Chapter 679 Betrayal after Betrayal
Garreth could tolerate the rest of the groundless accusations that the reporters made, but he wouldn’t allow them to insult Elise. He had always held a gentle and warm image in public, so the reporters were shocked to see him lose his temper. Everyone was silent for a moment, and the only noise around them was the cameras clicking.
Soon enough, the reporters returned to their senses before repeating the few questions they had earlier. Garreth had to clench his jaw to keep his mouth shut. At the same time, a gold BMW came to a halt at the backdoor of the villa. Mr. Harold stepped out of the car and sneaked into the mansion before the vehicle sped off. After that, everything returned to normal—it was as if nothing had happened at all.
When Garreth was about to give in and speak to the reporters, the villa’s doors opened again. Elise and Mr. Harold stepped out of the building gracefully. When the reporters saw them, they immediately shifted their attention toward Elise. Although Mr. Harold was dressed in branded logos from head to toe, and although he was clearly a wealthy man, he still received the least attention when he was placed beside Garreth and Elise.
“Miss Sinclair! What do you have to say about cohabiting with Garreth?!” Garreth frowned when she saw the microphones edging closer and closer to Elise’s face. He reached an arm out to block the reporters before he snapped at them. “Which company are you guys from? Don’t you guys know how to show basic respect for your interviewees? I’ll take your whole family down if you ever injure Elise!”
The reporters quickly held themselves back when they saw how Garreth had transformed from a sweet boy into a fierce beast. They quietly took a step back. However, some reporters who were slightly farther away continued to press on with their questions. “You guys have a really close relationship! Could you guys be getting married soon? Have you guys decided on a date?!” one of the reporters cried.
“You’ve always claimed to be single, Garreth. Have you thought about how your fans feel about this?” another one said.
“Are you guys showing up together to confirm that you guys are dating?!” one reporter asked.
“That’s enough!” Garreth cried in an agonized tone. “Does a man and a woman have to date each other just because they respect each other? Don’t you guys have a family—” He was halfway through his sentence when Elise gave him a subtle nudge with her elbow. She was telling him to calm down.
Garreth clenched his fists as he kept his mouth shut to avoid doing any further damage. The reporters had expected to get something out of Garreth, but their hopes were crushed when he stopped talking. They couldn’t help but feel disappointed at that moment.
Right then, Elise spread her lips into a smile. “I would like to thank all of you for attending this press conference tonight. It seems like Garreth, and I have a pretty strong influence when we’re put together as a pair,” she uttered.
“A press conference?” one reporter muttered.
“What press conference is she talking about? Do you know about it?” another reporter asked.
“Who am I supposed to ask if everyone here doesn’t know the answer?” one reporter mumbled. They all looked at each other with confused looks on their faces.
At that moment, Mr. Harold squeezed his way out of the crowd, flaunting his large belly as he reached his hand up to comb the few strands of hair he had. He chuckled heartily as he took his spot beside Elise. “That’s right. All of this is part of my plan. I hereby announce the grand launching of our new entertainment company, Rushmore Entertainment! Previously, Blitzy Entertainment was preparing to host a reality show that pairs the National Gods and Goddesses. However, they didn’t complete the reality show. Since the public requested it, I decided to take Garreth and Elise under my company. I’m about to plan a similar reality show for them, as per the fans’ requests. It seems like everyone’s surprised to hear this,” he uttered.
All the reporters pressed their lips to force a smile. A surprise? This is more like a shock! We spent so much time here tonight to ask for money, yet all that we did, in the end, was to promote Rushmore Entertainment for free!
We were called over and used by these people, and they will benefit from us now! We’re on the losing end here! One of the reporters refused to step down. “Mr. Harold, you’re signed Garreth as your artist. Aren’t you worried about going against Blitzy Entertainment since they’re still dealing with the court case with Garreth?”
Mr. Hold waved the reporters’ concerns off. “Oh, it’s just 300 million. I’ve already sent the money to Blitzy Entertainment. A financial issue is never really an issue. As for the competition between both entertainment companies… I don’t think we are competitors. Many teens have big dreams nowadays, and Blitzy Entertainment can’t take all of them. Rushmore is here to resolve that issue. So, I hope both companies will be able to cheer on each other and improve together in the future.”
When Mr. Harold had a meal with Mr. Lowry from Blitzy previously, Elise had already reminded him to stick to the same narrative. Mr. Harold’s response was flawless, and he spoke in a warm and soft tone, making him seem like he wasn’t a threat. However, the reporters were experienced individuals. Blitzy Entertainment had practically monopolized the whole industry, so Rushmore Entertainment would definitely come in conflict with them someday. Since the company’s founder was right before their eyes, the reporters weren’t about to let go of him just yet. They wanted an exclusive interview.
“How do you improve the quality of the entertainment industry? Do you have any secret tips, Mr. Harold?” someone asked.
“Please share your upcoming plans with us, Mr. Harold. Are you planning to take more artists from Blitzy Entertainment?”
“You’re the founder of the company. Could you tell us about the company’s goals…” All of the reporters began to squeeze toward Mr. Harold, and Garreth and Elise were soon left in a corner. When Elise saw how the reporters were distracted by Mr. Harold, she quickly looked at Garreth before leading him back to the house.
Once they were back in the villa, Garreth glanced at the crowd with a worried look on his face. “Is it really fine to leave him alone?”
“Don’t worry. I’ve taught him how to deal with all their questions. It’s going to be fine,” Elise uttered as she sat on the couch and poured two glasses of water for them. She placed one of the glasses on the table beside the sofa before taking a sip out of the other glass.
Garreth noticed her actions, so he walked over to the table and picked up the glass from the table. However, he didn’t drink it immediately. Instead, he was silent for a while before letting out a long sigh. “Thank you, Elise. I know Mr. Harold only paid for me because of you,” he uttered in a grateful tone as he gazed at her thoughtfully.
“What am I supposed to do when you’re so polite all the time?” Elise didn’t know how to respond, so she simply waved him off. “You don’t need to thank me. You’ve earned more than this amount of money for Blitzy Entertainment, so all you have to do from now on is continue working. You’ll pay us back someday,” she said.
“Okay! Don’t worry! I’m going to work really hard!” Garreth shouted firmly. However, he began to stutter again after a while. “Elise, there’s something else that… I’d like to ask for help…”
“What is it?” she asked generously.
“I want you to put in a good word with Mr. Harold to convince him to sign my other two team members. They have great potential and are just as skilled as I am. They shouldn’t continue to be bullied in Blitzy Entertainment,” Garreth said resolutely.
