The audience erupted once again.
"Wait, does this mean-Isadora''s boyfriend is Mr. Victor Fitzgerald?!"
"No way! Really?"
"I still think it''s Terrell. I mean, Isadora and Terrell-doesn''t that make more sense? Mr. Victor Fitzgerald just doesn''t seem like the gentle type at all!"
"You don''t get it," someone chimed in. "Men can be so tender with the woman they love. My boyfriend''s exactly like that."
Nicol was starting to feel out of his depth.
"Heh... Mr. Victor Fitzgerald, you must be joking," he said, forcing augh. "I''m pretty sure President Vaughan was describing Terrell just now. Mr. Fawcett, wouldn''t you agree?"
Terrell''s dark eyes flicked over to the couple sitting side by side, their closeness undeniable.
From the moment Victor arrived, Isadora hadn''t spared Terrell a single nce. Her eyes were fixed solely on Victor, as if he alone existed in her world—her heart, it seemed, had never had room for anyone else.
The realization twisted painfully inside Terrell''s chest.
He looked away, his expression dim, offering no response.
Nicol''s awkward smile was all teeth and nerves as he pressed on, desperate to keep the event on track.
"Well then... why don''t we let President Vaughan tell us herself who is your boyfriend?"
Just then, Victor leaned in, his voice a low rumble that carried clearly through the microphone.
"Next month, Isadora and I will be getting married. The Fitzgerald Group''s global announcement went out today."
The simple statement, amplified through the speakers, echoed through the entire hall.
In an instant, everyone reached for their phones.
And there it was-top of the trending list:
"Today, the Fitzgerald Group has officially announced that CEO Victor Fitzgerald and Isadora Vaughan of the Vaughan Group will be getting married next month."
A stunned silence followed.
Then, as if someone had set off a firecracker, the venue exploded with even more excited chatter.
Terrell''s hands clenched into fists, a shadow falling over him as if he''d been swallowed by the darkness.
Nicol was nearly paralyzed with shock.
He''d gotten the couple wrong-on live TV, no less!
Help!
His mind raced as he scrambled to recover.
"Th-that''s wonderful news!" he blurted out. "Let''s all give a warm round of apuse to Mr. Victor Fitzgerald and Isadora Vaughan!"
The livestream chat instantly flooded with congrattory messages:
"Wishing Victor and Isadora a lifetime of happiness!"
"May you always love each other deeply!"
"Congrattions to the happy couple-may you grow old together!"
Isadora nced down at her phone, seeing the Fitzgerald Group''s official announcement blowing up across social media.
For a corporation like theirs, announcing the CEO''s marriage usually meant convening a whole
board meeting. Just this morn
Virgil and Kathie had made a scene, threatening that if Isadora ever joined the Fitzgerald family, they''d never let it go.
She wanted Deanna to feel the sting of regret-but she didn''t want to make things harder for Victor.
Biting her lip, Isadora whispered, "Victor, wasn''t this a little impulsive?"
Victor gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I want everyone to know about us. I can''t wait another second."
Nicol, sensing the audience''s excitement, jumped in with a question. "Mr. Fitzgerald,
mind answering a few wou
quick
questions for our viewers?
"Go ahead," Victor replied, never letting go of Isadora''s hand, tracing slow circles
along her fingertips.
Nicol grinned. "So, when did you first fall for Isadora?"
There was a brief pause. Then Victor''s voice, deep and steady, came from beside her. "Long before I even understood what love was. Must have been years ago."
Isadora''s grip tightened in his hand.
Nicol''s eyes widened. "Years ago? Don''t tell me you two were childhood sweethearts all along?"
The image was already ying out in everyone''s minds a love story blooming from childhood, destined tost a lifetime.