The promise I owe you

Our decision

Morning arrived far too quickly.

The first thing Aria heard wasn't the gentle hum of the city below her penthouse.

It was her phone.

Buzz.

Buzz.

Buzz.

She groaned and reached for it on the bedside table.

Thirty-eight missed calls.

Seventy-two text messages.

Hundreds of notifications.

Her heart sank before she even unlocked the screen.

Every news channel carried the same story.

"Superstar Aria Bennett's Secret Romance With Billionaire Adrian Cole."

A picture of Adrian comforting her after Vanessa's slap filled every entertainment website.

The truth had been replaced with gossip.

"Good morning, Miss Gold Digger," Aria whispered bitterly.

She tossed the phone aside, but another call came through almost immediately.

It was Ethan.

She answered.

"I hope you're still inside," he said without greeting her.

"I am."

"Good. Don't leave."

She frowned.

"Why?"

"The press knows where you live."

She walked toward the curtains and carefully pulled them apart.

Her breath caught.

More than twenty reporters crowded the entrance to her apartment building.

Satellite vans lined the street.

Photographers pointed their cameras toward every passing car.

Microphones waited for a single statement.

"They're actually here," she whispered.

"I told you not to look."

"They'll stay until they get a reaction."

Ethan sighed.

"We've cancelled today's interview and your recording session."

"What about next week's concert?"

"We'll discuss that later."

Aria closed the curtains.

"My career is falling apart."

"It isn't."

"It feels like it."

"Don't read the comments."

Too late.

She had already opened them.

Thousands of strangers judged her without knowing a single fact.

"She trapped an old man."

"She wants his money."

"I used to admire her."

"Disgusting."

A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I never wanted this."

"I know."

After ending the call, Aria sat quietly for several minutes.

Her eyes drifted to the framed photograph on the bookshelf.

It showed her first sold-out concert.

She remembered standing backstage that night.

Terrified.

Excited.

Thankful.

She also remembered the bouquet that had arrived afterward.

There had been no name attached.

Only a handwritten note.

> Keep chasing your dreams. I'm proud of you.

She had recognized the handwriting immediately.

Adrian's.

He had celebrated every milestone from a distance, never asking for attention.

Never asking for repayment.

Until now.

---

Across the city...

The atmosphere inside Cole Group Headquarters was far colder than the air-conditioning.

Board members whispered among themselves as Adrian entered the conference room.

Marcus was already seated.

Vanessa sat beside him.

Neither acknowledged their father.

The chairman cleared his throat.

"Mr. Cole..."

"I believe we all know why we're here."

A giant television displayed the morning headlines.

Adrian looked at the screen without expression.

"So the media has arrived before I did."

One director leaned forward.

"Our investors are concerned."

"About my personal life?"

"They're concerned about your judgment."

Marcus finally spoke.

"They should be."

The room became silent.

"My father has allowed his emotions to cloud his decisions."

Adrian met his son's gaze.

"You've already reached your conclusion."

Marcus folded his hands.

"The company lost another eight percent in value before the market even opened."

Several directors exchanged worried glances.

"This scandal is affecting shareholder confidence."

Adrian remained calm.

"My private life has nothing to do with this company."

"It has everything to do with it," Marcus replied.

"You disappear from meetings."

"You refuse to discuss succession."

"And now every newspaper in the country thinks you're marrying a woman half your age."

The chairman interrupted.

"We're not here to discuss gossip."

"No," Marcus said.

"We're here because the gossip is destroying the company."

Vanessa spoke for the first time.

"Father..."

"We're asking you to step aside."

The words hung heavily in the room.

Adrian stared at his children.

"So that's what this meeting is really about."

Marcus didn't flinch.

"You built this company."

"No one can take that away from you."

"But perhaps it's time to let someone else lead."

Adrian slowly stood.

"I'll consider everything you've said."

Without another word, he walked out of the boardroom.

Behind him, Marcus allowed himself a small smile.

---

An hour later...

Aria parked outside the Cole Estate.

She had ignored Ethan's advice.

She couldn't let this continue.

Today she would end it.

She rehearsed the words in her mind as she approached the front door.

"Thank you for everything... but I can't marry you."

Margaret greeted her warmly.

"He has been waiting for you."

Adrian stood in the garden, staring at the roses his late wife had planted years before.

He turned as he heard Aria's footsteps.

"I hoped you'd come."

She forced a smile.

"We need to talk."

"I know."

He gestured toward a nearby bench.

Before either of them could sit—

A loud shout came from beyond the gates.

"Miss Bennett!"

Then another.

"Mr. Cole!"

Within seconds, dozens of reporters rushed toward the entrance, microphones raised, cameras flashing.

