Husband With Benefits-Chapter 880: Chaos

The room buzzed with chaotic energy as the journalists huddled in the press conference area, their murmurs intensifying with each passing second. Marcus stepped up to the podium and immediately the journalists started firing questions.

"Assistant Marcus? Where is High Higness? Will he be joining us?",one voice demanded.

"Is it true the Crown Prince was seen entering the hospital with a woman last night? Who is she?", another interjected.

"Does this tie into the allegations of coercion for abortion? Was the woman unwilling or was it His Highness who did not want to tie himself with someone?"

"Will he be stepping down from his position if his character is proven to be troublesome?"

"Can you confirm the pregnancy rumors?"

"Why won’t the Prince face us directly?"

"Does he have something to hide?"

"Is it true there are pictures of the Crown Prince taking a woman to the hospital last night?"

The questions came fast, blending into a clamor of accusations and speculations. Marcus held his ground, his expression unyielding, but before he could respond, the room fell abruptly silent.

Prince Rafael entered the room and immediately, despite the rise in excitement, a respectful silence was maintained as the reporters all respectfully stood up.

Rafe greeted the room with a nod, his voice steady as he began. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, thank you for being here today."

The tension in the air was palpable, but his calm demeanor seemed to hold the chaos at bay. "I understand there are many questions, and I assure you, I will address them. But I ask for your patience and respect. Let’s conduct this with decorum, as the circumstances demand."

Before anyone could interject, he raised his hand, continuing smoothly, "This press conference was scheduled long before the recent events came to light. I must insist that we first address the original agenda before discussing anything else. The matters on our docket are important, not just to me but to the people of Petrovia. I will not allow those issues to be overshadowed entirely by unverified allegations and scandals.

The reporters bristled, murmurs breaking out again, but Rafe’s authoritative tone left little room for protest.

Just as a few were gathering the courage to object, the door behind him opened again. Another figure stepped into the room, their presence causing an audible shift in the atmosphere.

It was Arabelle.

It didn’t take long for the journalists to recognise her as the woman who had been taken to the hospital by Prince Rafael. They might not have had a clear picture of her but they did have a side profile. Immediately, the camera lights started to flash and the journalists seemed to itch to throw their questions at her, makign the room buzz with electric energy.

For a moment, there was nothing but the clicking of shutters as she came to stand next to Rafe who was as shocked as the others, though thankfully his expression did not reveal this detail. He smoothly extended his hand and brought her to stand next to him on the podium. With only a look, she seemed to be telling him to step away from the podium.

Without a word, he did as she wanted, curious to see what she was doing here.

Arabelle’s calm gaze swept over the room as she stepped forward, taking control of the moment. Her voice, though soft, carried a firmness that commanded attention.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she began, her words slicing through the cacophony of whispers and the whir of camera shutters. "My name is Arabelle Frost."

The room collectively inhaled as she continued, her tone unwavering. "I am Prince Rafael’s fiancée."

The declaration sent the gathered press into a frenzy. Questions erupted like a tidal wave, voices overlapping in their urgency. And since all eyes and cameras were directed at her, everyone missed the momentary stunned expression on Prince Rafael’s face.

"Fiancée? When was this announced?"

"Miss Frost, were you the woman seen at the hospital last night?"

"Are the rumors of pregnancy true?"

"Is this an attempt to deflect from the allegations against His Highness?"

"How long have you been engaged?"

"Why wasn’t the engagement made public sooner?"

The barrage of questions came fast and relentless, decorum entirely forgotten in the rush to capture the scandal’s latest twist.

Arabelle raised a hand, her composed demeanor refusing to waver in the face of the onslaught. "I understand your curiosity," she said firmly, her voice cutting through the noise, "but I ask for your patience."

She turned to Rafe then, as if asking his permission to answer the questions and he gestured for her to go ahead. Even he was curious about how she was going to handle this.

To answer some of your questions," she began, her tone laced with just enough irony to soften the tension, "Yes, Prince Rafael and I have been engaged for a while. Today, as it happens, was supposed to be the day we officially announced it. We had a lovely plan—a press release, a photo session, perhaps even a few candid moments where you’d all catch us looking adorably in love. You know, the usual royal engagement fanfare."

A ripple of laughter spread through the room, the tension loosening just a fraction.

"But life, as we all know, is rarely predictable," Arabelle continued, her smile widening just slightly. "Instead of sharing the news with you over champagne and charming anecdotes, we were greeted last night by a surprise of our own."

She glanced at Rafe, her eyes twinkling with mischief, as though sharing an inside joke. "And as if that wasn’t enough to keep us on our toes, we woke up this morning to... well, this," she said, gesturing lightly to the press-packed room, her tone teasing but gracious.

The journalists chuckled at that and continued to be enchanted.

"I understand the curiosity and concern," Arabelle went on, her voice softening, "but I must clarify: this moment is as unexpected for us as it is for you. Prince Rafael and I had hoped for a little more time to plan our future, but fate has a way of speeding up timelines, doesn’t it?"

"In the coming days," Arabelle concluded, "we’ll take the time to discuss the possibilities, weigh our responsibilities, and make the decisions that are right for our family and this country. When we have those answers, we’ll share them with you, as transparently as possible."

She paused, offering the crowd a final warm smile. "Until then, I ask for your understanding and patience. After all, the best stories are the ones that unfold naturally instead from scandals, don’t you think?"