Chapter Sixteen: The Media Break

The morning air was unusually still, like the eerie calm before a storm. Lia sipped her coffee on the patio, her thoughts running wild. Damien had left early for the office, his words last night still echoing in her ears: Whatever happens next, I want to face it with you.

She wasn't sure what he meant entirely, but she knew one thing, she wasn't ready to let go.

Her phone buzzed. Gloria's voice called from inside. "Miss Lia! You might want to see this!"

Lia rushed inside, heart thumping. Gloria pointed to the television screen, where a morning talk show was flashing images of her and Damien, their wedding, the gala appearances, and the recent charity event. But the headline below made her blood run cold:

"CEO Damien Cross in Contract Marriage? Insider Sources Claim Scandal!"

"What the..."

The anchor continued, "Sources close to the Cross Corporation allege that the CEO's seemingly perfect marriage was, in fact, a business arrangement. Reports suggest a contract was signed between Damien Cross and Lia Morgan, indicating the marriage was a staged union to stabilize Cross Corp's board confidence."

Lia couldn't breathe.

Her phone rang again... Mrs. Morgan.

"Mom, I..."

"Lia, are you okay? This is all over the internet. The neighbors are talking. Your uncle called me from Chicago!"

"I just saw it. I don't know how this happened."

"Come home. Just for a while."

But she couldn't. Not yet.

An hour later, Ethan Hale arrived, unannounced.

"I figured you'd need legal counsel and some damage control," he said, calm but clearly worried. "This was a leak, no doubt. Possibly from within the company, or someone close."

Lia blinked. "You think Vanessa?"

Ethan didn't answer directly. "She's been sniffing around the PR team. But we can't point fingers yet."

"Where's Damien?"

"In lockdown mode. He's trying to control the narrative."

Just then, her phone rang again, this time, Damien.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice taut.

"I should be asking you that."

"I need you at the office. Now. We're holding a press conference in two hours."

The ride to Cross Corp was tense. Paparazzi lined the gates, clicking and shouting questions as her car passed. When she entered Damien's office, he stood by the window, jaw clenched.

"Who did this?" she asked quietly.

He turned to her, eyes stormy. "Someone with access to our files. But I don't care about that right now. I care about you."

Her throat tightened. She had waited so long to hear him say that, but not like this. Not in a crisis.

"Do you regret it?" she whispered. "The contract. Us."

He walked over slowly. "Not for a second. But I do regret not protecting you better."

The press room buzzed with reporters, cameras, and tension. Damien stood tall behind the podium, Lia by his side, holding his hand.

He began, "Thank you all for coming. I will address the rumors directly. Yes, Lia Morgan and I entered into a contractual agreement one year ago. What began as a business decision... became much more."

The reporters gasped.

Damien glanced at Lia, then back to the crowd. "I fell in love with my wife. Not out of obligation, but out of truth. This leak was meant to embarrass us, to destabilize Cross Corp. But I stand by Lia. And if that costs me everything, so be it."

The room fell into murmurs.

Later, back in the office, Lia collapsed into the chair. "That was either brave or stupid."

Damien chuckled. "Hopefully brave."

He walked over, kneeling before her. "I meant every word. No more masks, Lia. No more hiding."

She touched his cheek. "Then don't just stand by me. Stand with me."

Outside, the world speculated. Inside, something real finally took root.