Leon's POV
I woke up before her.
Not out of habit, but because sleep had evaded me entirely. I'd spent the night listening to her breathe beside me, memorizing the rhythm like a melody I hadn't known I needed. Nova slept curled on her side, her lips parted slightly, one hand tangled in the blanket we'd used to cover ourselves after the heat of everything faded.
I was supposed to feel relieved.
Instead, I felt ruined.
She'd said she loved me.
In front of the world.
And I knew it was a lie.
But my heart didn't.
I moved slowly, not wanting to wake her. The city outside hadn't even fully risen yet, the sky still gray with lingering night. I padded into the kitchen, brewed coffee, tried to pretend I could function like a normal man.
I couldn't.
Because all I could think about was the way her mouth had tasted. The way she whispered, "We can't take it back."
I didn't want to.
I just didn't know what came next.
Nova's POV
When I woke up, Leon was gone.
But the scent of him still clung to my skin, my hair, my thoughts.
For a few terrifying seconds, I wondered if I'd imagined it all. The kiss. The heat. The rawness in his eyes when he said he didn't want to take it back.
But then I saw the wrinkle in the couch cushion. The empty coffee cup on the table. The little signs that he'd been real. That the night had happened.
And suddenly, my stomach was in knots.
I threw on a robe and walked into the kitchen. He stood there in a black sweater and slacks, pouring coffee like nothing had changed.
"Morning," I said, voice hoarse.
He glanced at me. "Morning."
That was it.
No "how did you sleep." No "we should talk." Just two people pretending they hadn't torn each other apart with their mouths eight hours ago.
I took the mug he slid toward me. "So... what now?"
He leaned against the counter. "Now, we focus on damage control. Elise thinks the worst is over. You won a lot of hearts yesterday."
"Because I lied?"
"Because you looked like you meant it."
I stared at him. "Did I?"
He didn't answer.
And maybe that was the answer.
Leon's POV
The board meeting that afternoon was brutal.
Three hours of questions, raised eyebrows, and not-so-subtle concerns about whether my marriage was distracting me from the company. I gave them polished answers. Facts. Financial projections. A few well-timed jokes.
But I felt the weight of Nova's gaze the whole time.
She was seated beside me, in a charcoal dress that screamed elegance. She didn't speak, but she didn't have to. Her mere presence was a statement: I'm here. I'm not going anywhere.
And that terrified me.
Because what if she did leave?
What if, one day, she decided this was too much? That I was too much?
I couldn't control that.
And control was the only thing that had ever kept me sane.
Nova's POV
After the meeting, we rode back in silence. The car felt too small. My skin felt too hot.
Not from the weather.
From the way he'd looked at me when I took his hand in front of the board.
Like he wasn't sure whether to thank me or run.
We stepped into the penthouse, and I finally said, "We can't keep pretending nothing happened."
Leon closed the door. "I'm not pretending."
"Then talk to me. Really talk to me. Not like I'm a PR problem you're trying to solve."
He rubbed his temples. "You want the truth?"
"Yes."
He turned. "You scare the hell out of me."
I blinked. "What?"
"You walked into my life and upended everything. I had a plan. A trajectory. I was five years away from making the Hale legacy untouchable."
"And now?"
He took a step closer. "Now I don't care about the legacy. I care about you."
I exhaled slowly. "Then show me."
Leon's POV
So I did.
I walked up to her, took her face in my hands, and kissed her like I'd been waiting all day.
Because I had.
She kissed me back, no hesitation. No second-guessing.
We broke apart, breathless.
"Nova," I said, "I can't promise I'll do this right. I've never been in something real before."
She brushed her thumb over my jaw. "Then let's be messy together."
I smiled.
And for the first time, it wasn't for the cameras.
Nova's POV
That night, we didn't sleep with urgency. We moved slowly. Deliberately. Like we were trying to memorize each other in a different way.
He whispered my name like it was a vow.
And I clung to him like he was the only real thing left in a world of lies.
Later, as we lay tangled in sheets and silence, I asked, "Do you regret it?"
He looked at me. "No. But I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of losing you."
I touched his chest, felt the steady thump of his heart.
"Then don't," I whispered.
He kissed my forehead. "I'll try."
Leon's POV
The next morning, the headlines had changed.
Hale Empire Back on Track.
A Love Story, or a Business Move?
Either way, the narrative was shifting.
But the war wasn't over.
Because somewhere, in the shadows, someone still wanted to see us fall.
And I had a feeling they weren't done.
Not yet.
Nova's POV
I watched him from the balcony as he made a call, his voice low and tense.
Something was wrong.
When he hung up, I asked, "What is it?"
He hesitated.
Then, finally, "There's been a leak. A new one. Something big."
My stomach turned. "About us?"
He nodded slowly. "About the contract. The original terms. Someone got a copy."
My heart dropped.
Because if the world found out that this marriage started as a deal…
Everything we'd built everything we were starting to believe in might fall apart.
Leon's POV
I pulled her close.
"We'll handle it. Together."
But I knew this would test us in a new way.
The truth was coming.
And this time, love might not be enough to survive it.