The Real Engagement
361 Words
Chapter 15:
The media storm didn’t wait.
By Monday morning, whispers about Damien Blackwell’s mystery fiancée had turned into full-blown headlines. Paparazzi stalked the building. Blogs speculated. Stocks fluttered.
But for the first time in a long time, Damien didn’t care about damage control.
This wasn’t just a fake engagement anymore.
It was his choice.
---
At the Blackwell Headquarters
“Are you sure about this?” Lena whispered, gripping his hand in the back of the elevator.
Damien glanced at her. “You’re with me, aren’t you?”
She nodded.
“Then I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
When the elevator doors opened, a crowd of flashing lights and reporters flooded the lobby. Damien kept her close, shielding her from the chaos.
Then, at the podium meant for quarterly reports and board updates, he said the words that would echo across every news channel for the next 24 hours:
> “This is Lena Hart.
My partner. My fiancée.
Not for convenience, not for optics—
But because I love her.”
Gasps. Flashbulbs. Then silence.
Then an explosion of questions. But Damien ignored them all, leading Lena back through the crowd like it didn’t exist.
---
Later That Night — At the Penthouse
They lay tangled on the sofa, a quiet storm still whirling outside their windows.
“You just tanked your public image,” Lena said softly.
Damien chuckled. “I upgraded it.”
She tilted her head. “I don’t understand how you can be so calm.”
“Because for the first time, I’m not playing a role.”
He ran his fingers through her hair. “And neither are you.”
---
A Phone Call from the Past
Lena’s phone buzzed. She almost didn’t answer—until she saw the name.
Carla. Her estranged cousin. The one person who’d vanished from her life when the criminal fallout happened.
Lena picked up.
“I saw you on TV,” Carla said. Her voice cracked. “And… I just wanted to say… I’m proud of you.”
It was a small sentence. But it carried years of silence, shame, and unspoken hope.
to be continued..............
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