The next morning in Goa was unusually quiet.
For the first time since arriving, there were no reporters outside the resort gates and no camera flashes on the beach.
Aria sat at the breakfast table inside the villa, scrolling through her phone.
"That's strange," she muttered.
Rohan looked up from his coffee.
"What is?"
"The media has gone silent."
Rohan frowned slightly.
"That's not normal."
Aria nodded.
"Exactly. Yesterday every news channel was talking about us, and now… nothing."
Rohan leaned back in his chair, thinking.
"Silence usually means something bigger is coming."
Aria sighed.
"Great. That's very comforting."
Just then, Kabir called.
Aria answered immediately.
"Kabir, what's going on? Why is the media suddenly quiet?"
Kabir sounded tense.
"That's what I was about to tell you."
Aria felt her stomach tighten.
"Tell me what?"
Kabir took a breath.
"Dev Khanna is planning something big."
Rohan stood up instantly.
"What kind of plan?"
Kabir lowered his voice.
"He's meeting several reporters today."
Aria exchanged a worried look with Rohan.
"That can't be good."
Kabir continued,
"And according to one of my sources… he's planning to expose something tonight."
Aria's heart skipped.
"The contract?"
"Possibly."
The call ended shortly after.
For a moment, the villa felt eerily quiet again.
Aria stood up and walked toward the balcony, staring at the ocean.
"This is getting out of control," she said softly.
Rohan joined her.
"We'll deal with it."
Aria turned to him.
"You always say that."
"And it's always true."
She studied his face carefully.
"You're surprisingly calm."
Rohan shrugged slightly.
"I've dealt with scandals before."
Aria shook her head.
"This one is different."
Rohan raised an eyebrow.
"How?"
Aria pointed at herself.
"Because this time you dragged an innocent writer into the middle of it."
Rohan looked guilty for a moment.
"You agreed to the contract."
Aria sighed.
"I know."
Then she added quietly,
"But I didn't expect things to become this complicated."
The wind from the ocean brushed through her hair.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Rohan said something unexpected.
"If things get worse… you can leave."
Aria looked at him in surprise.
"What?"
"I'll handle the scandal myself."
Aria frowned.
"You mean cancel the contract?"
Rohan nodded.
"Yes."
Aria stared at him.
For some reason, that idea made her chest feel strangely heavy.
"You're just going to end everything like that?"
Rohan looked serious.
"I don't want you getting hurt because of my problems."
Aria folded her arms.
"You're forgetting something."
"What?"
She raised her hand and showed him the ring.
"I signed the contract too."
Rohan looked at the ring quietly.
"And?"
Aria took a deep breath.
"And I don't quit stories halfway."
Rohan looked slightly confused.
Aria smiled faintly.
"I'm a writer, remember?"
"So?"
"So I want to see how this story ends."
Rohan stared at her for a moment.
Then he smiled slightly.
"That might be the most stubborn thing I've ever heard."
Aria shrugged.
"Maybe."
But before either of them could say anything else, her phone buzzed again.
Another news alert appeared.
Her smile immediately faded.
The headline read:
"DEV KHANNA ANNOUNCES PRESS CONFERENCE TONIGHT – CLAIMS HE WILL REVEAL THE TRUTH ABOUT ROHAN MALHOTRA'S MARRIAGE."
Aria slowly lowered the phone.
"Well," she said quietly.
"Looks like tonight is going to be the biggest chapter of this story."
And if Dev really revealed the truth…
Their fake marriage might not survive the night.
End of Chapter 18
Next Chapter: The Scandal Begins