Pretending To Be His

Four : Viral

Aria stepped into the office on Monday morning, her shoulders heavy.

The usual bustle of her coworkers, the tapping of keyboards and the soft hum of office chatter seemed distant as she walked through the halls, her mind consumed by a single, relentless question: How am I going to secure another client? The thought was like a drumbeat, steady and insistent, echoing louder with every step she took toward her desk. The gala had supposed to be about networking, but after running into Him she'd lost all interest in that and had simply left early. But now her head throbbed from the constant swirl of worry. How was she supposed to pitch herself again with the sting of Grayson’s rejection still so fresh? And how could she convince the next potential client that she was worth taking a gamble on? She was good at what she did—great, even—but evidently, not good enough for Grayson Stone and his opinion seemed to carry an unbearable weight.

If he didn’t think she was worth it, who else would?

Those self-depreciating thoughts were interrupted by something she couldn’t quite put her finger on, an odd sensation that prickled at the back of her neck. The whispers, the glances, the office suddenly felt charged with something she couldn’t ignore. People were watching her, she was sure of it. On more than one occasion she caught the eye of people staring, gazes averting guiltily the moment she made eye contact. No one said anything outright to her, but the hushed conversations that abruptly stopped when she passed, the sideways looks—it was as if everyone had something to say, but no one dared say it to her face.

Aria’s heart sank. Was it because of the Grayson contract? Had word spread that she’d lost the deal and now they were all gossiping about her failure? She wouldn’t put it past her team to have spread the word, but the very idea made her stomach turn. The last thing she needed was to become the subject of office whispers. With her head down, she quickened her pace, practically scurrying to her office. She closed the door behind her, her chest tight as she sank into her chair.

Staring blankly at the computer screen, she tried to pull herself together. Since when did I care what they think? She thought, her frustration bubbling beneath the surface. She’d faced tougher challenges before—rejections, setbacks, the constant grind of proving herself in an industry that was very male-orientated. She clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms. She wasn’t about to let one man—or the judgmental whispers of her coworkers—define her.

Just as she took a deep breath, trying to center herself, her phone buzzed on the desk, jolting her out of her thoughts. She glanced at the screen and saw Sara’s name flashing. With a sigh, she picked up the phone.

“Hey, now isn’t—”

“Aria! Oh my God, have you seen it?” Sara’s voice came through the line with excitement.

Aria blinked, her brows furrowing. “Seen what?”

“The picture. From the gala! It’s all over social media right now.”

“What picture?”

“You and Grayson Stone! Someone snapped a shot of you two at the gala and it’s everywhere. I mean everywhere. People are losing it because Grayson’s smiling in the photo—at you. I’m sending you the link now you have got to see this.”

“What?” Aria’s voice was barely more than a whisper, her heart racing as she put her friend on speaker and opened the link she sent her.

Her eyes widened as the image loaded on the screen. It was a photo from the charity gala, capturing her and Grayson standing close—too close. Langston, who had been standing with them, was nowhere to be seen, cropped out entirely as though he wasn’t there at all. The angle of the shot was damning, perfectly positioned to make it look as though Grayson was gazing down at her with an amused, almost possessive smirk. And Aria—caught mid-turn with her head slightly tilted back—looked as if she were smiling up at him, as if they were sharing a private moment.

“Oh my God…” Aria muttered, staring at the image, her breath catching in her throat.

The way their bodies were angled toward each other, the lighting casting a warm glow over their faces—it gave off a completely different vibe than what had actually happened. It looked intimate, as though they were a couple engaged in some secret exchange, rather than two people thrown together in a fleeting, uncomfortable interaction.

“Who’s the mystery woman?”

“Grayson Stone never smiles like that!”

“Is this Grayson’s new girlfriend? They look so close!”

“Look at the way he’s smirking down at her—definitely something going on here!”

“They’re totally together. You can sense the chemistry!”

Chemistry? She couldn’t believe how quickly people had jumped to conclusions, all based on a single misleading snapshot. The photo made it seem like there was something there between them beyond him throwing a few condescending remarks her way. The look on his face wasn’t affectionate—it had been one of quiet amusement, of barely concealed arrogance. But none of that translated in the photo. It was all wrong. Her heart pounded in her chest, the whispers from the office suddenly making sense. It wasn’t the Grayson contract that had everyone talking—it was this. The photo.

“I can’t believe it.” She murmured as she continued to scroll through the comments. “People think... They think we’re...”

“I know!” Sara cut in excitedly. “Everyone’s talking about it because Grayson never smiles in public, so they think you two are secretly... Well, you know.”

