Chapter 315: Facing The Storm

For the first time, the reporters seemed uncertain about how to respond.

Kristoff Dalton was a man accustomed to controlling the boardroom, where every word was measured and every decision calculated. Yet here he was, admitting to the public that he had hurt a woman through his own selfish choices.

The comments continued to pour across the screen.

"At least he recognizes what he did wrong."

"Words are cheap. Let’s see what he does next."

"Does this mean he’s really going to marry Isobel?"

Kristoff’s gaze remained fixed on the cameras.

"But thankfully, I realized my mistake before it is too late. I still have the opportunity to make things right, and I intend to take it."

He paused before continuing.

"You call me irresponsible. Then tell me, if I really were, why would I end a long-term relationship to take responsibility for a mistake I made in the past?"

His voice remained steady, but there was an unmistakable firmness beneath his words.

"I fathered a child, and I will take responsibility for him. "

He looked directly into the main camera.

"And I will not allow him to grow up believing that his father was ashamed of his mother or unwilling to acknowledge her."

The room fell silent.

Even the reporters who had been shouting questions moments earlier seemed to recognize the sincerity behind his words.

Kristoff continued.

"That is why I proposed to Isobel. I wanted her to be able to stand beside Alexander openly, not as a woman people would gossip about or look down upon, but as the mother of my child."

He drew a measured breath.

"Still, I admit I rushed things. Taking responsibility for my son doesn’t mean I can decide Isobel’s future for her. If I want to make things right, I have to respect her choices, not make decisions on her behalf."

That admission stirred another wave of discussion.

"At least he understands that Isobel has a say in this."

"He should have thought about that before proposing!"

A reporter immediately seized the opportunity.

"President Dalton, what about Charlotte Harris? You were engaged to her. You promised her a future together. Don’t you think it was unfair to abandon her after everything the two of you shared?"

Kristoff’s expression changed slightly.

"I never wronged Charlotte. I did not leave her because of Isobel."

The reporter frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Even if Isobel had not entered the picture, Charlotte and I would still have separated. We have irreconcilable differences."

He paused, his gaze growing colder.

"I’ve compensated her fairly, but I know money can’t erase the hurt. I’m not asking anyone to judge our breakup based on that alone."

A reporter near the front raised her voice.

"Then why did you get engaged to her when your son was only one month old? You publicly promised her a lifetime together. Were those promises meaningless to you?"

For a moment, Kristoff said nothing.

His fingers rested against the edge of the table, and his gaze drifted toward the reporters crowding the front row.

He had anticipated questions about Isobel. He had expected accusations of infidelity, irresponsibility, and fickleness.

But he had also known that sooner or later, someone would ask about Charlotte.

And he could no longer remain silent about what had truly destroyed their relationship.

"I thought I knew Charlotte well enough to trust her."

His voice was quiet, but the words carried through the room.

"I was wrong."

The atmosphere shifted.

The reporters leaned forward, sensing that he was about to reveal something far more serious than an ordinary breakup.

"Can you explain what you mean, President Dalton?" another reporter asked. "Are you accusing Miss Harris of doing something?"

Kristoff lifted his eyes.

"Charlotte tried to harm my son."

The room erupted.

"What?"

"Are you saying Miss Harris endangered the child?"

"Do you have evidence to support that allegation?"

"Was this the real reason you ended your engagement?"

Kristoff raised a hand, signaling for them to quiet down.

His expression hardened.

"That was something I could not forgive. Not when the person she endangered was my own child."

He paused, allowing the gravity of his statement to sink in.

"Even then, I gave her opportunities to explain herself. I showed restraint because of our past."

His jaw tightened.

"But there are things a person cannot overlook, no matter how long they’ve known someone or how much they once loved them."

The livestream comments surged once more.

"What?! Charlotte tried to hurt Alexander?"

"She always looked so gentle. I can’t believe this."

"Wait. Where’s the evidence? We can’t just take his word for it."

"Convenient, isn’t it? He gets involved with Isobel, then suddenly Charlotte becomes the villain."

"What if he’s just making excuses to justify abandoning Charlotte?"

The comments continued to multiply, with viewers divided between those who believed Kristoff and those who suspected he was attempting to shift the blame onto his former fiancée.

Kristoff watched the comments scroll across the screen.

He had expected skepticism. He knew that a public accusation without the complete story would invite speculation, and he wasn’t about to pretend that his words alone could settle the matter.

But he had no intention of retracting the truth merely because it was difficult to believe.

He pushed his chair back and rose to his feet.

The movement drew every camera toward him.

"I know some of you will continue to call me irresponsible. Some will accuse me of using Isobel. Others will insist that I hurt Charlotte."

He straightened his jacket.

"You are entitled to your opinions. I cannot force you to believe me."

His eyes swept across the room.

"But I have one question for all of you."

His voice grew sharper.

"If a man admits his mistakes, and is willing to bear the consequences of his actions, yet you still insist that he is irresponsible, then tell me—"

He paused, letting the silence stretch.

"What, exactly, does responsibility mean to you?"

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

"I’m not asking you to praise me. I made mistakes, and I will live with the consequences. But I will not apologize for protecting my son, nor will I allow public opinion to dictate how I fulfill my responsibilities as a father."

He turned toward the exit, leaving the reporters scrambling to ask more questions.

The press conference was intended to contain the scandal.

Instead, Kristoff had given the public something far more explosive: an admission of guilt, a declaration of responsibility, and a serious accusation against his former fiancée.

Within minutes, clips of his statements began spreading across social media.

His words about responsibility won him a measure of sympathy. His accusation against Charlotte, however, ignited a new controversy.

And while the public argued over which side was telling the truth, the clock continued to tick.

Two hours and ten minutes remained before the deadline.

Kristoff had made his move.

Now the entire country was waiting to see whether he could deliver on his promise—or whether John Ascott would soon claim five percent of his shares.

But there was one thing the public didn’t know.

Kristoff hadn’t started a livestream without a plan.