The headlines changed overnight.
For weeks, Aria's name had been dragged through the mud—"Disgraced Heiress," "Runaway Socialite," "Blackwood's Secret Wife." But after the press conference, the tone shifted.
"Aria Blackwood Breaks Silence."
"Lancaster Heiress Chooses Love Over Legacy."
"Strength and Grace: Mrs. Blackwood Stands Tall."
Not every article was kind—some still accused her of scheming, of manipulating her way into Damien's empire—but there was a new undercurrent now. Respect. Sympathy. Even admiration.
The footage of her speaking had gone viral: the poised young woman in cream silk, her voice trembling at first but growing stronger with each word, declaring that she had chosen freedom over chains.
For the first time in years, Aria felt she had seized control of her own narrative.
And yet, victory was fragile.
The morning after the conference, Aria sat at the breakfast table with Noah while Damien took a rare moment to sip his coffee beside them. Noah was chattering about dinosaurs—his latest obsession—and drawing T. rex figures on his napkin with a marker.
"…and this one is the biggest, Mommy! But he's not as scary as Daddy when he's mad."
Aria stifled a laugh, glancing nervously at Damien. To her surprise, he only arched a brow and rumpled Noah's hair.
"Terrifying, am I?" he asked dryly.
Noah nodded solemnly. "But you're still the good guy."
The warmth of that exchange soothed something in Aria. For all the storms outside their gates, here—at this table, with her son's smile and Damien's presence—was the heart she would always fight to protect.
But even as Noah scribbled happily, Damien's phone buzzed. He checked the screen, his expression tightening.
"Marcus," he muttered, excusing himself from the table.
Aria watched him stride into the hallway, his voice low but urgent as he answered. She caught fragments—"…board unsettled… timing delicate… Hale's influence."
Her stomach clenched. Victoria Hale again.
By the time Damien returned, his face was carved from stone.
"What is it?" Aria asked quietly, once Noah had dashed upstairs to fetch his toy dinosaur collection.
Damien set his coffee aside with deliberate calm. "Victoria's not wasting time. She's been feeding doubts to several board members about your past, suggesting you'll drag down the company's reputation. She's angling for a vote to remove me as chairman."
The air left Aria's lungs. "Can she do that?"
"She can try," Damien said, his voice flat. "The board can be fickle when they smell weakness. But I won't let her win."
Aria's chest tightened with guilt. "This is because of me."
"No." Damien's gaze pinned hers, sharp and unwavering. "This is because Victoria is power-hungry and bitter. Don't shoulder her poison."
Still, Aria felt the weight pressing down. She had stood before the world and spoken her truth, but the ripples of that choice were spreading faster than she had anticipated.
"What can I do?" she whispered.
Damien studied her, as if weighing how much to ask of her. "You've already done more than I ever expected. But… if the board sees us united, if they see you as my equal instead of a liability, it will strengthen my position. I may need you beside me at the next meeting."
Aria swallowed hard. Facing reporters had been one thing. Facing a room full of billionaires and power brokers was another entirely. But if it meant protecting Damien—and the life they had built—she would do it.
She nodded. "Then I'll be there."
The following days blurred with preparation. Damien's advisors coached them both on corporate etiquette, while Elise drilled Aria on names and faces of board members.
"You'll want to watch for Langston," Elise said briskly as she clicked through a slideshow of photos. "Old money. He'll respond to dignity, not defiance. And Mercer—he's pragmatic. If you can appeal to stability for the company, he'll listen. Hale, of course…" Elise's lips curled. "She'll try to rattle you. Don't let her see it work."
Aria absorbed every detail, though her nerves knotted tighter with each lesson.
At night, she would curl up in bed, staring at the ceiling long after Damien had drifted into restless sleep. She replayed the press conference in her mind, reminding herself she had done it once and could do it again. Still, the fear lingered: what if she wasn't enough? What if her presence cost Damien everything?
On the eve of the meeting, Damien found her pacing their bedroom.
"Aria," he said quietly, stopping her mid-stride. He took her hands in his, grounding her. "I need you to hear me. If tomorrow doesn't go our way, it won't be because of you. Do you understand?"
