Aiden didn't realize Jade had been recording the confrontation until she called him, breathless with excitement.
"Boss, you need to see this."
"See what?"
"The hotel lobby cameras caught everything. And someone leaked it online. You're going viral."
By the time Aiden got back to his penthouse, the video had three million views. The footage showed him confronting Dante in the lobby the previous day, declaring his feelings for Isabella, standing up to intimidation. Someone had added dramatic music and subtitles.
"Mysterious Young Tycoon Defends Doctor's Freedom From Arranged Marriage"
The comments were insane:
"This is literally a romance novel come to life"
"Who is this guy?? I'm in love"
"The way he stepped up for her though 😍"
"Real life prince charming"
Marcus burst into the living room, laptop in hand. "Dude, you're TRENDING. Number three on Twitter. People are calling you the 'Prince of Wall Street.'"
"That's ridiculous."
"That's branding, baby!" Marcus was loving this. "TMZ wants an interview. So does Good Morning America."
Isabella emerged from her room, phone in hand, face pale. "Aiden, my hospital is being flooded with calls. And Dante texted—he's furious about the video."
Before Aiden could respond, his phone rang. Unknown number.
"Mr. Schols, this is Andrea Chen from The New York Times. We'd love to do a feature on you—"
He hung up. It rang again immediately. CNN.
"Turn it off," Maya suggested. "All of it. This is a security nightmare. Every crazy person in the country now knows your face."
She was right. Within hours, photographers appeared outside the building. News vans parked across the street. The doorman reported at least twenty media requests.
The system interface flickered with a notification:
PUBLIC PROFILE SIGNIFICANTLY ELEVATEDNew Ability Unlocked: Media ManipulationWarning: Increased Attention = Increased Danger
That evening, as security kept reporters at bay, Aiden gathered everyone in the penthouse—Isabella, Maya, Marcus, and Jade joining via video call.
"This is my fault," Isabella said miserably. "I brought this attention."
"Nobody blames you," Aiden assured her. But the situation was spiraling. His phone showed messages from people he hadn't talked to in years, all wanting to "reconnect." Even Jessica had texted: "Saw the video. We should talk."
He deleted it without responding.
"We can use this," Jade said from the screen. "Seriously. You're a folk hero right now. Young guy standing up for love against Old World traditions? That's powerful branding."
"I don't want to be a brand."
"Too late," Marcus said. "The internet has decided you're their new obsession. We can either control the narrative or let it control us."
Maya cleared her throat. "There's another issue. That kind of attention attracts not just media, but people with bad intentions. Kidnappers, stalkers, competitors who see you as a threat."
"So what do we do?"
"We go public on our terms," Jade suggested. "One big interview where you tell your story. Control the narrative, then step back from the spotlight."
Aiden looked at Isabella. "It's your story too. What do you think?"
She was quiet for a long moment. "If we're going to be together, truly together, maybe we shouldn't hide. Maybe the truth is better than speculation."
"Even if the truth is complicated?"
She smiled sadly. "Especially then."
The decision was made. They'd do one major interview, set the record straight, and then retreat into privacy. At least, that was the plan.
What Aiden didn't know was that Malcolm Zhang was watching the viral video with great interest, taking notes on this upstart who'd just painted a target on his own back.