Adira's POV
By evening, the scandal had spiraled into a circus. Every channel replayed the same blurry photos of me and Jayden, captioned with poisonous headlines. The Illegitimate Heiress with her Billionaire Benefactor.
I stared at my reflection in the office glass, anger and exhaustion burning in equal measure. Enough. I wasn't going to let Ashley, or the media, define me anymore.
"Draft a statement," I told my assistant. "We go live tonight."
The girl blinked. "Live, ma'am? You mean"
"Yes," I said firmly. "No press release. No spin. I'll face them myself."
The studio lights were hot, unforgiving. Cameras blinked red. For a moment, silence pressed against my ribs. Then I began.
"I've seen the photos. I've read the headlines. And let me say this clearly: I don't apologize for having people in my life who support me. What I've built, I built with grit, vision, and sacrifice. No man no one can take credit for that."
I paused, letting the words settle.
"And if the world is so threatened by the idea that a woman can stand beside powerful men without being diminished, then maybe the problem isn't me. Maybe the problem is what you choose to believe."
I looked straight into the lens, voice steady. "I am Adira Williams. I am more than my bloodline, more than your gossip. I am my own empire."
When the cameras cut, the crew burst into applause. For the first time in days, my lungs felt free.
Back at my apartment, the adrenaline crashed, leaving me raw and trembling. I peeled off my blazer, kicked off my heels, and collapsed onto the sofa.
The knock at the door didn't surprise me. Jayden had a way of appearing exactly when I needed him.
"You were brilliant," he said, stepping inside, his presence filling the space.
"I was terrified," I admitted, voice cracking. "But I had to do it."
"You didn't just do it," he said, moving closer. "You owned it. You turned their weapon into your crown."
I laughed, shaky. "Why do you always sound so sure of me when I can barely stand myself?"
"Because I've always seen you clearly," he murmured.
His words undid me. Tears spilled before I could stop them. I covered my face, ashamed, but then his hands were there, gentle but insistent, pulling mine away.
"Don't hide from me," he said softly.
Something in me broke but not in the way it used to. Not like the girl who cried in her bathroom. This time, it felt like surrender, like choosing to let someone in.
I reached for him. My fingers curled into his shirt, and before I could overthink, I whispered the truth I'd been fighting: "I don't want to push you away anymore."
His breath caught. For a heartbeat, the world stilled. Then his forehead pressed against mine, his voice rough. "Say it again."
"I don't want to push you away."
And then his lips were on mine. Slow, reverent, like a promise kept across ten years.
It wasn't the wild, desperate kiss of scandal and fury. It was deeper the kind that said I see you, all of you, and I'm not leaving.
When we finally pulled apart, breathless, he touched my cheek the way he had by the river, but this time I didn't step back.
"You deserve this," he whispered. "You deserve to feel, Adira."
For once, I let myself believe him.
Ashley's POV
Ashley slammed her laptop shut, fury burning in her chest.
The live broadcast hadn't destroyed Adira. It had made her stronger. And those photos that were meant to ruin her? They only made her and Jayden look untouchable power and elegance entwined.
Ashley's grip tightened around her glass. "Fine," she hissed. "If the world wants to crown her, then I'll make sure the throne collapses beneath her."