The morning sunlight did little to calm the storm that had been brewing since yesterday's gala.
Elara awoke to the sound of notifications flooding her phone. Social media posts, headlines, and messages all screaming the same thing:
"Lucien Blackwood and Elara: The Scandalous Gala Kiss!"
"Is This Blackwood's New Power Couple?"
"A Kiss for the Cameras or Something More?"
Her stomach twisted. She hadn't thought the kiss would make waves like this. She hadn't thought anyone would see it, let alone report it.
Lucien entered the room silently, dark eyes scanning the glowing headlines on her phone. His jaw tightened, and she knew he was already calculating his next move.
"Looks like Adrian Kane wasn't the only one who leaked something," he murmured, his voice low, dangerous. "Now everyone thinks they can interfere with us."
Elara's heart raced. "What… what should we do?"
He stepped closer, pressing a hand to her shoulder, grounding her. "We handle it, but we do it carefully. I don't care what anyone says, Elara. You are mine, and I will make sure everyone knows it, too."
The media frenzy escalated by midday. Reporters camped outside the mansion, trying to catch a glimpse of them. Emails, calls, and gossip spread like wildfire.
At the charity board meeting that afternoon, Adrian Kane appeared once again, smug and confident.
"Well, well," he said smoothly, eyes flicking to Elara, "it seems the rumors are true. Quite the kiss, Mr. Blackwood."
Lucien's hand found hers under the table, fingers tightening. "You'll excuse me if I remind you, Kane," he said darkly, "that anyone who tries to interfere with Elara or me… will regret it."
Adrian smirked but didn't respond further, clearly recognizing the danger in Lucien's tone.
Elara could barely focus on the meeting. Her chest was tight, her cheeks burning, her mind consumed with what this public exposure would mean.
After the meeting, Lucien led her to the privacy of his office. He closed the door and finally allowed himself to let his guard down just slightly.
"You know," he said, voice low, husky, "public attention is the least of my worries. It's people like Kane—people who think they can get close to you, manipulate you, use you—that make me dangerous."
Her lips trembled. "Lucien… I can handle it. I trust you."
He softened, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "I know," he said quietly. "But you don't know how much it hurts to see someone even look at you like they could claim you. You're mine, Elara. And I don't forgive easily."
She shivered, heart pounding, at the intensity in his gaze. "I… I'm yours," she whispered, barely audible.
He pulled her close, their foreheads resting together, breaths mingling. "Good," he murmured. "Because after yesterday… after that kiss… we've crossed a line. And there's no turning back."
The day continued with a tension that hovered like a storm cloud. Every glance, every whisper, every message reminded them both that the world was watching.
But amidst the chaos, a thrill ran through Elara. The kiss had changed everything. They were no longer just partners in a business arrangement—they were a unit, a force to be reckoned with, unbreakable in the face of external scrutiny.
By nightfall, as they stood on the balcony together, the city lights shimmering below, Lucien's hand found hers again.
"Let them watch," he murmured. "Let them talk. We know the truth. And that's all that matters."
Elara leaned into him, heart still racing, and realized something terrifyingly wonderful:
Nothing—no gossip, no rival, no obstacle—could come between them now.
And she wouldn't have it any other way.