CHAPTER THREE: Under the spotlight
1178 Words
Savannah hadn’t expected fame to come with so many mirrors. Literal ones. There were mirrors in the elevator, mirrors in the Knight Media building, and mirrors in every bathroom and makeup room she was now forced to frequent thanks to Adrian’s aggressive public calendar.
She felt like she was watching herself vanish in reflections—bit by bit—while the woman in the headlines became someone else entirely.
“You need to be at the studio by nine sharp,” Adrian said, sliding a folder across the breakfast bar. “They’re doing a joint interview on KnightTalk. Live broadcast. Keep your answers sharp, vague, and charming.”
Savannah raised an eyebrow, spooning yogurt into her mouth. “Vague and charming. Sounds like your personal motto.”
Adrian didn’t smile. “And don’t mention Marcus. He’s already running his mouth to Page Six.”
The mention of Marcus made Savannah’s stomach twist. Something about him had left a sour taste. That smirk. That mockery. That knowing gleam when he looked at Adrian—like he held a secret Adrian couldn’t afford to be told.
She still didn’t know what history they shared.
But she had a feeling it mattered more than Adrian was letting on.
---
The studio lights were hot. Too hot.
Savannah wore a navy wrap dress with delicate gold accents. Adrian looked like sin in a dark suit, crisp and tailored to cut. They sat on a couch angled toward the camera, backs straight, hands close but not quite touching.
“Welcome back to KnightTalk,” the host chirped, flashing a perfect smile. “Today, we have a special treat. Media mogul Adrian Knight and his stunning fiancée, Savannah Rose.”
The audience clapped. Cameras blinked. Savannah blinked back.
It was all too much.
But she smiled.
Played her part.
Answered every question with careful charm. How they met. How he proposed. Why she kept her floral shop running despite the engagement.
“He fell in love with the scent of my life,” she joked. Adrian smiled faintly beside her, but she noticed the way his jaw stayed tight.
Then the host leaned forward, bright-eyed and digging.
“Adrian, there have been rumors of old tensions resurfacing. Specifically regarding former partner Marcus Hale. Care to comment?”
Adrian’s eyes chilled.
“I don’t entertain gossip.”
Savannah reached for his hand, gently resting her fingers over his.
He didn’t pull away.
The cameras caught everything.
---
They rode back in silence.
Savannah didn’t press him. She could feel the fury rolling off his skin like smoke.rt under her nails and petals in her hair, had just walked straight into his world.
te?But later that night, as she wandered onto the balcony, she found him there. Shirt unbuttoned. Tie forgotten. Glass of scotch in his hand.
She stepped beside him. “Want to talk about it?”
“Marcus tried to ruin me,” Adrian said quietly. “Two years ago. We were working on a tech merger. He leaked details to the competitor. Almost cost me the deal.”
“Why would he do that?”
Adrian looked at her. Something dark flickered in his eyes.
“Because I was dating someone he wanted.”
Savannah froze. “And now you’re dating me.”
He didn’t respond.
But he didn’t need to.
---
The next week blurred.
Photo shoots. Press dinners. More interviews. Savannah learned how to smile without thinking and kiss Adrian on the cheek without faltering. But her mind raced with questions. And when she returned to her shop one evening to find Lily pale-faced and flustered, she knew something had snapped.
“Sav,” Lily whispered, pulling her into the back. “You need to see this.”
On the screen was a leaked email chain.
From: Marcus Hale To: Anon Gossip
"Adrian Knight’s engagement is a PR stunt. The florist was hired. The ring isn’t real. Neither is the romance. Ask her how much she’s being paid."
Savannah stared.
Her lungs turned to ice.
“It’s all over the blogs,” Lily added. “They’re saying you’re a gold-digging actress. That you lied about everything.”
Savannah sat down hard.
Everything was unraveling.
---
Adrian called twenty minutes later.
“Don’t say a word to anyone,” he said. “We’ll handle this like we handle everything. With control.”
“They think I’m a liar,” Savannah said softly. “My clients are canceling. Lily got yelled at by a customer. I’m not a celebrity, Adrian. I’m not you.”
There was a pause.
Then his voice dropped.
“Pack a bag. You’re staying at the penthouse. I won’t let them get to you.”
“Is it true?” she asked suddenly. “Did you pick me because of him? Because Marcus wanted me first?”
Silence.
Then, finally:
“No.”
A beat.
“But I stayed with you because I wanted to.”
---
She arrived at the penthouse after midnight.
Security had been tightened. Cameras lined the hallway. Paparazzi flashed from across the street.
Adrian stood in the doorway.
Savannah stepped in. Dropped her bag. Looked up at him.
“Then prove it.”
He frowned. “What?”
“Prove it wasn’t about Marcus. That this is more than a game to you.”
Adrian closed the door.
He took her hand.
And then he kissed her.
Not soft. Not staged.
Real.
Savannah melted into him.
And just as something inside her cracked open, his phone buzzed.
He pulled back, breath ragged. Glanced at the screen.
His expression darkened.
“What is it?” she asked.
He showed her the message.
Unknown Number: Tell your fake fiancée to stay out of it. Or the next leak won’t be an email. It’ll be a video.
Savannah paled.
“What video?”
Adrian didn’t answer.
Because suddenly, everything had changed.
Chapter Four: The Truth Unspools
The tension in the penthouse was so thick it felt like drowning in velvet. Savannah couldn’t sleep. Not after that message. Not after seeing Adrian’s face drain of all color.
She stood by the window, watching the city buzz far below. Adrian’s reflection hovered behind hers.
“You still haven’t told me,” she said. “What video?”
Adrian stepped beside her.
“I don’t know exactly,” he said, voice low. “But if it’s what I think it is, Marcus has footage from the night the merger failed. A confrontation. Things got... ugly.”
“You were physical?”
“No. But there was shouting. Threats. He recorded me—took things out of context. If he releases it, it could be spun as coercion. Abuse of power.”
Savannah pressed her fingers to her temple.
“This isn’t just about you anymore. They’re painting me as a con artist.”
“I know.” Adrian looked away. “Which is why we need to fight back.”
“How?”
“We make the engagement real.”
Savannah froze.
“What?”
Adrian turned to her, eyes
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