Secret Vows Unveiled

Chapter3

The alarm rang for what sounded like the hundredth time.

I slowly opened my eyes, as the sun light filled the room.

Beside me , Daniel was completely asleep.

“Daniel is still in bed? At this time ?” I whispered.

“He must be so exhausted of yesterday’s chaos”.

I leaned against him and kissed him.

“Hey baby, wake up. We are going to be late”.

He quickly pulled his lips away from mine as he stretched himself and got up.

I moved towards him for a hug I had been longing for all morning.

“I thought you said we were going to be late?”he said ,walking past me toward the bathroom.

I quickly replied before the hurt could reach my face .

“ Yeah , sure”.

“I have been looking forward to this day, but my mind can’t get over the anonymous threat”.

Daniel cleared his throat from the bathroom.

“Don’t worry, those are just empty threats, we will handle it today after the event”.

“After the event?, the message said see you at the gala. We are supposed to be fully present at the moment to showcase the new active wear line to clients and investors”.

“Security will handle that” he replied as he got out of the bathroom.

I was struggling to put on a necklace and I thought it’s an opportunity to get close to Daniel.

I moved towards Daniel and turned around.

“Could you please help me put this on?”

I asked , searching for his facial expression before he agreed.

“Yeah sure “.

He turned around and fixed it, then proceeded with dressing.

I wasn’t lucky, couldn’t catch it.

By the evening,the city lights glittered against the glass walls of the venue, and as I adjusted my fit, a rush of disbelief washed over me. This was it.

The dream I had whispered to myself in sleepless nights , now unfolding beneath the blinding glow of New York’s fashion stage.

My husband ,Daniel Maxwell, made that happen.

My hair was steadily styled, complimenting my melanin-rich skin tone and my tall,long -limbed figure.

The moment i stepped onto the runway, the crowd immediately reacted.

“You look Gorgeous “

Their voices filled the room wrapping me in a rush of pride and joy.

I kept moving , showcasing every side of the new active wear line.

The team followed me behind, making everyone in the room scream .

“The sets are giving classic chic vibes “. I could hear such compliments from the guests near me.

The final notes of the music faded as I gave my last pose beneath the blinding lights.

Applause thundered through the room,echoing against the walls like a victory poem, cameras flashing left and right, capturing every angle, every detail, and every smile.

As I stepped off the runway, Daniel Maxwell , stood waiting at the end of the runway.

“That’s my baby”. Daniel shouted while smiling.

As I was moving while turning side to side smiling at the guests I spotted someone i know from years back, everyone else was cheering unlike her .

My brain paused.

“Maybe I’m confusing her with someone else”. I whispered to myself.

I kept moving towards Daniel while waving at everyone in the crowd.

His arms opened immediately.

He smiled at me like i was the only person in the room.

‘‘You are exactly who you think you are , my love’’.He whispered, pulling me to a hug.

‘‘You outdid yourself out there’’.

I smiled against his chest.

Industry leaders approached us, wanting to be part of what we are building. Business cards changed hands, conversations started and opportunities opened.

DM Active wear was no longer just a dream we talked about.

People wanted it and believed in it.

“ Let others join us for a photo”.

Ethan Cole, our Public Relations Manager instructed.

“Smile, say cheers”.

Questions kept lingering in my mind. “What is this woman doing here?”

Then a message popped on my screen.

“Looking stunning, just as you should have”.

I muted the phone and looked around , only to catch the same woman staring at me with a smile.

Daniel was handed the microphone.

“I think i found the person threatening us, and it’s bad”. I whispered to Daniel.

“Hmmmm”. He cleared his throat before talking.

“ Thank you everyone for joining us . Tonight , we celebrate the peak of our hard work commitment and consistency . I would like to thank My Co- Founder and wife , Ariana Maxwell for presenting our brand internationally”.

“And also….”

“Is that all? Are you going to pretend you don’t know about her scandal?”One of the reporters shouted from behind.

The security immediately surrounded, stopping the reporters from reaching us.

“There’s no any scandal, we conducted our investigation and found out the pictures weren’t real”. Ethan said.

All the reporters moved closer to him pointing microphones on his face.

“ Someone is deliberately trying to destroy the reputation of DM ACTIVE WEAR , the owners and their marriage”. Ethan continued.

“Does she have any enemies?”

Reporters flooded Ethan with questions.

“A woman like her, Co- Founder of a reputable brand, A rich wife, Married to a CEO , is very likely to have enemies” Ethan replied.

“Mr. Ethan , are you telling us that the whole yesterday’s scandal was a lie?”

“Yes , the pictures were AI Engineered and whoever is behind it will be found and will face the consequences”.

“Who would frame her? She’s not grateful for what she already has, especially considering how she got it all”.

A voice shouted from behind , it sounded more closer than previously.

Everyone in the crowd turned towards her.

Daniel held my arm tightly “ Calm down baby, I’ll handle this”.

Security was already at the front guarding us.

“Why are you stopping me ? Let me talk. Ariana has everything other women want, Money, Fame, a husband and business”. The lady continued.

“But why can’t she settle in her marriage?”

“We clarified that already, the pictures were AI - Engineered”.Ethan interrupted her .

“Is there anything else you want to tell your fans,Ariana?”

The Woman added.

I took a deep breath.

It was at this moment when I realized , her presence at the gala wasn’t a coincidence.

And whatever she knew about my past would expose the truth Daniel and I had worked so hard to protect and destroy everything we had built together.

The security guards dragged her out.

“I can go out on my own,stop dragging me”.She shouted.

“And you. Ariana ,your days are numbered.