The World Knows
1670 Words
“Come check this out!”
I was sitting in my room, trying to figure out how I was going to tell Tori everything, when her voice suddenly came from the living room. The urgency in her tone made me stop, and I immediately walked downstairs.
“What’s wrong?”
Tori stood in front of the television with the volume turned up. She pointed at the screen, her expression filled with disbelief.
“Listen. You are not going to believe this.”
The familiar logo of **Spotlight Buzz** filled the television.
A breaking entertainment report.
Then the headline appeared.
**Who Is Damon Cross’s Mystery Woman?**
My breathing stopped.
“Last night, billionaire CEO Damon Cross was spotted outside a private restaurant with an unidentified woman. The two were seen sharing an intimate moment before entering a vehicle. Sources are currently investigating the identity of the woman…”
I stopped listening.
Because the screen showed the photograph.
It was dark and blurry, but not blurry enough.
A man stood beside a black car, one hand wrapped around a woman’s waist while his lips pressed against hers.
Me.
My skin went cold.
Tori, completely unaware of my reaction, grabbed a handful of chips.
“I wonder who she is,” she said. “This is everywhere. Bloggers are losing their minds over it.”
Of course they were.
Damon Cross’s private life was something people would pay attention to, especially when the woman beside him was unknown.
Tori narrowed her eyes at the photograph.
“I think she might be a redhead.” She tilted her head. “Maybe Damon Cross has a type.”
“Um, Tori.”
She looked at me.
“What?”
I hesitated.
“Shall we guess?”
Her eyebrows lifted.
“Guess what?”
“Who the mystery woman is.”
I tried to keep my voice normal.
“You worked with him for three years. You must have some idea. Did you ever see him with another woman?”
My mind went blank.
“T-That is…”
Before I could answer, someone knocked on the front door.
Tori glanced toward the entrance.
“Are you expecting someone?”
I swallowed.
“The moving team.”
Her expression changed immediately.
“The moving team?”
“I-I’ll answer it.”
I moved quickly before she could ask another question and checked the video doorbell. A group of people stood outside in matching uniforms, and everything about them looked professional, organized, and expensive.
Then the man nearest the camera spoke.
“Mrs. Cross, we hope we’re just in time.”
My entire body froze at the sound of the name.
Mrs. Cross.
I slowly turned around and found Tori staring at me. Confusion crossed her face, followed by suspicion.
“G-Give me a moment. I’ll be right with you,” I said before ending the feed.
The silence that followed was worse than the report on television.
Tori crossed her arms.
“Why did that person call you Mrs. Cross?”
Her eyes shifted toward the screen.
“And that company logo…” She frowned. “I know them. They’re one of the most exclusive moving companies in Obsidian City.”
“Tori.”
I took a breath.
“Less talking and more listening, please?”
She stared at me for a moment before folding her arms more tightly.
“Okay. I’m listening.”
A beat passed.
“And it better be good.”
I closed my eyes briefly.
Here we go.
“Remember the opportunity I told you about?”
Her expression changed.
“The one you wouldn’t explain?”
I nodded.
Tori looked from me to the television, then back again.
Her eyes widened.
“No.”
I said nothing.
Her mouth dropped open.
“Oh my God.” She pointed at me. “You’re the mystery woman.”
I had to admit, her ability to figure things out was terrifying.
“Tori—”
“You married him?” Her voice rose. “You married Damon Cross?”
I sighed.
“Not exactly—”
She ignored me.
“I knew something was going on. When you told me about this opportunity, I thought maybe it was another job.”
She stopped pacing and looked at me.
“But you married him?”
“I didn’t marry him because I wanted to.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Then why?”
I looked away.
Saying it out loud still felt impossible.
“I made a deal with him.”
Her expression changed again.
“What kind of deal?”
“A contract.”
The room fell silent.
Tori slowly lowered her arms. For several seconds, she did not say anything.
Then she shook her head.
“You’re joking.”
I shook mine.
“Oh my God.”
She turned away, dragging a hand through her hair.
“Claire.”
I knew that tone. She was trying very hard not to scream.
“When you told me about your opportunity, I did not imagine you would become Mrs. Cross.”
“I know.”
“No, I don’t think you do.”
She turned back to face me.
“You signed a contract marriage with Damon Cross and somehow decided that was information I did not need to know?”
“It happened quickly.”
“That is not an excuse.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“Before or after you moved into his house?”
Her words landed harder than I expected.
I looked toward the front door, where the moving team was still waiting.
“I didn’t know how to explain it.”
Tori’s anger did not disappear, but concern appeared behind it.
“For your family?”
I nodded.
She knew enough not to make me explain further, and for a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then she walked toward me and pulled me into a hug.
“You should have told me,” she murmured.
“I know.”
“But I am still your friend.”
My throat tightened.
“I know.”
She pulled back, her expression serious again.
“And if Damon Cross does anything that makes you uncomfortable, you call me.”
A small laugh escaped me.
“What exactly are you going to do?”
“I will figure it out.”
Despite everything, I smiled.
The doorbell rang again.
Tori looked toward the entrance.
“You should probably let the people in, Mrs. Cross.”
I groaned.
“Please do not start.”
“I make no promises.”
---
The movers worked quickly.
Within an hour, boxes had begun to disappear from the apartment one by one. Clothes, books, and the small things I had collected over the years without ever thinking they would matter were carried downstairs, and every box that left felt like another piece of my old life disappearing.
By the time the last one was taken away, the apartment no longer felt like mine.
It looked empty and temporary, as though I had already left even though I was still standing in the middle of the living room.
Tori walked over and took my hand.
“You can come back whenever you want.”
“I know.”
“And you are calling me tonight.”
“I will.”
She gave me a pointed look.
“Actually call. Do not send me one message that says, ‘I’m fine.’”
“I will call.”
Only then did she let go.
A black car was waiting outside.
Marcus Hale stood beside the rear door in his usual dark suit.
“Mrs. Cross,” he greeted politely.
The name still felt strange.
“Marcus.”
He opened the door for me.
Before getting in, I turned back toward Tori.
She stood outside the building with her arms folded, trying to look calm. But I knew her too well.
“Take care of yourself,” she said.
“You too.”
“And Claire?”
“Yes?”
“Do not let him turn you into someone you are not.”
I held her gaze.
“I won’t.”
Then I stepped into the car.
Damon was already inside.
He sat beside the window, one hand resting against the armrest while his attention remained fixed on his phone. The familiar scent of his cologne filled the quiet space.
For a moment, I simply looked at him.
Damon Cross.
My husband.
The thought still did not feel real.
---
“Mr. Cross,” I said.
“Damon,” he corrected automatically.
I adjusted my glasses and looked away.
“Did you see the news?”
“Yes, I did.”
He did not sound bothered.
Why would he be?
The mystery woman would not remain a mystery for long.
I glanced at him again. He was scrolling through his phone, completely calm, as though the entire situation had nothing to do with him.
“You knew the paparazzi were there.”
His eyes lifted to mine.
“I had one on my tail.”
I scoffed.
So that was why he had kissed me.
He had given them a story. A perfect image designed to make our marriage believable.
It was exactly the kind of calculated move Damon Cross would make.
“I’d have appreciated it if you had told me about it,” I said. “At least I could have prepared.”
The last part came out quieter than I intended.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I felt his eyes settle on me.
Heat rushed to my face.
“I-I mean, next time, a warning.”
Damon rested his elbow against the door panel, the back of his hand supporting his cheek.
“We must act the part, as stated in the contract.”
I looked out the window as Obsidian City moved past us.
The apartment disappeared behind me.
And with it, the life I had known.
There was no turning back now.
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