The phone buzzed before dawn.Once. Then again. Then again.
I blinked at the clock. 4:03 a.m.
The screen lit the room in a sick blue glow — notifications stacked like falling dominos.My pulse spiked before I even opened them.
And there it was.
A photo — me and Liam — the one from the gala the night before, his hand tight on my slender waist, my face turned toward him.
Frozen mid-frame, mid-breath.Intimate.
Deliberate.
And below it, a caption written in digital poison:
Old flames never die. Some engagements do.
For a moment, all I could hear was the low hum of the air conditioner and the thud of my heartbeat.Then another ping.And another.
Headlines multiplying faster than I could read.Liam's face in thumbnails.Kaelen's name in bold.My own turned into scandal bait.
I sat very still.The city outside was still sleeping, but my world had already split open.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
I didn't think. I just went.
Kaelen stood there in yesterday's suit, collar open, rain misting his hair. He looked like he hadn't slept. His phone was still vibrating in his hand.
We didn't speak. He just reached out and pulled me in.
His coat smelled of cedar and champagne. I pressed my face against his chest, and for one long second, everything else stopped — the noise, the fear, the world clawing at our names.
He exhaled against my hair. "You saw it too."
"I did."
His hands tightened at my waist. "Don't worry sweetheart. My team is working on it."
I tilted my head upwards. "Thank you."
That made him look down — eyes darker than I'd ever seen them.
He brushed a thumb along my jaw, slow, careful. "Elara… are you alright?"
I laughed softly, bitterly. "I'm trending at four in the morning. I think 'alright' left the room hours ago."
He smiled — a ghost of one — and kissed my forehead. "I'll be alright. I'm here."
We ended up in my father's study.
The room still carried the faint scent of old cedar and whiskey.
Outside, dawn was breaking slow and gray, the light crawling across the blinds like an uninvited guest.
Kaelen paced behind the desk, phone in one hand, rage barely leashed. "Liam's statements just dropped."
"Don't tell me."
He did anyway. "He said, 'Elara and I have a long history. Some bonds don't break easily.'"
I closed my eyes. "Perfect."
He looked up at me — something fierce and protective burning behind his restraint.
"Elara, I need you to stay quiet for now. Don't post, don't comment. Let me handle Liam."
"Handle how?"
He came closer, hands braced on either side of the chair I sat in, voice low. "By reminding them who really runs this project."
"And if they remind you who owns it?"
He hesitated. Then his voice softened. "Then I fight harder."
Our eyes met.
The distance between us dissolved.
He leaned in, and I rose to meet him — the kiss starting gentle, breaking into something deeper, something that tasted of sleeplessness and defiance.
His hand cupped the back of my neck; mine fisted in his shirt.
Every heartbeat said the same thing: us against them.
When we finally broke apart, his breath was ragged. "We'll get through this."
"We have to."
His phone rang again.
David Vancourt.
Kaelen stared at the screen for a beat, then answered. "Yes."I could hear David's voice, clipped and commanding even through the speaker: "Emergency board meeting. Eight a.m. We're addressing the scandal."
Kaelen's jaw flexed. "I'll be there."
Almost at the same time, my phone buzzed — Pauline.
"Miss Sterling, the Vancourts. They've called a joint session. It's at 8. Get to Vancourt Holdings. Now."
I glanced up at Kaelen. "Looks like we're invited to our own trial."
He nodded once. "Then let's make it worth attending."
8:00 a.m. — Vancourt Holdings
The building loomed like a glass blade against the washed-out sky.
Paparazzi swarmed the front steps.
Bella was already inside — calm, immaculate, a silk-gloved hand on David Vancourt's arm, every inch the perfect heir apparent.
Her eyes found us as we walked through the doors.
She smiled, sweet as sin.
The elevator ride up was silent except for the hum of tension.
Kaelen stood beside me, fists in his pockets, his reflection fractured across the mirrored wall.
When the doors opened, the boardroom was waiting — oak, chrome, and blood in the water.
David started immediately. "We'll make this brief. The photo of Ms. Sterling and Liam has gone viral. The Island Residence brand is bleeding confidence. Our investors are calling hourly. This—" he gestured between me and Kaelen, "—needs cleaning."
Kaelen's voice was steady, ice-cold. "It's a misunderstanding. You know that."
"Maybe." David leaned back, shark-calm. "But perception is reality. We need a counter-narrative."
Bella crossed one leg over the other, voice smooth. "The public needs to see stability. The Vancourt name associated with loyalty, integrity… family."
Her smile didn't reach her eyes. "A campaign — Kaelen and I presenting the united vision of Island Residence."
Kaelen stiffened. "No."
David's tone cut through the air. "Think carefully, Kaelen. The board can't afford sentiment right now. If you're too compromised to lead—"
"I'm not compromised."
"Then prove it," Bella murmured.
The room waited.
Kaelen's gaze flicked to mine — raw, trapped, furious.
"I'll not be strong-armed into a decision like that, David."
David smiled smugly at him, "In that case, dear brother, we will have to put your capabilities to lead this project to a vote."
I swallowed hard, then said quietly, "There is no need, David. Kaelen will approve it."
His head snapped toward me. "Elara—"
"They'll destroy you otherwise," I whispered. "We'll handle the rest later."
Silence stretched.
Then Kaelen's voice, flat: "Fine. The campaign goes ahead."
David smiled like a man who'd won a war he never had to fight.
"Excellent. Bella, start coordination."
Bella rose gracefully, her tone syrup-sweet. "Of course. I'll make sure Kaelen's schedule accommodates the shoots."
As she passed me, she paused just long enough to murmur, "I truly admire your composure, Ms Sterling. Most maidens your age would've fallen apart by now."
I smiled back, razor-sharp. "Don't worry. I save my breakdowns for private audiences."
She smiled at me again, a smile that made me want to throw up. "You'll learn as you go, dear."
When the room emptied, Kaelen stayed standing at the window, staring out at the gray skyline.
I moved beside him. "You did what you had to."
He didn't answer. His reflection looked hollow in the glass.
"Kaelen," I said softly. "It's just a small hiccup. We'll survive this."
His hand brushed mine, a fleeting touch — a promise and a warning all at once.
"I hope you're right," he said.
Outside, the cameras were already flashing again.
And somewhere in the distance, Bella's laugh carried through the corridor — light, elegant, victorious.