Chapter 13: After the Storm
The press conference ended in chaos—reporters shouting questions, camera flashes exploding like fireworks, and murmurs rippling through the crowd like waves. Adrian didn't flinch, his hand never leaving Elena's. His calm dominance shielded her from the storm.
"Elena Hale! Are you really in a relationship with CEO Blackwood?"
"Was this arranged by the company?"
"System? What system? Is this some kind of contract marriage?"
Elena's pulse thundered. The weight of hundreds of eyes, the heat of blinding lights, the taste of scandal heavy in the air—it was suffocating. She clung to Adrian's grip like a lifeline.
He guided her out swiftly, ignoring the barrage. His presence was an anchor, unshaken, unyielding. By the time the car doors shut, silence wrapped around them.
Her breath escaped in a shaky rush. "Do you realize what you just did? You declared… us… to the entire city!"
Adrian's gaze slid to her, unreadable yet intense. "The system demanded proof. I gave it. And I gave them the truth."
Her cheeks heated. "Truth?"
"Yes," he said simply, as if it were the most obvious fact in the world. "You are mine. That's not going to change, Elena."
---
The system's voice broke into her flustered silence:
[ System Upgrade Complete. Level 2 Activated. ]
[ New Feature: Public Perception Meter unlocked. ]
[ Current Standing: Positive 43% / Negative 57% ]
[ Mission 8: Restore balance. Within 72 hours, secure public approval above 60%. Reward: Status Shield (prevents rival interference). ]
Elena's eyes widened. Public perception? They want me to win over the whole city?
Adrian's lips curved faintly. "I heard it too. Seems like our next battlefield isn't the boardroom… it's the public."
Her chest tightened. "How am I supposed to fix how strangers see me? They think I'm just a secretary who seduced her boss!"
His gaze softened for a fraction of a second, rare enough to steal her breath. "Then we'll show them the truth. Together."
---
The car ride to Blackwood Tower was tense. By the time they arrived, the building buzzed with whispers, employees exchanging furtive looks. Some curious, some envious, some openly judgmental.
Elena's cheeks burned. She wanted to vanish.
Adrian, of course, walked through the lobby like a king. His hand remained at her back, guiding her firmly. As if daring anyone to question his choice.
[ Public Perception -2%. Current Standing: 41% ]
Elena flinched. They hate me more now?
Inside the executive office, she finally snapped. "Blackwood! You can't just bulldoze through people's opinions like this. They're all staring, whispering—"
He stepped close, tilting her chin with his fingers. The warmth of his touch contrasted with the steel in his voice. "Let them whisper. Every empire is built on noise. What matters is what you feel."
Her heart betrayed her with a sharp flutter. She yanked her face away. "You're impossible."
His smirk deepened. "And you're mine."
---
That afternoon, the storm outside brewed fiercer. News outlets splashed headlines across every screen:
"Blackwood Declares Relationship with Secretary—Scandal or True Love?"
"Mystery of the CEO's System Contract Unveiled!"
"Power Play or Heart Play?"
Public opinion was brutal. Social media overflowed with accusations, memes, and rumors. Elena felt the weight of every word pressing down on her chest.
[ Public Perception -5%. Current Standing: 36% ]
[ Warning: If standing falls below 30%, mission fails. ]
Her hands shook as she shut the screen. "They hate me. They think I'm using you."
Adrian caught her trembling wrist, holding it firmly. "Then we'll prove them wrong. You don't bow to shadows, Elena. You walk through them."
His confidence was like fire—too bright, too consuming.
---
Late that evening, Ryan made his move.
He barged into her apartment before she could even lock the door, his expression thunderous. "Elena! Have you seen what they're saying? You're being humiliated out there because of him!"
Her exhaustion turned to anger. "Ryan, stop! This is my life. My choice."
"Your choice?" he snapped. "Or his manipulation? Don't you get it? He thrives on control. He doesn't care if the world spits on you as long as you're in his cage."
Tears stung her eyes. "That's not true."
Ryan's face twisted. "You're blind! I'm the one who's been here all along, the one who actually cares. And you're throwing yourself into the fire for him?"
Before she could answer, the system cut in with merciless clarity:
[ Rival interference detected. ]
[ Side Mission: Public declaration of loyalty. Must be captured by media. Reward: +20% perception. ]
Elena's heart slammed in her chest. Another declaration? In public?
Adrian appeared at the doorway, his gaze cold as ice. "She already declared once. Do you need her to repeat it, Hale?"
Ryan stiffened. "She deserves better than to be your pawn."
Adrian's lips curled dangerously. "And yet she stays."
The room crackled with tension, but Elena… Elena realized the truth. She wanted to stay. No matter how terrifying, no matter how uncertain.
Her voice shook, but she lifted her chin. "Adrian isn't perfect. He's demanding, arrogant, and impossible. But he doesn't lie. And I trust him."
Ryan's face went white.
The system chimed instantly:
[ Side Mission Complete. Public Declaration Recorded. +20% perception. ]
[ Current Standing: 56%. Target: 60%. Time remaining: 48 hours. ]
Adrian's eyes softened for a fleeting moment as he stepped closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulders with quiet possessiveness. "Good girl."
Elena flushed scarlet. "Don't—say it like that!"
But the way her body leaned into him betrayed her.
---
The night closed with the city ablaze in speculation. News anchors replayed Elena's words, social media erupted again—but this time, some comments shifted.
"Maybe it's real?"
"Did you see the way she looked at him? That wasn't acting."
"She must be strong to stand against the hate like that."
[ Public Perception +7%. Current Standing: 63%. ]
[ Mission 8 Complete. Reward Unlocked: Status Shield (temporary immunity from rival sabotage). ]
Elena collapsed onto her couch, drained. "I can't… do this much longer."
Adrian crouched before her, his hand brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "You can. Because you're mine. And I protect what's mine."
Her heart skipped painfully. She wanted to argue, to push him away. But her body leaned toward his warmth before she could stop it.
The system's quiet voice hummed in her mind:
[ Emotional attachment: 72%. ]
[ Next Main Mission: Shared cohabitation for 30 days. Initiating… ]
Elena's eyes flew wide. Cohabitation? Thirty days?!
And Adrian's slow, wicked smile confirmed he'd heard it too.
"This," he said softly, "is going to be interesting."