Chapter 84 – Exposure
Amber didn't remember falling asleep.
One moment she had been wrapped in Alex's arms on the couch, the city lights dim beyond the glass, his heartbeat slow and steady beneath her ear.
The next—
Morning.
And her phone wouldn't stop vibrating.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
She groaned and reached blindly for the nightstand.
6:12 a.m.
Too early for anything good.
Three missed calls.
Seven messages.
Two from Camila.
Five from an unknown number.
And one from Wilson Group PR.
Her stomach dropped.
Nothing good ever came from PR before sunrise.
She opened Camila's message first.
Camila:
Tell me you've seen this.
Amber. Please wake up.
Her chest tightened.
She tapped the link.
The page loaded slowly.
Too slowly.
Her pulse started counting seconds.
One.
Two.
Three.
Then—
The headline filled the screen.
WILSON GROUP CEO CAUGHT IN MIDNIGHT RENDEZVOUS WITH "CONTRACT FIANCÉE" — FAKE NO MORE?
Below it—
Photos.
Clear.
High resolution.
Cruel.
Alex and her outside the apartment building.
Hands intertwined.
Foreheads touching.
And the last one—
The kiss.
Soft.
Intimate.
Undeniably real.
Not staged.
Not for cameras.
Not performative.
It looked like exactly what it was.
Two people choosing each other.
The article scrolled on like a knife.
Sources suggest the so-called "contract relationship" may have blurred professional boundaries…
Was the scandal always a cover for something deeper?
Insiders question whether the secretary-turned-fiancée manipulated the CEO…
Gold digger? Corporate strategy? Or emotional entanglement threatening shareholder confidence?
Amber stopped reading.
Her throat burned.
There it was.
Exactly what she'd feared.
Not love.
Not romance.
Not two adults choosing each other.
No.
To the world, she was either a scheme or a seduction.
Never human.
Never real.
Her fingers trembled slightly around the phone.
Beside her, Alex shifted.
"You're awake already?" his voice was rough with sleep.
She didn't answer.
That alone made him sit up.
"Amber?"
She handed him the phone silently.
He read.
His expression didn't change at first.
Then his jaw tightened.
Then colder.
Then lethal.
"Who released this?" he muttered.
"Does it matter?" she asked quietly.
"Yes."
"It was going to happen eventually."
"But not like this."
He kept scrolling.
Each headline worse than the last.
Board questions stability of leadership.
Wilson Group stock dips pre-market.
Anonymous source claims internal conflict over relationship.
He cursed under his breath.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just quietly furious.
Which was worse.
"PR already called," she said. ""
"I'll call them back."
"They want a statement."
"They'll get one."
She watched him stand, already shifting into CEO mode.
Shoulders straight.
Voice calm.
Dangerously composed.
Armor back on.
Just like that.
Something inside her twisted.
Last night had felt warm.
Human.
Soft.
This morning—
Steel.
"Alex," she said softly.
He looked at her immediately.
"What?"
"Be honest."
"I always am with you."
"Are you regretting it?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
He frowned.
"Regretting what?"
"Choosing me."
Silence.
She hated that she even had to ask.
But she'd seen this before.
Men who were brave in private.
Careful in public.
Men who loved quietly—
But abandoned loudly.
"If this damages your company," she continued, "if the board pressures you—"
He crossed the room in three strides.
"Stop."
She blinked.
"I'm not them," he said firmly.
"I know but—"
"No. Listen to me."
He cupped her face.
Forced her to look at him.
"I didn't choose you because it was easy," he said. "I chose you knowing exactly how ugly this world can get."
His thumb brushed under her eye.
"You think some headlines scare me more than losing you?"
Her chest tightened.
"You really don't get it, do you?"
"Get what?"
"I've already lived the version of my life without you," he said quietly. "It was efficient. Profitable. Impressive."
He leaned closer.
"And completely empty."
Her breath hitched.
"So don't ask me if I regret you," he finished. "You're the only thing here I'm not negotiating."
God.
Why did he always sound so certain?
Like loving her wasn't even a debate.
—
His phone rang.
PR.
Of course.
He answered immediately.
"Yes."
Pause.
"I saw it."
Another pause.
"No, we're not denying anything."
Amber looked up sharply.
He met her eyes.
Held them.
Steady.
"No cover story," he continued into the phone. "No 'misunderstanding.' No 'taken out of context.'"
The PR rep must have panicked because he added calmly:
"Prepare a statement. I'll go live if necessary."
Amber's heart pounded.
Live?
"As in—press conference?"
"Yes," he said simply.
She shook her head slightly.
"You don't have to—"
"I do."
His gaze never left hers.
"I'm not letting them turn you into a rumor."
Her throat tightened painfully.
—
After the call, the apartment felt too quiet.
Too exposed.
Like the walls had become glass.
"So," she said lightly, trying to breathe, "guess we're officially not fake anymore."
He huffed a quiet laugh.
"Yeah."
"This is one way to announce it."
"Not how I planned."
"Control freak."
"Unfortunately."
She smiled faintly.
Then it faded.
"Alex…"
"Hmm?"
"If this destroys things—"
"It won't."
"You can't promise that."
"No," he admitted.
He stepped closer.
"But I can promise something else."
"What?"
He pressed his forehead to hers.
"That I'm not letting you face it alone."
Her heart cracked open a little more.
Stupid.
Dangerous.
Beautiful man.
—
Her phone buzzed again.
Another notification.
Then another.
Then another.
Messages flooding.
Tags.
Mentions.
Speculation.
Her name trending.
She swallowed.
"Looks like the world's watching."
Alex slipped his fingers through hers.
"Let them."
She glanced up.
He looked terrifyingly calm.
Like a general before battle.
"We'll give them something real to watch."
Her pulse raced.
"You're really going to stand beside me publicly?"
He squeezed her hand.
"Amber."
"Yeah?"
"I'm not hiding you anymore."
And somehow—
That scared her more than the headlines.
Because hiding meant safe.
But being seen?
Being claimed?
That meant everything could break.
Or everything could become real.
There was no middle ground anymore.
—
Across town—
In a quiet office—
A familiar woman watched the article load on her tablet.
Zoomed in on the kiss.
Her lips curved slightly.
"Interesting," she murmured.
Her nails tapped the desk slowly.
"So you finally moved on, Alex."
Her smile thinned.
"Let's see how long that lasts."
She picked up her phone.
Dialed a number.
"I think it's time," she said softly.
—
Back at the apartment—
Amber slipped her hand fully into Alex's.
For once—
She didn't pull away.
"Okay," she whispered.
"Okay what?"
"If we're doing this…"
She met his eyes.
"Let's stop being scared."
His answering smile was slow.
Dangerous.
Certain.
"Good," he said.
"Because the war just started."
And outside—
Cameras were already gathering.
Waiting.