The argument didn't end at the club.
It followed them into the night, into the car, into every breath between them. The city lights blurred past as Kairo drove, jaw clenched so tightly it ached. Naya sat rigid in the passenger seat, arms folded, eyes forward, every muscle coiled.
"You didn't have to handle it like that," Kairo said at last.
"She put her hands on me," Naya replied evenly. "And on you."
"That doesn't mean you take her down in front of everyone."
"It does when someone's testing boundaries," Naya shot back. "That wasn't a drunk fan, Kairo. She was probing."
He exhaled sharply. "You see enemies everywhere."
"And you see none when your emotions get involved."
The words struck deeper than either of them expected.
They pulled into the driveway in silence, neither willing to back down. Inside the house, the tension thickened unfinished, unresolved, dangerous.
By morning, the fallout hit.
Screens lit up simultaneously.
BREAKING: SENATORIAL HOPEFUL'S BODYGUARD ATTACKS WOMAN IN CLUB
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO SHOWS NAYA CROSS ASSAULTING SOCIALITE
IS THIS THE WOMAN PROTECTING KAIRO BLACKWELL?
The footage was carefully edited.
It showed the shove. The takedown. None of the provocation. None of the invasion of space. None of the slap.
Just Naya.
Efficient. Controlled. Violent.
Kairo watched the clip in silence, anger burning low and hot.
"They're calling you a bully," he said quietly.
Naya didn't look at the screen. "They always do."
The press conference followed within hours.
Questions flew like knives.
"Mr. Blackwell, is your bodyguard too aggressive?"
"Is this the kind of violence you endorse as a future senator?"
"Miss Cross, do you have a history of assault?"
Naya stood behind him, expression unreadable, shoulders squared like a shield.
Kairo raised a hand. "Enough. My security handled a situation where my safety was compromised. I apologize on her behalf "
The statement only poured fuel on the fire.
By evening, polls dipped. Sponsors hesitated. Advisers panicked.
In private, the fight reignited.
"This is exactly what they wanted," Kairo said, pacing. "They turned one night into a weapon."
"And you walking into a club alone handed them the knife," Naya snapped.
He stopped. "You think I don't know that?"
Silence slammed down between them.
Finally, Naya spoke, voice lower. "You're angry at me because it's easier than admitting you're jealous ."
His shoulders sagged. "I'm angry because I care."
The admission hung there raw, undeniable.
Naya looked away. "Caring gets people hurt."
"Only if we let fear and jealousy make decisions for us," he said.
Outside, headlines multiplied. Inside, the distance between them felt wider than ever.
Their enemies hadn't touched either of them physically.
They didn't need to.
They were letting the world do the damage instead.