The studio lights were warmer than Serena expected, casting a soft glow over the set. She sat beside Elias on a curved sofa, microphones clipped discreetly to their collars. Across from them, the interviewer—Marian Cole, known for her sharp but fair style—smiled politely as her producer counted down.
"Three… two… one."
"Good evening," Marian began, looking straight at the camera. "Tonight, we're speaking with Elias and Serena Moreau—a couple whose whirlwind marriage has been the subject of much speculation."
Serena felt Elias's hand slide over hers under the small table between them. It was subtle, grounding.
"Let's start from the beginning," Marian continued. "You two married quickly. Very quickly. Why?"
Serena inhaled slowly. "We met under unusual circumstances. And… what we had was immediate. Not simple, but immediate."
Marian's eyes narrowed with curiosity. "And yet, some say it was a contract arrangement."
Elias didn't flinch. "They can say what they want. The truth is, we made an agreement that suited both of us at the time. But what's between us now—" he glanced at Serena "—isn't bound by paper."
There was a beat of silence before Marian asked, "So, you're saying it started as a contract marriage?"
Serena's pulse quickened. This was it—the part where they could either confirm or sidestep. She straightened, meeting Marian's gaze. "It started as a deal. But feelings… don't follow deals. They either grow or they die. Ours grew."
Elias's thumb brushed over her knuckles, a small movement that only she noticed.
Marian smiled faintly, sensing the shift in tone. "And what about the recent rumors? The bakery photo, the gala tension, and a certain ex-fiancée?"
Elias's eyes cooled, just slightly. "We don't live our lives to answer rumors. Isabelle is my past. Serena is my present and my future. That's the only truth that matters."
Serena turned to him, and for a moment, the cameras disappeared. There was only the way he looked at her—steady, unapologetic, and entirely hers.
After the formal questions, Marian leaned in a little, her voice lowering. "One last thing—how do you keep the connection strong with so much public scrutiny?"
Serena smiled, the first unguarded one of the night. "By remembering that the world doesn't get a say in our private moments. They see what they see. But what we have—" She glanced at Elias again "—that's just ours."
The interview ended with handshakes and polite goodbyes. But as soon as they were in the car, Elias caught her hand again, holding it all the way back to the penthouse.
When they stepped inside, he loosened his tie, eyes still on her. "You were perfect," he murmured.
She laughed softly, slipping off her heels. "Perfect's overrated. Honest is better."
He crossed the room to her, tilting her chin up. "Then be honest. Did it get to you—talking about us like that?"
Her breath caught. "It did. But in a good way."
The kiss that followed was unhurried but intense, a quiet seal on everything they'd just said to the world. And for the first time since Isabelle had reappeared, Serena felt like the ground beneath them was solid again.