Chapter 13 – Hidden in the Spotlight
The world had already seen her face.
Despite everything Kade Val did, despite his desperate attempts to protect her name, the media had already begun to speculate. Screenshots. Blurry photos. A girl leaving his hotel room. Rumors that he'd finally fallen for someone. It only took hours before people connected the dots—and Aria's name was plastered across gossip blogs.
Kade's announcement had been bold, unexpected—"I found her." That was all he said in front of cameras, but those three words were enough to send reporters into a frenzy.
Aria.
His ex.
The girl who once dated him as a teenager.
The one who he'd humiliated.
Now, suddenly, the one he was trying to protect.
Aria had barely slept in days.
She stayed locked in her apartment—her new one, the one Kade rented under a fake name far from the city center. She didn't know how he managed to cover her trail, but her job at the restaurant was gone, and her old apartment was empty.
Kade had done it all in silence, without her approval. Her new place was modest but secure, with thick blackout curtains and a discreet security guard posted near the entrance who never spoke a word to her.
Aria hated how safe it felt.
She hated how easy it would be to let her guard down.
But she wouldn't. Not again.
Not with Kade Val.
He called her every morning. Sent texts she didn't reply to. Flowers she didn't accept. Groceries she never asked for. Every attempt to win her over felt like a quiet storm—gentle, but persistent.
And she hated that part of her heart noticed it.
Each day, her belly grew just a little more. She was almost three months now. Her mornings were rough, but her doctor said she was progressing well. Healthy. Strong. The baby, that is. Her?
She wasn't sure.
She looked at herself in the mirror one night—barefoot in the kitchen, wearing a loose shirt and leggings. Her hand settled on her stomach, still barely a bump, but enough for her to feel the change.
"You're not going to be like him," she whispered.
You're mine.
There were days when she almost called him back—days when the silence in the apartment made her miss the sound of his voice. But then she'd remember the past. How he told her she was too young. How he cheated and then blamed her age. How he humiliated her.
She wasn't stupid enough to fall for that again.
But Kade wasn't giving up either.
Late Thursday afternoon, a knock landed at her door. She panicked at first, her mind flashing to reporters or strangers.
But it was the guard.
"A delivery, ma'am. From Mr. Val."
She sighed.
"Leave it there," she said through the door.
When she finally opened it ten minutes later, a large envelope sat quietly on the mat.
Inside?
A handwritten letter.
---
Aria,
I know I have no right to ask for your forgiveness, especially not after the way I treated you years ago. You deserved better back then, and you still do now.
But I'm not that man anymore.
I know you don't believe me—and I don't blame you.
But I meant what I said. I'll protect you. And our child.
No one will find you.
Not unless you want them to.
– Kade
---
Her throat tightened.
She tore the letter in half and tossed it into the trash. She wasn't going to be moved by a few sweet words. Not this time.
And yet, that night, when she lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her mind wandered.
Why did it feel like Kade was trying?
Why was it working?
She pulled the blanket higher and rolled to her side, angry at her own heart.
The next morning brought no flowers.
No food.
No texts.
Silence.
Had he finally given up?
She tried not to care.
But her chest ached just a little more than usual.
For the first time in weeks, Aria stepped outside with a hoodie pulled over her head and sunglasses on. She had a craving for ice cream—chocolate and peanuts, specifically—and she wasn't going to wait another day.
She walked to the corner store alone, careful and quiet.
Nobody noticed her.
No paparazzi. No flashing lights. Just peace.
She stood in the frozen aisle, arguing between chocolate fudge or caramel swirl, when a voice behind her made her freeze.
"Aria?"
She turned slowly.
It wasn't Kade.
It was worse.
It was Blair—her former coworker from the restaurant. Her friend, once. But also the girl who loved gossip more than anything.
Blair's eyes widened. "Oh my God… it's true. You and Kade Val?"
Aria's stomach sank.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said calmly.
Blair grinned. "Come on, don't lie to me. The hotel? The headline? Everyone's talking about it. I didn't think it was real but… wow, girl. You're really living in his shadow now."
Aria clutched her ice cream and turned away.
"I have to go."
Blair followed. "Does he know about the baby?"
Aria stopped in her tracks.
She hadn't told anyone. Not one soul.
"How did you—?"
Blair raised an eyebrow, smug. "People talk. You're not as invisible as you think."
Aria's hand trembled.
She left the store without another word.
Back in the apartment, she locked the door and leaned against it, her chest rising and falling quickly.
She looked at her phone.
There was already a message waiting.
From Kade.
"Someone spotted you at the corner store. I'm coming over. We need to talk."
Aria stared at the screen, heart pounding.
Was she in danger again?
How did they find her?
And why did she suddenly feel safer knowing Kade was on his way?