Page 69 of His Beloved Princess
"To lie to the entire country?" I finished painting my lips with nude lipstick. "What other choice do I have?"
"It's not a lie," he objected, leaning against the door and crossing his arms over his chest. He wore a button-up shirt so white it hurt my tired eyes.
"So, it's a premonition. Are you a psychic?" I blinked a few times to clear my vision and turned to face an angry dragon. He wasn't breathing fire yet but was seconds from showing off his talons. Or, in this case, his sharp tongue.
"Stop with this, Electra," he warned, standing to his full height. I was barefoot, and he was towering over me like a mountain. "It needs to be done without the slightest mistake."
"I know," I retorted, annoyance evident in my voice. "But that doesn't mean I agree with it."
"Would you rather tell them what we know?" He narrowed his cold eyes at me, small wrinkles formed in their corners, making him look older than he was.
"We know nothing!" I spat, clenching my palms into fists. "The doctors know nothing!"
"Exactly!" he hissed, grabbing my arms and standing me still. I didn't realize I was shaking violently until he steadied me. "Do you think it's wise to spread panic? To tell them we have no idea what is going on or what will happen next? Is that what you want?"
"If it backfires, it'll be worse!" I countered, holding his hard glare. He was determined to handle this his own way, but I needed at least some reassurance that he knew what he was doing.
"Electra, I'll ask you a question." He let go of my arms, and his expression softened. I was afraid of what he was thinking. "What is Tesla without Elon Musk?"
I frowned, staring at him, totally confused. This conversation had taken such a rapid turn that my exhausted brain stopped working for a moment.
"What?" I peeped, hating my voice for sounding so thin and immature. And his lecturing tone only deepened my frustration.
"Answer the question, Electra. What is Tesla without Elon Musk?" he repeated, looking at me like I was some incompetent idiot.
"A company?" I answered hesitantly, shrugging, which earned a smirk from him.
"Of course, but would it be the same?" He strolled around me, sitting on the chair in front of the mirror. While I was thinking about some clever response, he started to inspect my cosmetic bag and smell my perfume. However, I didn'tknow much about Mr. Musk or his company besides the electric cars and his ideas about colonizing Mars.
"I don't know, Andreas," I sighed, my shoulders slumping. Talking to him always drained me of energy.
"Elon Musk is a brand by himself. He made the company the way it is, and his ideas, opinions, and sometimes irrational beliefs make it famous. Tesla, without him, would never be the same as it is while he is the CEO." Andreas returned my belongings, turning to me while I was processing what he'd just said. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"Bastian is like him," I whispered, covering my face with my palms and scolding myself for being so stupid. I knew the basics. I understood he was important, but not so much.
"Derek, Frederick, and I don't have the knowledge or charisma to replace him," Andreas pointed out, standing up. "We either tell the public that he is getting better, and we use that time to come up with a solution if he dies. Or we can tell them the truth and watch it all crumble without any control."
"What would he do?" I inquired, feeling lost. I had no experience with something like this. While I worked for Lena, there was a crisis at Thorn Enterprises, but the former CEO and the management handled it like pure professionals.
"His backup plan was always our father," Andreas answered, grimacing. "After Mom died, Dad could no longer take care of the business. It seems to me like he lost meaning in life."
"Maybe it would help him to return to work again," I suggested, buckling the strap on my shoes. "He would forget about the pain."
"Or maybe the environment would remind him of all the infidelities, lies, and mistakes he made," was Andreas’ cold response, and I stopped recommending anything. It was a sensitive matter, and with my family background, it wasn't my place to give advice.
"Will you be there with me?" I asked, avoiding eye contact with him, when I was finally ready. I felt ashamed of my weakness, embarrassment flooding my system.
"Look at me, Electra," he ordered, his deep voice similar to Bastian's, sending tingles down my spine. I raised my head. The expression on his face was so different from the blank mask he usually wore. "I won't leave your side."
I opened my mouth to thank him, but he was quicker than me, and before I could say a word, he destroyed the few seconds of calmness I'd gotten with the lecturing tone I grew to hate immensely.
"This dress is inappropriate," he stated, pointing at me. The other three were hanging on the closet door. "Take this."
"Seriously?" I almost groaned, taking the gorgeous white dress with lantern sleeves from him. He only nodded, turning his broad back on me and giving me privacy to change. I didn't have time or energy to argue with him over it, so with a sigh, I took off the black dress and altered it for the white one.
"Ready to go," I said when I was finished with clothing, checking my appearance in the mirror. I looked much better, of course, but my face still reflected the truth. I couldn't stop my eyes from watering or my shoulders from trembling. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to be the one to speak to the press.
"Great," Andreas replied, one corner of his lips lifting in a half-smile. "You'll be perfect."
