Chapter 5: Breaking News
999 Words
The ballroom had descended into complete chaos.
Whispers echoed from every corner.
Guests stared openly.
Some looked shocked.
Others looked entertained.
And a few looked terrified.
Because Damien Volkov had just publicly claimed another man's fiancée.
No—
Former fiancée.
Ariana still stood frozen in front of him, unable to process what was happening.
Her mind felt blank.
Empty.
Too much had happened too fast.
First, Lucas's betrayal.
Then the humiliation.
And now this.
Damien Volkov asking her to marry him in front of the entire city.
None of it felt real.
The flashes from cameras suddenly exploded around the ballroom.
One after another.
Reporters rushed forward instantly.
Questions flew through the air.
"Mr. Volkov, are you serious?!"
"Miss Moretti, did you accept his proposal?!"
"When did your relationship begin?!"
"Mr. Hart, were you aware of this?!"
The noise became overwhelming.
Ariana took a shaky step backward.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Everything was spinning.
Lucas looked furious.
Humiliated.
Completely humiliated.
And somehow that made the situation even worse.
Because Lucas hated losing.
Especially publicly.
"This is insane," Lucas snapped.
His voice finally regained some strength.
"You can't seriously be doing this."
Damien slowly turned toward him.
One calm glance.
That was all it took for Lucas to immediately tense again.
The difference between them was painfully obvious.
Lucas had power.
Damien owned power.
There was something terrifyingly effortless about him.
Something cold.
Untouchable.
Damien adjusted the sleeve of his black suit calmly.
Then he spoke.
"Funny."
Lucas clenched his jaw.
"What?"
Damien's expression remained unreadable.
"You humiliate her publicly..." he said quietly.
"And now suddenly you care?"
The words struck like a slap.
Several guests looked away awkwardly.
Because he was right.
Lucas's face darkened instantly.
"This has nothing to do with you."
Damien took one slow step closer.
"It does now."
Silence crashed over the ballroom again.
The possessiveness in his voice sent chills through Ariana.
It was subtle.
Controlled.
But unmistakable.
Lucas laughed bitterly.
"You don't even know her."
For the first time—
Damien's gaze flickered toward Ariana again.
And something dangerous softened in his eyes.
Just for a second.
"That doesn't seem to stop me from treating her better than you ever did."
The ballroom erupted with whispers again.
Lucas looked seconds away from losing control.
Ariana felt trapped in the middle of a war she never asked for.
Her emotions were a mess.
Pain.
Humiliation.
Confusion.
Fear.
And beneath all of it—
Something she didn't want to acknowledge.
Because when Damien looked at her…
She didn't feel invisible anymore.
And that terrified her.
A loud ringtone suddenly echoed nearby.
Then another.
And another.
People began checking their phones rapidly.
Expressions shifted instantly.
Shock spread across their faces.
"Oh my God..."
"It's already online."
"What?!"
Ariana's stomach dropped.
One woman turned her phone screen toward her friend.
And Ariana accidentally caught a glimpse of the headline.
BREAKING NEWS: DAMIEN VOLKOV CLAIMS LUCAS HART'S FIANCÉE AT ENGAGEMENT PARTY
Her blood ran cold.
Another headline appeared seconds later.
BUSINESS HEIR HUMILIATED AFTER BILLIONAIRE MAFIA KING STEALS HIS BRIDE
More notifications flooded in.
Videos.
Photos.
Articles.
People had already uploaded recordings of everything.
Lucas exposing her.
Damien stepping in.
The proposal.
All of it.
The internet was exploding in real time.
Ariana suddenly couldn't breathe properly.
This wasn't private anymore.
The entire city would know by morning.
Everyone.
Her family.
Fashion clients.
Friends.
Strangers.
Millions of people discussing the worst night of her life.
She felt sick.
"Ariana."
Damien's voice cut through the chaos immediately.
Calm.
Steady.
Her eyes lifted toward him automatically.
He noticed the panic in her expression instantly.
Of course, he did.
Damien noticed everything.
"Look at me."
The command was quiet.
But impossible to ignore.
Ariana swallowed hard.
And looked at him.
The ballroom noise seemed distant suddenly.
Muted.
Like his presence alone silenced everything else.
"You don't need to panic," Damien said calmly.
How could he say that so easily?
The world was literally watching her life fall apart.
Lucas scoffed.
"This is exactly why I stayed away from you, Volkov."
Damien didn't even glance at him.
Wrong decision.
Lucas's irritation deepened.
"You ruin everything you touch."
That finally got Damien's attention.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
Dangerously.
The coldness in Damien's grey eyes became terrifying.
Several nearby guests subtly stepped backward.
Even Lucas seemed to realize he had crossed a line.
But it was too late.
Damien moved closer slowly.
Every movement is calm.
Controlled.
Which somehow made it worse.
"Careful, Hart."
His voice dropped lower.
Deadlier.
The warning was clear.
Lucas went silent.
For a moment, nobody moved.
Then suddenly—
Ariana's phone vibrated violently inside her purse.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Messages.
Calls.
Notifications.
Endless notifications.
Her trembling fingers slowly pulled out the phone.
The screen was flooded.
Social media exploding.
News channels posting clips.
People debate her humiliation.
And Damien.
Especially Damien.
One trending post immediately caught her eye.
Who is Ariana Moretti, and why did Damien Volkov just ask her to marry him?
Below it were thousands of comments.
"Lucas is insane for losing her."
"Damien Volkov never publicly shows interest in women."
"This feels terrifyingly romantic."
"I would faint if Damien looked at me like that."
"Did you SEE the way he defended her?"
Ariana quickly locked her phone.
Her hands trembled harder.
Nothing will ever be the same after tonight.
Nothing.
Lucas suddenly looked at Damien sharply.
"You're making a mistake."
Damien's expression remained calm.
"I don't make mistakes."
Then—
His eyes moved toward Ariana again.
And the look in them made her heartbeat stop for one terrifying second.
Because Damien Volkov wasn't looking at her like this was temporary.
He wasn't looking at her like this was a game.
He was looking at her like he had already decided something.
Something permanent.
Something dangerous.
Something that would change her entire life.
And deep down—
Ariana had the horrible feeling that once Damien Volkov decided he wanted something…
He never let it go.
- Writer
