? I'll destroy you. And your company."
He turns to me. "And you. You are a liar and a criminal. All of these allegations against me are unfounded! You have no evidence! I will drag you to court for defamation and bleed you dry.
"I won't take this insult lying down!"
His voice burns with his fury. A security personnel grabs his shoulder and tries to push him down, but he jerks his shoulder out of his grasp.
Marcus tilts his head around me to look him square in the eye.
"Who said we don't have proof?"
—----------------------------
I don't think I've ever felt this satisfied in all of my existence.
The reporters are like hungry hounds chasing meat. For the first time since entering this room, Harry Coleman looks uncertain.
What follows is an Oscar-worthy montage of Harry Coleman's greatest criminal hits.
Inappropriate photographs of Coleman in bed with various actresses.
Screenshots of messages to photographers and videographers, explaining in detail how he wants the content to be—content used to blackmail said actresses—as seen in the following screenshots.
When they said, a picture speaks louder than a thousand words...they weren't lying.
Screenshot after screenshot of every crime documented. Shots of messages to Boon and his lawyer.
Detective Boon's bank statements reflecting cash deposits of the same amount as withdrawals from HC Studios current account.
Coleman's color drains rapidly. His eyes take on a feral wildness as he looks around, trying to find a path to escape.
Through it all, I stare at Coleman, unblinking.
He'll never be able to buy his way out of this.
Just when I thought this might be the end, the doors at the end of the room burst open, and a slim figure with hazel eyes stumbles in.
"Am I too late?"
—----------------------
While Celeste stares at Coleman, I study her.
There is a stillness to her right now, that I've never seen before. I'm not sure what to make of it.
The evidence montage is nearly done. The camera flashes are going crazy as they photograph the large LED screen behind us.
The doors bang open and a woman walks forward, almost stumbling in her hurry to get in.
"Am I too late?"
A lot of the reporters seem to recognize her. Cameras turn to her while she stares at Celeste.
Celeste smiles. A genuine smile, full of warmth.
"Not at all," she assures her, "we're just getting started."
She waves her over and Hazel Wollinger joins our little group on stage.
Celeste hands her the microphone and she accepts it with shaky hands. She turns to look at Coleman and her eyes go cold. Dangerously cold.
"I'm here to give you my account of my ordeal."
She turns to the reporters and points her finger at Coleman.
"That man assaulted me sexually. If I ever dared to complain against him, he told me he would find me and rape me again."
A shocked breath escapes my mouth. My fingers curl into a fist so tight they form crescents in my palm. Celeste places a hand on her shoulder, and she takes a deep breath.
I cannot fathom how much it's costing Hazel Wollinger to stand here.
"The same man, Detective Boon, handled my case." Her hands tremble on the mic, and I can see that her knuckles are white.
"You deserve to rot in prison for the rest of your life." Her voice breaks at the end, and tears fill her eyes. Celeste turns to look at me, eyes so deeply sad.
I can't help but place a hand on Celeste's back.
Coleman lunges towards our little group, though he's restrained immediately. Keith, Kenneth and Kyle get up and join us.
"Lies. You're lying! You have no proof!" He screams.
Hazel Wollinger takes a step towards him. Her eyes blaze with such cold fury, my heart skips a few beats in terror.
"Proof? You want proof?" She turns to me and hands me a thumbdrive that I immediately connect to my tablet.
On the screen, for everyone to see, is a hospital's discharge summary.
Stating that she had miscarried.
Pin-drop silence ensues as the whole room stills. Everyone looks afraid to so much as breathe.
"I had them save that child's DNA. A paternity test will clear-up everything."
A few seconds of stunned silence follows that declaration.
Then, all hell breaks loose.
—--------------------------
Police steps forward to arrest Coleman and his team—putting them in cuffs and reading them their rights.
The reporters rush forward, trying to capture the scoop of the century.
Coleman's lawyer immediately starts protesting his innocence and demands to be let go.
Chris steps forward, eyes murderous. "You. You drafted the NDA's. You knew what you were doing was illegal. You will be indicted. You will get disbarred and you will go to jail. It's the least of what you deserve."
Chris shoves the man, hard. The lawyer trips and falls into Coleman, and then both go tumbling down.
Chris squats next to them and whispers, "You'll stay down if you know what's good for you."
Ash steps next to him and places a hand on his shoulder. He shudders but gets up, nodding once before joining us.
Ella steps out with Legend and Frany. Ella immediately zooms into Hazel, leading her away from the chaos.
Celeste leans into me, refusing to miss even a second of the payback that's been dished out.
The police leads the criminals away, and I turn to the press.
"We'll be releasing all of the information shared here in the next hour with the written statement. We won't be taking any questions at this time.
"Thank you for coming."
I grab Celeste's hand in full view of everybody and walk out... Our job here is done.
The Ingram brothers will handle the rest.
—---------------------------
Marcus leads me out to an attached waiting room. The silence after the chaos of the main room is unnerving.
It's done.
I wait for it to sink in. After everything that I had to suffer because of Coleman, the punishment still seems less.
The door creaks as it opens again and Chris walks in.
He comes to stand beside Marcus and me.
"How are you holding up?" Chris asks.
I just shrug.
"I wanted to show you this." He turns a tablet towards us. It's live feed. Of Boon's arrest.
They're dragging him out of a flipped car. He's bleeding from his many lacerations, though that seems to be the extent of his injuries.
What the hell?
"He overheard some detectives talking about the Coleman takedown. He began looking for his burner that we have in custody. When he couldn't find it, he rabbited.
"His car flipped in a police chase."
Chris shuts the footage and places his hands on my shoulders. "It's over now. You're safe."
He pulls me into a hug and pats me on my head. I let him. It feels nice to have a brother again.
"Thank you." I whisper into his shoulder.
He simply nods. "I'm sorry. It feels like it's still too little, too late."
I just bury my face into his shoulder.
"It's more than I had before. So thank you."
Chris gives me one more squeeze before stepping away. "I need to go wrap things up outside. Will you guys be okay?"
Marcus steps forward and places a hand on my waist.
"We'll be fine. Give them hell."
Chris smirks. The kind that sends a shiver down my back. "I will. The worst kind."
He raises a hand in farewell and steps out.
It's just Marcus and me.
He leads me to a couch and pulls me into his lap. I rest my shoulder on his chest. His arms surround me tightly, keeping me close—and warm.
We sit there in silence. No one comes to disturb us.
I'm not sure when, but at some point the shaking starts. My body shudders and tears escape.
Silent tears turn into gut wrenching sobs, and through it all, Marcus remains—my silent pillar of strength.
He doesn't say a word, silently patting my head and back, kissing me on my forehead—allowing me to just be.
I have no words to explain what I'm going through, and thankfully, he doesn't ask. He just stays.
Eventually, he hands me a handkerchief—I didn't even know he carried one.
I blow my nose into it, still the occasional tear escaping before I can stop it.
"I must look a mess," I mumble. I know my eyes and lips are swollen. I'm an ugly crier.
He smiles gently, cupping my face. "You're the most beautiful woman I know," he whispers.
I snort, but don't argue.
He tucks the loose strands of my hair behind my ear and stares at me.
I can see the moment he arrives at a—decision.
"Come with me."
He sets me on my feet and takes my hand, leading me out towards the elevators.