The First Lie
1071 Words
The studio was colder than Lia expected.
Not physically—though the AC was cranked up enough to freeze confidence—but emotionally. Cameras circled like silent predators. Lights bathed every corner in artificial brightness. No shadows. No space to breathe.
Damien stood beside her, perfectly composed in his dark gray suit, crisp as if cut from steel. His expression never faltered as a stylist dabbed translucent powder across his cheekbones. Lia sat nearby, trying to keep her legs from bouncing. She wore a soft ivory sheath dress that skimmed just above the knee and heels she couldn't feel anymore. Every detail has been coordinated, coached, curated.
Even the way she held Damien’s hand.
Or how she looked at him when the red recording light flickered on.
“Are you ready?” he murmured, brushing a hand against her arm as a show of affection. “This interview will go everywhere by morning.”
“No pressure,” she muttered.
He leaned closer, breath teasing her ear. “Fake it like you love me.”
And then the host, Corrina Sloane, stepped into the frame—polished, practiced, and deadly.
LIVE: Damien Vale Finally Confirms Relationship Rumors
The lower-third banner scrolled across screens all over the country.
“Tonight, we’re joined by tech titan Damien Vale,” Corrina began smoothly, “and the woman who’s stolen the heart of one of the most elusive bachelors in the business world—Miss Lia Carter.”
Lia offered a polite smile, resisting the urge to gulp.
Corrina’s tone sharpened with a professional sweetness. “Now, we’ve heard whispers for weeks, but no confirmation—until now. Damien, why break your silence?”
Damien laced his fingers with Lia’s. “Because I wanted to protect what mattered before the world picked it apart.”
Lia felt her breath catch.
It sounded so convincing.
Too convincing.
Corrina turned to her, her smile sharpened. “And what was it like, Lia? Falling in love with Damien Vale?”
Lia exhaled slowly. “It was unexpected. I wasn’t looking for someone like him. But he… surprised me.”
Corrina tilted her head. “How so?”
Lia hesitated.
Then: “He listened.”
That answer wasn’t rehearsed.
Corrina seemed thrown, but she smiled again. “That’s rare.”
Damien looked at Lia then.
Not for the camera. Not for Corrina.
Just for her.
And that—that—was the first lie.
Because it wasn’t a look for the audience.
It was real.
Raw.
Uncontrolled.
And Lia’s stomach twisted.
When the interview ended, Corrina thanked them, the cameras shut off, and the producers swarmed. Phrases like “viral moment”, “trending couple”, and “perfect brand play” flew around.
Lia stood frozen as flashes went off and the production crew clapped.
Damien’s hand lingered on her lower back as they were escorted to a private car.
He didn’t speak until the doors closed, and the world was behind tinted glass.
“You did well,” he said finally.
She stared out the window. “That wasn’t acting.”
Damien’s jaw tightened. “It was effective.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
A pause.
Then she looked at him. “You looked at me like I was real.”
His throat bobbed. “You are real.”
“To the cameras, or to you?”
His voice lowered. “Don’t start this.”
“I didn’t start it. You did. With that look.”
“It’s part of the game, Lia.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Her voice cracked. “You looked at me like you forgot we were lying.”
Damien’s silence said everything.
They reached the penthouse just before midnight.
Lia climbed out first, her heels clicking across the stone floor like gunshots.
Inside, she didn’t speak. Not as she shed her coat. Not as she poured water into a crystal glass. Not even as Damien followed, closing the door behind him like it hurt.
“Lia—”
“Do you want to know the scariest part?” she asked, turning around slowly. Her eyes shimmered. “I looked back at you the same way.”
Damien exhaled sharply. “You can’t.”
“You think I chose to?” she snapped. “I warned you.” This kind of thing—it gets dangerous fast.”
“You signed the contract.”
“I didn’t sign away my feelings, Damien.”
They stood facing each other in the middle of the kitchen, two steps apart, miles emotionally.
“I’ve made it very clear,” he said. This relationship ends in eight weeks. That hasn’t changed.”
“But something has,” she said quietly. “Hasn’t it?”
He didn’t reply.
And that silence hurt worse than lies.
The next day, The Vale Affair trended worldwide.
Fan edits.
Romantic montages.
Speculation has been posted about how long they’d been secretly in love.
Some compared Lia to Cinderella. Others accused her of being a gold digger.
But all eyes were on them.
By afternoon, reporters had gathered outside the building.
By evening, Damien’s board congratulated him on his “more human image.”
By nightfall, Lia’s phone buzzed with a dozen anonymous threats—and one very real message from her estranged father.
You’re on TV now, huh? Guess you’re not struggling anymore. Maybe I can finally cash in on my daughter, too.
– DAD
She dropped her phone.
Damien found her curled on the floor an hour later, arms wrapped around her knees, the letter still open beside her.
He didn’t ask what it was.
He just sat down beside her.
“You said you wouldn’t get involved,” she whispered.
“I didn’t,” he said. “But I’m sitting here anyway.”
When she looked at him, his face had none of its usual ice.
Only something… tired.
Human.
He reached for her hand.
She didn’t pull away.
That night, they didn’t kiss.
They didn’t talk about the cameras or contracts.
They just sat side by side in silence until sleep claimed her on the couch, her head resting on his shoulder.
And for the first time in years, Damien Vale let someone fall asleep beside him.
That was the second lie.
Because he told himself it didn’t mean anything.
But it did.
And that scared him more than anything else in the world.
- Writer