Her throat tightened. "But what if—"
"No what-ifs," he interrupted gently. His thumb brushed over her knuckles. "I've spent years building this company. I can withstand Hale. What I can't withstand is losing you."
The raw honesty in his tone broke through her spiraling fear. She pressed her forehead to his, whispering, "Then we'll face her together."
"Together," he echoed, sealing the vow with a kiss.
The boardroom was a shark tank.
Aria entered with Damien, her chin lifted despite the tremor in her chest. The room was a sleek expanse of glass and steel, its long polished table surrounded by the most powerful figures in the city. Eyes turned as they stepped inside—some curious, some calculating, some openly hostile.
Victoria Hale sat near the head of the table, a vision in crimson silk. Her smile was sharp as a blade as she rose to greet them.
"Mr. Blackwood. Mrs. Blackwood." Her gaze lingered on Aria with mocking sweetness. "What an unexpected honor."
Damien's reply was curt. "Let's begin."
They took their seats. The meeting opened with routine matters—financial reports, projections, acquisitions. But it was only a matter of time before the real attack came.
Victoria waited until midway through, then struck.
"With all due respect," she purred, "the recent… revelations about Mrs. Blackwood have raised concerns among our investors. Questions of integrity, of stability. Some fear her past associations could reflect poorly on the company."
A ripple of murmurs spread around the table.
Aria's palms dampened against her skirt. She felt every eye on her.
Damien's jaw tightened. "My wife's past is irrelevant to Blackwood Corporation's performance. Our profits speak for themselves."
"Profits are one thing," Victoria countered smoothly. "Reputation is another. We all recall how the Lancaster downfall rattled markets. Surely we don't wish to invite similar instability here."
Aria's chest burned. She could remain silent, let Damien fight for her. But she remembered Elise's warning—Hale would try to rattle her. And she remembered Damien's vow: together.
So Aria spoke.
"You're right, Ms. Hale," she said, her voice steady despite the pounding in her ears. "The Lancasters' downfall did rattle markets. And I lived through every moment of it. But I did not cause it. I walked away from it—because I refused to let greed and corruption define me."
The room stilled.
Aria continued, her gaze sweeping the table. "I've spent years building a life of honesty and resilience. I don't bring instability to this company. I bring perspective. I know what happens when power is abused, when appearances matter more than integrity. And I will never let that shadow touch Blackwood."
A murmur rose again, but this time it was different—thoughtful, approving.
Victoria's smile faltered. "Pretty words," she said with a sneer. "But can words outweigh bloodlines? Investors care about perception."
Aria met her gaze without flinching. "Then let them perceive this: I am not a Lancaster pawn. I am Aria Blackwood. And I stand by my husband, and this company, with everything I have."
For a moment, the two women locked eyes, steel against steel. Then Mercer cleared his throat.
"I, for one, find Mrs. Blackwood's words… convincing," he said slowly. "If anything, her candor reassures me."
Langston nodded. "Dignity under fire is rare these days."
Other board members murmured in agreement.
Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line. She had expected Aria to cower, to crumble. Instead, Aria had turned the weapon back on her.
Damien reached under the table, his hand finding Aria's and giving it a brief, fierce squeeze.
The rest of the meeting passed without further attack. When the vote of confidence came, Damien retained his chairmanship by a decisive margin.
As the boardroom emptied, Victoria lingered, her eyes glittering with venom. She leaned close enough for only Aria to hear.
"This isn't over."
Aria held her gaze, her voice low but steady. "No. It's just beginning."
That night, back at the estate, Damien poured them each a glass of wine.
"You were extraordinary," he said simply, his eyes dark with pride.
Aria sank into the sofa, exhaustion finally catching up. "I was terrified."
"Good." His lips curved faintly. "Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's doing it anyway."
She smiled, weary but warm. "We make a good team, don't we?"
"The best," he murmured, brushing a kiss against her temple.
Outside, the cameras still flashed, the vultures still circled. But inside these walls, Aria felt something she hadn't in years.
Not fear. Not secrecy.
Strength.
And for the first time, she believed it might just carry them through to the end.