Chapter 7
752 Words
The Game Shifts
For the first time in a long time, Mariah Sinclair felt seen.
Not admired. Not wanted. Seen.
But with visibility came vulnerability, and she didn’t know what to do with all of it. Every morning with Sebastian felt less like a performance and more like a choice. And every night, it became harder to remember where the line between fake and real had ever been.
Yet, she still hadn’t said the words. Not out loud.
Love.
She felt it curling in her chest like smoke, but the moment it threatened to rise to her throat, she swallowed it whole.
---
A week later, Mariah was invited to speak at a women-in-leadership summit. She almost declined—public speaking wasn’t her favorite thing—but Sebastian encouraged her.
“You have something to say,” he told her. “And people want to hear it.”
Mariah arrived at the venue in a cream power suit, poised but uneasy. The audience was filled with influencers, CEOs, journalists. The topic was resilience and reinvention.
She took the mic.
“I’ve been in love with beginnings for most of my life,” she said, voice steady. “I love the electricity of a new connection. The spark of chemistry. But for a long time, I treated love like a series of moments instead of a journey.”
There were murmurs of recognition.
“I used to believe that when someone finally loved me back, it meant the game was over. And I wasn’t interested in endings.”
Pause.
“But the truth is, love doesn’t end when it’s acknowledged. That’s when it really begins.”
A silence fell over the room, heavy with emotion.
And just like that, Mariah saw herself clearly.
---
Later that night, she sat in Sebastian’s penthouse, wine in hand, the skyline glowing behind her.
“You heard about the speech?” she asked, noticing the smirk on his face.
He nodded. “You stunned them.”
“I stunned myself.”
Sebastian leaned in. “I wish you could see what I see when I look at you.”
Mariah searched his eyes. “And what do you see?”
“Someone brave. Someone real.”
The wine made her bolder.
“Do you think we’re real?”
“I think we stopped pretending a long time ago,” he said.
She placed her glass down. “Then maybe it’s time we tell the world.”
---
They announced it the next morning.
Not a break-up.
An actual engagement.
The tabloids exploded. Social media lost its mind. But the moment was theirs. And for once, Mariah didn’t feel like running.
Until her father called.
---
“Are you out of your mind?” he barked.
Mariah braced herself. “Good morning to you too.”
“You’re rushing into this. You barely know the man. Do you realize the kind of risk you’re taking?”
“It’s not your decision to make.”
“It affects the company. The family. We’ve worked hard to build an image of credibility and professionalism. Reckless engagements don’t help.”
Mariah stiffened. “You mean my credibility. Because I’m the one who’s supposed to play perfect while everyone else gets to live.”
“You’re being emotional.”
“I’m being honest.”
Click.
She ended the call. Then immediately regretted it.
---
Sebastian found her pacing on the rooftop terrace later that night.
“You talked to him.”
“I shouldn’t let him get to me, but he always does.”
Sebastian didn’t try to fix it. He just stood beside her, quiet, until the wind calmed her down.
Then he said, “You don’t owe anyone a curated version of yourself. Least of all him.”
Mariah looked at him. “What if he’s right? What if we’re just pretending to be something real?”
Sebastian stepped closer. “Then let me prove it’s not.”
He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a velvet box.
Real. Not PR.
A ring.
Mariah’s heart nearly stopped.
He opened it. Inside was a delicate band, simple and stunning.
“Marry me, Mariah.”
She stared at the ring, breathless. “Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“But—what if I ruin it?”
“You won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re not running.”
And for the first time in her life, she didn’t.
- Writer
