The next morning—
Arisha woke up to whispers.
Not in the mansion.
On the internet.
Her phone kept vibrating non-stop.
When she finally opened social media, her breath froze.
Headlines everywhere:
"Billionaire Adrian Knight Marries a Nobody."
"New Mrs. Knight from a Poor Background?"
"Gold Digger or True Love?"
There were pictures from last night's gala.
Her face.
Zoomed. Judged. Criticized.
Comments were worse.
"She trapped him."
"She doesn't look classy."
"She's not good enough."
Her fingers trembled.
She wasn't weak.
But public humiliation hurt differently.
Suddenly, her bedroom door opened without knocking.
Adrian walked in, wearing a crisp white shirt, sleeves folded.
His expression darkened when he saw her pale face.
"You've seen it."
It wasn't a question.
Arisha nodded slowly. "It's fine. I expected this."
"No," he said sharply. "It's not fine."
That surprised her.
He stepped closer and took the phone from her hand.
His jaw tightened as he scrolled.
"They crossed the line."
Arisha forced a small smile. "It's just words."
His eyes snapped to hers.
"Words destroy reputations."
There was something dangerous in his voice.
He pulled out his own phone and dialed a number.
"Take down every article about my wife," he said coldly. "Sue the ones who started it."
Wife.
The word sounded different today.
Not cold.
Possessive.
Arisha stared at him.
"You don't need to do that," she whispered.
Adrian looked at her like she had said something absurd.
"They insulted what belongs to me."
Belongs.
Her heart skipped strangely.
Before she could respond, another notification popped up.
This time—
A picture.
Her father's small old shop.
With the caption:
"Mrs. Knight's Real Background."
Her chest tightened.
"They involved my family…" she whispered.
And that's when Adrian lost control.
His hand slammed against the table.
"Enough."
The cold billionaire was gone.
In his place stood a man radiating fury.
"No one touches your family," he said quietly. "Not while you carry my name."
Her eyes widened.
Why did he care this much?
This was supposed to be a contract.
Nothing more.
He stepped closer.
Too close.
"If anyone tries to hurt you," he said softly, dangerously, "they will regret it."
Her heart pounded.
For the first time—
She didn't see a cold billionaire.
She saw a man protecting her.
But then—
A message arrived on Adrian's phone.
From Vanessa.
"Careful, Adrian. Secrets don't stay hidden forever."
His expression changed instantly.
The warmth disappeared.
Walls rebuilt.
Arisha noticed.
"What secret?" she asked quietly.
Adrian locked his phone.
"You don't need to know."
And just like that—
The distance between them returned.
But Arisha felt it.
There was something he wasn't telling her.
Something about why he chose her.
And she was starting to fear—
She wasn't just his wife.
She was part of a bigger plan.