Chapter 12: Cameras at the Gates and Public Defense
By late Friday afternoon, the quiet serenity of Vance Manor was shattered by a commotion at the front gates. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the second-floor drawing-room, I watched as a cluster of local reporters and camera crews swarmed the wrought-iron entrance, shouting questions and shoving microphones toward the security intercom. Word of Marcus and Mrs. Higgins's arrest for theft and conspiracy had leaked to the press, and tabloid journalists were eager to sensationalize the story, painting the historic estate as a hotbed of intrigue and casting doubt on my sudden rise within the household.
Arthur stood beside me at the window, his expression dark and unreadable as he watched a camera flash reflect off the polished brass gates.
"They're trying to twist the narrative," I murmured, crossing my arms over my chest as a knot of anxiety tightened in my stomach. "They're saying I manipulated the situation from the inside to secure my position. They'll drag my mother's name and my past into the headlines by tomorrow morning."
Arthur turned his head, looking down at me with absolute resolve. He reached out, his hand gently covering mine where I gripped the windowsill. "Let them try. We aren't hiding from this, Evelyn. When you built a life on honesty, you don't cower behind locked doors when the vultures come knocking."
Before I could answer, Arthur turned toward the oak double doors and strode down the hallway toward the main entrance. Panic flared in my chest, and I hurried after him, my heels clacking against the hardwood floor.
"Arthur, what are you doing?" I called out, catching up to him as he reached the grand foyer.
"Ending this circus once and for all," he said without breaking stride.
He didn't stop at the house doors; instead, he commanded the estate security detail to swing the massive front gates wide open. Stepping out onto the sunlit stone terrace in full view of the assembled press pack, Arthur stood tall against the Newport breeze. The reporters surged forward instantly, shouting over one another with aggressive questions about corruption, theft, and the mysterious blonde maid who now managed the estate.
Arthur raised a single hand, and the sheer authority in his posture silenced the chaotic crowd within seconds.
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"There is no scandal here," Arthur's voice boomed across the gravel drive, rich and unyielding. "There is only accountability. My former security guard and head housekeeper attempted to steal from this estate and frame an innocent, hardworking woman whose integrity far surpasses anything this town has ever witnessed. Evelyn is not an opportunist; she is the backbone of this household and my most trusted partner in running the Vance Foundation. Any outlet printing falsehoods about her character will answer directly to my legal team by morning."
I stood just inside the shadow of the grand double doors, my breath catching in my throat as I watched him defend me publicly, fearlessly placing his reputation alongside mine for the entire world to see.
