Raylen Vale almost wants to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Janus Allister, the woman who started this all, is holding a microphone to his face and asking if another woman is killing his marriage.
'You,' Raylen thinks with some amusement, 'are the other woman who is wrecking my relationship.' But of course, she does not know that. He cannot say that either.
"No such thing happened during our marriage," he declares instead. "Neither party cheated or is cheating on the other. We are parting on amicable terms."
"Then," asks another reporter too eagerly, "what is the cause of your relationship's breakdown?"
"We grew apart," Raylen answers flatly. "We've realised that we are not the people we were four years ago."
"What changed?" someone asks.
Raylen decides to ignore that question.
"Who changed?" another adds.
"Like I said, both of us," replies Raylen stiffly. "We are no longer the people we married."
"Are you regretting your whirlwind romance?" questions a reporter from Today Sicaster.
"No, I am grateful to Livia for completing our little family. I will always be grateful to her. She will always be family." He means it.
"What does your father have to say about this development?" That's a journalist from the Solar Reflection, one of the lowliest of the low when it comes to tabloids.
'Reportedly,' thinks Raylen, 'thrilled.' But he does not say anything of that sort.
"Does Livia get to keep her Ceylon sapphire engagement ring?"
"Of course. It is her property."
"Are you going to demand it back when she marries another man?"
"No. It is her property."
"Where are Livia and Cornelia going to live now?"
"In Labar."
"How is the children's schooling affected?"
"How much is the alimony?"
"How will the twins' inheritance be affected by future half-siblings?"
"Are you leaving her because her body has changed due to pregnancy?"
"How long have you been separated?"
'How,' wonders Raylen, 'the fuck does any of that concern any of you?'
He purses his lips at the invasive questions. Paparazzi are probably one of the most pathetic sort of humans to ever exist. His assistant, Denson Yates, quickly ends the conference session after the basics have been conveyed to the media.
Raylen feels some sort of silly satisfaction at seeing the expressions on the reporters' faces when they realise the rest of their questions will remain unanswered.
Of course, things do not go that well. They never do.
The media has, rather unluckily, managed to catch his expression of amusement when Janus Allister asked him about the existence of another woman in his marriage. It lasted a mere split second, but that was all it took.
The photos are plastered everywhere as various tabloids call him out on his alleged insincerity. So-called body language experts pore over this moment, trying to deduce the supposed truth.
The general consensus is that Raylen is lying, and not even ashamed about it, about his relationship. He must have a mistress, and the media is working itself into a frenzy as it tries to find out just who this mysterious woman is.
The old man is just furious. Despite Kai's suggestions otherwise, Henry threatens litigation against Today Sicaster, the Solar Reflection, the Sicaster Times, and even the Sicaster Broadcasting Company.
Naturally, this only adds fuel to the fire as the various newspapers and magazines interpret Henry's actions as evidence that the family has something to hide.
Raylen can only sigh. His father has never been good at handling the media. And that is precisely when the media loves Henry so much. He is a fool who covers himself in honey and then wonders in anger and frustration why bees and flies are drawn to him.
"What," demands Henry, "are you doing about this matter?"
"Nothing," says Raylen simply.
"Nothing?" The old man is so outraged that another heart attack may be on the horizon. Not that Raylen can bring himself to care that much at this point.
"Nothing," Raylen repeats. "Nothing at all. I do not care about what inconsequential people think. And I do not think anyone in our family should either."
"Are you ordering me around? Am I really such an idiot for being concerned about the public's opinion?"
"No, not at all. I am merely making a suggestion."
"Your suggestion is stupid," snaps Henry. "Just nonsense. Our family has a reputation to maintain."
"Do we?" Raylen asks mildly.
"Of course we do! We are the richest family in Sicaster."
"But not the most important or distinguished. Even Kai and May have a better lineage than us."
This is true. Despite Henry's obsession with reputation, the Vales only became rich three generations ago. No one, not even themselves, really know who their ancestors were.
Henry has funded several research projects into their family's ancestry. The researchers did not manage to uncover even a single person of note.
The best they have is a foot soldier who died in the same battle as King Edward VIII. His widow was given a handsome settlement which she used to get rid of their children so she could marry her next husband without burdens.
The second best is a man who missed boarding the Dayflower, the ship sent to settle the eastern colonies, by falling ill with dysentery two days before.
To be honest, Raylen doubts the veracity of both claims. It is not impossible that the researchers have flubbed some findings to flatter Henry into funding more projects.
Meanwhile, their favourite lawyer is one of the descendants of the very same King Edward VIII. In fact, if Lady Lilianne, the current Duchess of Sicaster, dies without any legitimate children—which she, considering her preference for women, very well may—then Kai is going to be the brother of the next duchess.
The old man stares at him for a few moments. Raylen is unperturbed. He is used to his father's tantrums.
But nothing in the world can prepare him for what comes next.
Henry's lips curl into a vicious smile. "That is why, my dear son, you should have tried harder to keep Delaney Sackville-West alive."