The next morning, Maya woke to the sound of her phone buzzing violently on the nightstand. At first, she thought it was just a text or two, maybe a call from her mother. But when she blinked herself awake and saw the screen, her heart lurched.
Ninety-three missed calls.
Her notifications were a blur of messages: Are you okay? Why are you on the news? Maya, call me immediately.
Then the headlines appeared, splashed across every corner of the internet:
"Vale Heir Declares Love in Public—But Who is the Mystery Woman?"
"Adrian Vale Chooses Love Over Legacy?"
"Unknown Girl Sparks Rift in Billionaire Dynasty."
Maya sat up too quickly, her head spinning. She scrolled through photos that made her stomach churn—grainy shots of Adrian pulling her close on the gala steps, his hand cupping her cheek like the world didn't matter, her lips parted in stunned response.
They'd turned something sacred into spectacle.
A knock rattled her apartment door. She stumbled over, hair messy, pulse racing, and opened it to find Adrian, already dressed in a black button-down and slacks. His eyes softened at the sight of her, but the tension in his shoulders betrayed him.
"They're everywhere," he said simply.
Behind him, at the edge of the street, a cluster of photographers waited like wolves, cameras flashing the second he turned his head. Shouted questions carried up the stairwell:
"Adrian, is she your girlfriend?"
"Is she moving into the Vale estate?"
"Are you abandoning the family business?"
Maya slammed the door shut and pressed her back against it. Her apartment felt suddenly too small, suffocating under the weight of the world's eyes.
"I—I can't do this," she whispered.
Adrian stepped closer, hands firm on her shoulders. "You don't have to face them alone."
His voice was steady, but his jaw tightened with barely contained fury. He pulled out his phone and handed it to her. "Read this."
It was an email chain, leaked to the press. At the top was a statement drafted by Adrian's father:
"Adrian Vale's reckless actions last night do not represent the Vale family. The woman in question has no ties to our household or our business interests. Any assumptions otherwise are false."
Maya's throat went dry. The woman in question. No name, no humanity—just a problem to be erased.
Her chest constricted. "They're going to destroy me."
Adrian cupped her face, forcing her to look at him. "No. They're going to try, but they'll fail. Because I'm not letting them write this story for us."
Before Maya could answer, a new surge of noise erupted outside—paparazzi shouting, tires screeching. Adrian moved to the window and swore under his breath.
"They've found you," he muttered. "We can't stay here."
He pulled out his phone, dialed quickly, and barked an order: "Bring the car around. Back entrance."
Within minutes, they were rushing down the narrow stairwell, Maya in oversized sunglasses and Adrian shielding her with his body. Flashbulbs still found them, screams still cut through the air, but Adrian kept her head down until they reached the sleek black car waiting by the alley.
Once inside, Maya pressed her palms against her temples. The driver took off, leaving the mob behind, but the silence inside the car felt just as loud.
"They'll paint me as some desperate gold-digger," Maya whispered. "Or worse. And your father—"
Adrian's voice was low, edged with steel. "My father can choke on his dynasty."
She flinched at the venom in his tone, but he turned to her, eyes blazing. "Maya, listen to me. I don't care what they say. I don't care what he does. I chose you. That's not changing."
Her heart ached at the conviction in his words, but reality clawed at her resolve. "You don't understand. They'll dig into everything—my family, my past, things I've tried to leave behind. I don't have your armor, Adrian. I'm just me."
"Exactly," he said softly, reaching for her hand. "You're you. And that's why I can breathe when I'm with you."
For a moment, the chaos outside seemed far away. His thumb brushed over her knuckles, grounding her. She leaned into the warmth of his touch, clinging to it like a lifeline.
But when the car pulled into the underground garage of the Vale hotel, reality crashed back. Waiting there was Adrian's father, tall and immaculate, flanked by two men in suits. His expression was carved from stone.
Adrian's grip on her hand tightened.
"Maya," he murmured, "stay behind me."
She swallowed hard, obeying as Adrian stepped out of the car first. The cameras weren't here, but the weight of judgment was worse.
"Son," Mr. Vale said coolly, "we need to talk." His gaze slid past Adrian to Maya, sharp and assessing. "Alone."
Adrian squared his shoulders. "Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her."
A muscle flickered in his father's jaw. "This—public spectacle you've created—will ruin everything your family has built. Do you understand that?"
"What I understand," Adrian shot back, "is that for once, I don't care about the empire. I care about her."
The silence that followed was suffocating. Maya could feel her knees weakening, could feel the storm brewing in the quiet exchange between father and son.
Finally, Mr. Vale's lips curved into a thin smile. "Very well. But understand this, Adrian—empires do not fall quietly. If you persist, she will be crushed under the weight of ours."
Maya's breath hitched. Adrian's arm shot out, wrapping protectively around her waist.
"Then you'll have to go through me first," he said coldly.
The words hung in the air like a declaration of war.
And for the first time, Maya realized this wasn't just about forbidden love anymore. This was about survival.