Chapter 498
Chapter 498
+25 Bonus
Chapter 498
His jaw tightened—not from explosive anger, but from a slow-rising sense of alertness.
“They arrived more than twenty minutes early p>
Riana leaned back in her seat. “I’m sure this was intentional,” she said flatly. “The meeting was exposed before we even got here p>
“No,” Nathan replied, his tone more certain. “It wasn’t leaked. They were deliberately invited p>
“What do you mean?” Riana asked, curiosity edging her voice. But Nathan didn’t answer right away. Instead, he was already focused on his phone.
“Find out who mobilized the media today,” he said into it. “I’ve spotted several major outlets at Hwang Nampion. I want names-and I want to know where the information came from p>
“Understood, sir,” his assistant replied quickly.
The driver glanced back again. “Sir, should we get out now p>
“We will,” Nathan said. “Make sure my wife isn’t too close to the reporters, and that her security is prioritized.” Then he turned to Riana. “Follow my lead. Don’t answer anything p>
Riana nodded obediently.
The door opened. Hot air rushed in, mixed with the roar of noise outside.
“MR. NATHAN p>
“MRS. RIANA p>
“IS THIS MEETING TO FORMALLY ACKNOWLEDGE ELI p>
“IS ELI CHASE MILLER’S CHILD, BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK p>
“WAS THIS THE RESULT OF AN AFFAIR AFTER YOUR MARRIAGE, MRS RIANA p>
The questions slammed into them without pause. Microphones shoved forward aggressively, camera flashes firing in relentless bursts.
Nathan stepped out first, his body leaning slightly forward, forming a natural shield. Riana walked beside him— her face composed, gaze straight ahead, offering not a single reaction to the accusations hurled their way.
“Please step back,” one of the restaurant’s security officers said firmly. “This is a private area p>
“MRS. RIANA, DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT PREGNANCY p>
“HAS THE MILLER FAMILY BEEN HIDING THE TRUTH ALL THIS TIME p>
Riana didn’t turn around. Her hand tightened around Nathan’s arm-a brief signal that meant only one thing: keep moving.
They didn’t answer. They didn’t nod. They didn’t deny. They didn’t confirm. The silence Nathan chose wasn’t confusion-it was strategy.
Amid the shoving and rising voices, the security line formed a narrow path. The glass doors opened. The moment they stepped inside, the noise outside dropped sharply, as if cut off by a thick wall separating two worlds.
1/4
Chapter 498
+25 Bonus
Riana let out a quiet breath. “This is worse than I expected p>
“And exactly what they wanted,” Nathan replied. “Public pressure before we speak p>
A restaurant staff member approached them; tension etched across his face. “Please, sir, ma’am. The meeting room is ready p>
They walked down the quiet corridor. Their footsteps echoed clearly, a stark contrast to the chaos they had just left behind.
“We never announced this meeting,” Riana said—more a statement than a question.
“That’s precisely why it feels off,” Nathan answered. “Someone made sure cameras were here, ready to turn this into a bigger story. I’m certain this meeting is already a headline-one that has everyone waiting to see how it ends p>
Nathan’s phone vibrated. A message came in.
Roy: The media presence today appears coordinated. Anonymous invitations were sent to several major newsrooms this morning. The location was listed as this restaurant, scheduled for this afternoon. The sender used indirect channels, but the pattern and timing align with the network Harold typically uses.
Nathan read the message without changing his expression. Only a faint curve of his lips suggested his intuition had been right. He slipped his phone away and looked at Riana.
“It would be better if we play along-without them realizing we’ll be the ones in control p>
Once again, Riana nodded.
The door to the private room opened. Inside, a long table had been set with an array of dishes. The lighting was soft, the sound muted-only the gentle trickle of water from a nearby pool and low, soothing music filled the space. At the far end of the room, the chairs were already occupied.
Selena sat upright, her hands folded neatly on the table. Her expression was calm-far too calm for someone who had just stirred a storm.
Beside her, Eli sat stiffly. Her back was straight, but her shoulders were tense. Her gaze stayed lowered, her fingers tightly intertwined.
Selena stood first. “Oh, you’ve arrived p>
Nathan met the gaze of the woman whose face had flooded the media in less than twenty-four hours. Her smile was warm and polite-but Nathan was certain it was just one of her masks.
“Did I keep you waiting long p>
“Not at all,” Selena replied pleasantly. “I know arranging a meeting like this isn’t easy p>
Nathan didn’t take the hand she extended. He only gave a brief nod. “Please, have a seat. We’ll talk here,” he said. “No cameras. No interruptions p>
Selena looked at her hand, left hanging in the air. She closed her fingers slowly, disappointment flickering across her face-but it didn’t matter. Soon enough, they would give her what she wanted. A man like Nathan Miller wouldn’t ask for a conversation without already weighing her demands.
“I wanted that from the start,” Selena said with a small smile. “I was just impatient, because it seemed like what I said earlier hadn’t received any response p>
2/4
Chapter 498
+25 Bonus
Nathan’s lips curved faintly.
Meanwhile, Riana looked at Eli. Her gaze lingered on the girl’s pale face, on her eyes that refused to meet hers.” Are you alright?” she asked, her tone carefully measured.
Eli lifted her head briefly, then lowered it again. “I… I’m fine, GrandMom,” she answered softly-far too softly to convince anyone.
Nathan pulled out a chair and sat down. “Before we begin,” he said firmly, “I want one thing to be clear. Whatever is discussed in this room will not be made public without mutual agreement p>
Selena took her seat again. “Of course,” she replied quickly. “I want clarity as well p>
Nathan placed his phone face-down on the table. “Let’s begin,” he said. “And this time, we talk about facts p>
admin