The station worker held the door open for me and with clenched fists, I walked in. Flashes went off all around me and about at least a dozen cameras and microphones were shoved into my face. The reporters were all trying to talk above each other, basically making it an all out yelling match as security pushed them back, clearing a thin path for me to the podium.
I knew Mark and Luhan had followed me in as soon as questions like "Who is that new guy walking in with Luhan?", "Do you two have any special relationship?", "Is he your boyfriend?", "Are the marriage rumors true?"

I almost wanted to stop in front of the reporter who asked me about the marriage rumors and confront (or maybe yell at) him about the bull he was sprouting, but I had to settle for throwing him a nasty look instead since if I stopped walking, I would probably get swallowed up by the mass crowd of reporters.
My palms were sweating like crazy, and it only got worse the second my feet touched the first step up towards the podium. I climbed the stairs nervously and walked up to the masking tape "X" that marked where I was suppose to stand. My hand were shaking at this point and I was probably losing color in my face at an alarmingly fast rate.

But this is something that I have to do.
I made a promise to Mark that I absolutely have to keep.

"Ladies and gentlemen," I spoke loudly and clearly into the dozenish microphones I had placed in front of me. All the reporters had stopped talking, but the cameras were all still clicking away like crazy, "thank you so much for coming today. By now you're probably all wondering why I've planned this exclusive press conference."

Hushed whispers rose from the crowd below me. Even with all the bright spotlights hitting my face and making my nervous sweating increase by ten fold, I could faintly make out where Mark was standing. I could almost imagine his warm smile, his mouth silently telling me to keep talking and not to get nervous. I took a deep breath in then refocused my attention on the rabid reporters again.

"Many of you do not know this and some of you might have had hunches, but years ago, back when my grandfather was the CEO of the company, he....did something he shouldn't have. Or rather, he took something he shouldn't have."

The silence was broken here and there by the clicking of the cameras. For once, the reporters were all quiet.

"My grandfather cheated people out of their money. He lied and stole from his customer's bank accounts, ruining the financial status of hundreds of families. WIthout the money to continue their current way of living, some of these families even fell apart. I'm well aware that these statements are hard to believe even as I say them, but honestly, if this was a lie, I wouldn't be standing up here like this, telling and showing you everything. Every single little detail."

I looked behind me as the white screen lit up with the evidence the police found months ago during the "father" incident, casting some of its light onto the crowd below. I could hear small gasps escape from some reporters while others pointed at the screen, telling their cameraman to zoom in or asking them if they got it yet. Luhan stood in the crowd, his face expressionless and his index finger gently pressed against his mouth as if he was lost in thought. Mark was beside him, his own mouth agape from what I just did. He tapped Luhan on the shoulder and motioned in my direction, probably asking him what the heck I was doing and if I was in my right mind. 

Follow what you memorized _________________.
Stick to your script and don't get flustered.

"Yes, my grandpa was a liar. He stole from the people who trusted his company with his money and told no one about it, even trying to carry it to the grave with him. He hid the evidence, which was later uncovered by the police during their search of his office following the incident that occured at headquarters a few months ago. No one in the entire company had any idea of what he did until it was far too late. His actions had ruined families and forcing some out into the streets. I'm pretty sure if he was still alive, he would probably not want me to publicize this but I feel like this is information that should be made known to everyone. All my life, it's been one secret after another and constant lies. I don't want to lie to anyone else. So on behalf of my late grandpa, I would like to extend out my sincerest apologies. Your lives and your families may never be repaired but the least I can for anyone and everyone who was affected by my grandfather's mistakes is to compensate them."

Pause for dramatic effect.
And while I'm at it, stare down the reporters and make sure I have their undivided attention.

"Our records indicate that all the people on this list have all left our company since the incident, as many of you may have guessed. However, even though they are no longer with CE, I still want to make things right. I want to be able to carry this company into the future without all the dirty baggage. Right now, even as we speak, a special team of the company's top employees is working to find all the people who are on this list. Through CE's extensive bank network and connections, we will find every last person and all the people listed in these records are getting all their money back. Every last cent of what was stolen from them will be paid back with the inheritance that my grandpa has left me with."

The hushed whisperes disappeared all at once.
It got so quiet in that room that you could literally hear the reporters shoes scuffle along the floor as they shifted here and there.
Ha.
Didn't see that one coming did you?

"I know that the money may not mean much at this point. The damage has already been done and time travel isn't a thing so there's no way for me to go back and undo what my grandfather did. But I hope that this money can be used to hopefully repair and rebuild at least some of the damaged lives even if it's in a little way. I don't know if it'll even make a difference now but I can at least say that we, as a company, have tried to right the wrong. I honestly hope that this can be a symbol of a new beginning for CE. I'm standing in front of you all today, fully aware of what I'm promising. But this is a promise that I have to keep. It's a promise that is long overdue. So ladies and gentlemen, the next time I get up behind this podium again, it will be with a new future in sight. Thank you."

I let out a deep, long breath I didn't even know I was holding in until after I stepped away from all the microphones. My legs were shaking as I walked down the steps and through the crowd of reporters again, who all seemed to snap out of their trance right at that moment and rush over to get their last questions in or a final picture of me walking out of the room. But all of them disappeared into the background of the world once I made eye contact with Mark through the crowd. 

The instant our eyes connected, he broke out into one of the most beautiful smiles I've ever seen. It was one of those smiles that crinkled his eyes at the corners and made them disappear almost entirely. The most genuine smile ever. I watched as he gave me a small nod from across the room, almost as if he had read my mind. Almost as if he was affirming what was unclear.

"Did I do it? Did I keep my promise?"
"Are you gonna stay now?"
"Is everything going to be alright?"

That one nod answered everything. It cleared away all of my anxieties and filled me with the one emotion that I haven't felt in a while.
Hope.
Hope for our relationship.
Hope for the company.
Hope for the promises that have been made.

Hope for the new future.

Author's Note
chapter title: New Future-Changin' My Life [x]
aaannndddd....THAT'S A WRAP EVERYONE :D
thank you so much to everyone who stayed with me during this story, both silent and expressive readers haha xD i love all of you guys and hope you'll stick around and follow me around my other stories hehe. this is the longest story i've written so far so it feels kinda weird to be ending it honestly lol but all good things must come to an end. it's been a fun journey with all you guys! 

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