Maya learned how loud silence could be the moment she stepped out of the penthouse elevator.
Cameras exploded.
Flashes lit up the marble lobby like lightning strikes, blinding and relentless. Voices shouted her name—some correctly, some not—layered with questions sharp enough to cut skin.
"Mrs. Cole! Look this way!"
"How long have you been dating the CEO?"
"Is this a business arrangement or real love?"
Maya froze.
Her body reacted before her mind could catch up. Her breath stuttered, fingers curling instinctively into the strap of her handbag as panic crept up her spine.
Then—warmth.
A firm hand closed around hers.
"Smile," Adrian murmured beside her, his voice calm, steady, as if the chaos around them didn't exist. "Just like we practiced."
She looked at him.
Adrian Cole looked entirely unfazed—tailored suit, composed expression, eyes cool and unreadable. The same man who dominated boardrooms now stood at her side as her husband, effortlessly shielding her body with his own.
A lie perfected.
Maya forced her lips into a smile as Adrian guided her forward, his arm settling around her waist with practiced ease. The touch was light, professional—and yet it grounded her, anchoring her to the moment.
"Mr. Cole!" a reporter shouted. "Why the secrecy? Why her?"
Adrian stopped.
The lobby fell into stunned silence.
He turned slightly, angling Maya toward the cameras, his arm tightening just enough to signal possession—not ownership, but protection. His gaze swept across the crowd, cold and commanding.
"My private life is not a press release," he said evenly. "But my wife deserves respect."
Maya felt every camera swing toward her.
Her.
The assistant. Nobody. The woman who had never wanted to be seen.
Adrian continued, "We kept this marriage private because it's sacred. Not everything exists for public consumption."
Sacred.
The word echoed uncomfortably in her chest.
Questions erupted again, louder this time, more aggressive.
"How did you meet?"
"What does she do?"
"Is she pregnant?"
Maya's smile wavered.
Adrian didn't hesitate. "That's enough," he said sharply. "This interview is over."
He ushered her forward, security stepping in immediately. The chaos resumed behind them as they entered the car waiting outside.
The door shut.
Silence.
Maya's smile collapsed.
Her chest tightened as the adrenaline drained from her body, leaving behind trembling exhaustion. She stared straight ahead, fingers clenched in her lap, trying not to think about how exposed she felt.
Adrian loosened his tie, exhaling slowly. "You did well."
She laughed weakly. "I felt like prey."
"You'll adapt," he said. "They always do."
She turned to him sharply. "I'm not 'they.'"
His gaze softened—just slightly. "I know."
The car pulled away.
By the time Maya reached the penthouse, her phone was unrecognizable.
Hundreds of notifications. Missed calls. Messages from unknown numbers. Social media tags multiplied faster than she could process.
She sank onto the couch, scrolling in stunned silence.
Who is Maya Cole and where did she come from?
CEO marries assistant—power imbalance scandal?
She doesn't look rich enough to be his wife.
Gold digger vibes.
Probably pregnant.
She planned this.
Her throat tightened.
None of this was real.
And yet, it was her face they were dissecting. Her past they were digging into. Her life they were rewriting for entertainment.
Her phone rang.
Her mother.
Maya hesitated before answering. "Hello?"
"Maya," her mother breathed, voice shaking. "Why am I seeing your face on television?"
Maya closed her eyes. "I was going to tell you."
"When?" her mother asked, hurt threading through her confusion. "After the whole world knew?"
"It's complicated."
"Are you happy?" her mother asked quietly.
Maya opened her eyes, staring at the city beyond the glass walls.
Happy.
"I'm… safe," she said instead.
There was a pause.
"That's not what I asked," her mother said.
Maya swallowed. "I'll explain everything soon. I promise."
After the call ended, Maya set the phone down with shaking hands.
She felt smaller than ever.
At Blackwood International, the atmosphere shifted overnight.
Maya felt it the moment she stepped onto her floor.
Whispers followed her. Conversations died when she passed. Eyes lingered—not with curiosity alone, but judgment.
She wasn't just the CEO's assistant anymore.
She was his wife.
And that made her dangerous.
"Did you know?" one woman whispered loudly near the coffee machine.
"Of course she did," another replied. "You don't just marry a man like that by accident."
Maya kept her head high, walking straight to her desk.
Professional. Unshaken.
Inside, her chest burned.
Adrian emerged from his office minutes later, his presence cutting through the tension like a blade. The whispers died instantly.
"Maya," he said calmly. "My office."
She followed him in, the door closing behind them.
The moment they were alone, she exhaled sharply. "This wasn't in the contract."
"No," Adrian admitted. "But it was inevitable."
"I didn't sign up to be humiliated," she said.
"You're not being humiliated," he replied. "You're being tested."
She stared at him. "That's worse."
Adrian leaned against his desk, studying her carefully. "Do you want to go out?"
The question caught her off guard.
She thought of her family. The bills are now paid. The safety she'd chosen.
"No," she said quietly. "I just want to survive this."
A pause.
"You will," Adrian said. "I won't let them destroy you."
Something in his voice made her look at him differently.
Not as a CEO.
But as a man who understood battles.
That evening, a new headline dropped.
EXCLUSIVE:
Inside the Secret Life of Maya Cole—What the CEO's Wife Is Hiding.
Maya's heart sank.
She clicked the link.
And froze.
The article mentioned her father's illness.
Her brother.
Her old neighborhood.
Information she had never shared publicly.
Her phone rang again.
Adrian.
"They're crossing a line," she said as soon as she answered.
"Yes," he replied. His voice was cold. Dangerous. "Which means someone helped them."
Her breath caught. "From inside the company?"
"I'll find out," Adrian said. "But until then—"
"What?" she asked.
"You don't go anywhere alone," he finished. "Not anymore."
Maya stared at the article, at her life being stripped bare for the world.
This marriage was built on lies.
But the consequences?
They were terrifyingly real.
And somewhere out there, someone had decided—
She was the perfect target.
Next: Chapter 7 - First Night, Separate Hearts
They shared a home, not a heart.
But nights have a way of breaking rules.
Tonight | 11:30 PM – 12:30 AM