Security guards struggled to hold them back.

One journalist yelled above the chaos.

"Mr. Cole! Is it true you're marrying Aria Bennett?"

Another shouted,

"Miss Bennett, are you dating him for his money?"

Aria's heart pounded.

She took a step backward.

"This is exactly what I wanted to avoid.

The Promise I Owe You

Chapter Three: The Decision – Part Two

The questions came from every direction.

"Miss Bennett! Did you accept his proposal?"

"Mr. Cole! Is the wedding already planned?"

"Are the rumors true?"

Camera flashes lit up the entrance to the estate like lightning.

Aria instinctively covered her face.

"This is exactly what I wanted to avoid," she whispered.

Adrian stepped slightly in front of her, shielding her from the crowd.

"Everyone, please calm down."

His words only fueled the frenzy.

A female reporter pushed her microphone through the gate.

"Mr. Cole, are you denying the relationship?"

Another shouted, "Miss Bennett, are you marrying him for his billions?"

Aria took a deep breath.

"No."

She stepped forward.

"I came here to clear up the—"

Before she could finish, Adrian gently caught her wrist.

She looked at him in confusion.

His eyes were filled with desperation.

He leaned closer and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"What?"

Then he turned toward the cameras.

His voice was steady.

"Yes."

The reporters fell silent.

"Miss Bennett and I are getting married."

For a heartbeat, the world stopped.

Then chaos erupted.

"What?"

"When is the wedding?"

"Did he just confirm it?"

"Look this way!"

The flashes became blinding.

Aria stared at Adrian, unable to believe what she had heard.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

He had made the decision for her.

Without asking.

Without warning.

"Adrian..."

He didn't look at her.

Instead, he continued facing the cameras.

"We'll release more information when the time is right."

Something inside Aria snapped.

The humiliation.

The online abuse.

Vanessa's slap.

The sleepless night.

The hateful comments.

Everything crashed into one unbearable moment.

"How could you?"

Adrian slowly turned toward her.

Before he could speak—

Slap!

The sound echoed across the estate.

Every camera captured it.

Every reporter froze.

Even the security guards stood motionless.

A red mark appeared on Adrian's cheek.

He didn't raise a hand.

He didn't look angry.

He simply looked... heartbroken.

Tears streamed down Aria's face.

She pointed a trembling finger at him.

"No!"

Her voice cracked.

"We are not getting married!"

The reporters gasped.

"You had no right to make that decision for me!"

"I came here to tell you I couldn't do this."

"You knew what these rumors have done to my life."

"My fans hate me."

"The whole country thinks I'm a gold digger."

"And now you've made everything worse."

She wiped her tears away angrily.

"I respected you."

"I trusted you."

"But you don't get to choose my future."

The cameras continued recording every second.

The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

Finally, Adrian spoke.

His voice was barely above a whisper.

"...I'm sorry."

There was no excuse.

No argument.

No attempt to defend himself.

Just two words.

"I'm sorry."

Aria stared at him.

For a brief moment, she saw not the powerful billionaire everyone feared, but an exhausted man carrying more burdens than he could bear.

Part of her wanted to ask why.

Why had he done it?

But the pain was too fresh.

She couldn't stay.

Without another word, she turned and walked toward her car.

The reporters rushed after her.

"Miss Bennett!"

"Does this mean the engagement is over?"

"Did you slap him because he lied?"

She ignored every question.

Her driver opened the door.

She climbed inside.

As the car pulled away, she looked through the rear window.

Adrian remained standing alone at the gate.

He made no effort to stop her.

He simply watched until the car disappeared from sight.

---

The moment the vehicle turned onto the main road, Aria's phone exploded with notifications.

Her manager called.

Again.

And again.

She couldn't answer.

A live news alert appeared across her screen.

BREAKING NEWS

ARIA BENNETT SLAPS BILLIONAIRE ADRIAN COLE AFTER SHOCK ENGAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT.

Within minutes, clips of the confrontation spread across every social media platform.

Some people praised her.

"She stood up for herself."

Others mocked her.

"She wanted the money until the cameras arrived."

"They're both putting on a show."

The internet had already chosen sides.

Back at the Cole Estate, Marcus stood on the mansion balcony with Vanessa.

A slow smile spread across his face.

"It worked," he said quietly.

Vanessa frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Marcus kept watching the reporters swarm the gates below.

"Now the board will never support Father."

He slipped his phone into his pocket.

"Everything is falling exactly into place."

Neither of them noticed the old family lawyer standing in the hallway behind them.

His expression darkened.

He had just overheard enough to know one thing.

This scandal wasn't an accident.