The interview
736 Words
Chapter 5: The Interview
The sun streamed through the tall windows of the media building’s lobby, where Leila stood stiffly in heels that felt like a punishment. Her fingers twisted around the thin strap of her purse as she watched the production crew set up lights, mics, and cameras.
A producer passed by and gave her a once-over. “She’s beautiful,” he said to Damian. “But tell her to smile more. This isn’t a funeral.”
Leila’s jaw clenched.
Damian, who stood beside her in another perfect suit, didn’t even blink. “Don’t talk to her like that.”
The man raised his hands and walked off.
Leila glanced at Damian, surprised.
“Thanks,” she said quietly.
He didn’t look at her. “You’re doing me a favor. I protect what’s mine.”
The words hung in the air a moment too long.
Then: “Even if it’s fake?” she asked.
He finally looked at her. “Especially then.”
The talk show set was pristine — plush white couches, soft lighting, and a camera crew that buzzed like bees behind the scenes. The host, a glamorous woman named Tanya Marks, greeted them with a dazzling smile and led them to their seats.
“Just be relaxed, natural,” Tanya said as she clipped a mic to Leila’s dress. “Our viewers eat up love stories. And with a couple like you two?” She winked. “They’ll be hooked.”
Leila forced a smile. Easy for Tanya to say. She wasn’t sitting next to a man who could ruin her with one wrong word — or kiss her so convincingly the world would believe the lie.
“Rolling in five… four… three…”
The red light on the camera blinked on.
“Welcome back, darlings,” Tanya purred to the camera. “Today, I have with me Nigeria’s most talked-about couple — tech billionaire Damian Cole and his stunning fiancée, Leila Hassan.”
Leila smiled. So did Damian. Their hands were already linked — part of the act.
Tanya launched into the questions.
“How did you two meet?”
Leila blinked. They hadn’t planned this one.
Damian stepped in smoothly. “We met in university. She was brilliant. I was arrogant. Took me years to realize I never stopped thinking about her.”
Tanya grinned. “Sounds like a second chance romance!”
Leila laughed softly. “I suppose it is. He… surprised me.”
“And when did you know it was love?”
This time, Damian looked right at Leila.
“When she refused my proposal the first time,” he said.
Leila’s eyes widened slightly — a subtle reaction, but Tanya didn’t miss it.
“She said no?” the host gasped.
Damian nodded, still watching Leila. “Twice.”
Leila played along, smiling. “I wanted to be sure he wasn’t just bored or avoiding his family drama.”
Tanya laughed. “And now you’re getting married. So what changed?”
There was a beat of silence.
Then Damian leaned forward slightly. His voice dropped.
“I realized life without her felt… quiet. Empty.”
The room stilled. Leila’s heart skipped.
That wasn’t in the script.
His eyes never left hers. For a moment, the cameras, the lights, Tanya’s eager smile — they all disappeared.
It was just him and her.
Then Tanya clapped her hands. “You two are going to break the internet.”
After the interview, they rode in silence back to the mansion. Damian stared out the window, his face unreadable. Leila, on the other hand, was still trying to process what just happened.
“You didn’t tell me you were going to say that,” she said finally.
He didn’t look at her. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Maybe too well.”
Silence again.
“You almost sounded like you meant it.”
This time he did look at her. “What if I did?”
Her breath caught — just for a second.
Then the car slowed at a red light, and the illusion cracked.
“I don’t have time for mind games, Damian,” she whispered.
“Neither do I.”
Their eyes locked — intense, uncertain, and a little scared. Then the light turned green, and the car moved forward.
But something had shifted.
Something neither of them could name yet.
- Writer