“We weren’t even—This isn’t what it looks like at all!”

“That isn’t how the internet works, sweetie, you know this. People are jumping to conclusions and trust me, they’re loving the idea of you two together. Some of the comments are wild.”

“I’m reading them.” Aria groaned, pressing her palm to her forehead. “Oh God, Grayson Stone is going to kill me when he sees this.”

“Or… You could use this to your advantage.” Sara said slowly.

Aria frowned, her hand dropping. “What do you mean?”

“Look, people are talking about you and the Grayson Stone, one of the most high-profile men in the business world. It might not be for the reason you wanted, but... It’s exposure. Maybe you could spin this. Make it work to your advantage.”

“Sara, people think I’m... Involved with him! This isn’t some PR stunt. I can’t use this.”

“This could open doors for you. You’ve been fighting for visibility in this industry and now people are paying attention. Don’t write this off just because it’s messy. Sometimes mess leads to opportunity—just look at Kira K, she totally worked a s*x-type leak to her advantage.”

Aria sat back in her chair, her mind swirling. “I... I don’t know. This could backfire.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I don’t know. I just... I need to figure this out. I’ll talk to you later.”

As she hung up the phone, Aria stared at the photo on her screen, her mind still racing. Could she really spin this into something she could use to her advantage? She scrolled through the comments again, noting that Sara was right—the response was strangely positive. People were genuinely excited about the idea of Grayson Stone being with a non-celebrity. Sure, there were a few scathing remarks about her appearance—how she wasn’t pretty enough to hold the attention of a man like Grayson—but those were easily outnumbered by the curious, even supportive, reactions from strangers who seemed to love the idea of a “normal” woman catching the eye of a powerful billionaire.

“Finally, a real person instead of the usual models and socialites he goes for.”

“She’s perfect for him! Way more natural than his typical type.”

“I’ve never seen Grayson smile like that—this must be serious!”

“They have to be dating. The way he’s looking at her? Dead giveaway.”

"Look how close they are standing... there's definitely something going on."

“Lucky girl. Can’t believe Grayson Stone is off the market! RIP my broken heart~”

Aria blinked, almost in disbelief. The negativity she’d expected was there, but it was drowned out by a wave of intrigue, fascination, and—most shockingly—support. For her. Her deep dive into the netizens' thoughts was abruptly interrupted by the sharp ring of her desk phone, the shrill tone making her jump. She instinctively reached for the receiver, her heart skipping a beat as she realized she had been too engrossed in the comments to notice how much time had passed. You’re supposed to be working, she scolded herself as she answered.

“Hello, this is Aria.”

“Ms. Hart.” The voice of the company front desk receptionist came through. “Mr. Grayson Stone is here to see you.”

Aria’s grip tightened on the phone as her stomach dropped. Grayson Stone? Her mind raced as panic surged through her. What is he doing here? The viral photo flashed through her thoughts and her heart hammered in her chest. Did he see the picture already? Was he furious?

“Um... Grayson Stone? Are you sure?” She confirmed, mildly hopeful she’d heard wrong.

“Yes, ma’am.” The receptionist replied smoothly. “He’s waiting in the lobby. Shall I send him up?”

“Uh, yes... Sure.”

She hung up the phone and stared at it for a moment, as if it could somehow offer her guidance on how to survive the impending disaster. What am I going to say to him? She pushed herself up from her chair, reminding herself she hadn’t done anything wrong. It wasn’t like she leaked the photo or had any control over the way it spread like wildfire. If anything, this entire mess was partly his fault—for antagonizing her, for causing them to have the disagreement that resulted in this mess.

Her heart still pounded in her chest, but a flicker of defiance sparked within her. She wasn’t going to cower in front of Grayson Stone. He had humiliated her, made her feel small and now he was here, probably to confront her but she had to stay grounded. Still, her legs felt heavy as she moved toward the door of her office, her mind struggling to piece together a strategy for the inevitable confrontation. Would he be angry? Cold? Mocking? There were so many ways this could go wrong, but she couldn’t allow herself to crumble under the weight of his presence.

She straightened her blazer and smoothed her hair, trying to inject some confidence into her trembling hands. You didn’t do anything wrong, Aria. Just stay calm. Be professional. You’ve faced tougher things than this, she reminded herself again, but even as she repeated the words in her head, the knot of anxiety in her stomach tightened. Grayson Stone had a way of throwing her completely off balance and she feared what would happen when he walked through the door.

Deep breaths. She took another moment to compose herself before heading to meet the man who had turned her world upside down.