Adira's POV
The world saw the kiss before I was ready.
It wasn't supposed to be public that quiet moment on my sofa, the surrender I'd finally allowed myself. But blurry images appeared online the next morning, leaked by someone who must have been lurking outside my building. Headlines exploded.
Adira Williams and Jayden Craig: The Power Couple Nobody Saw Coming.
Heiress and Billionaire: Love or Leverage?
By noon, investors were calling again. This time, the tone was different. Cautious. Curious. Some even... intrigued. A power couple meant stability to them, influence multiplied. But beneath their polite words, I heard the question Ashley had planted: Did Adira build this empire alone? Or has it always been Jayden's shadow?
I paced the length of my office, heart thundering. "This isn't what I wanted. I didn't want to be defined by a man."
Jayden leaned against the window, calm as ever, but his eyes tracked every frantic step I took. "You're not defined by me. Or anyone. Don't confuse a headline with the truth."
"You don't understand" I stopped, pressing my palms to my face. "No, you do. That's what makes this worse. You've always been untouchable. Me? I've had to claw for every inch."
Silence stretched, heavy and raw.
Then his voice cut through, low and steady. "Adira, listen to me. I didn't come into your life to eclipse you. I came because I couldn't stay away. Because I've loved you since we were children. Because I would rather burn every empire I own than see you believe you're anything less than extraordinary."
My chest tightened. "Jayden..."
He moved then, closing the space between us. His hand found mine, grounding me. "You don't have to fight me. Not when the whole world is already trying to fight you."
For once, I didn't pull away. I let myself lean into the warmth of his touch. My heart had spent years in armor, but tonight it cracked wide open.
"I'm scared," I whispered.
"I know," he murmured, pressing his forehead against mine. "But for the first time, you're not alone."
Later, long after he left, I sat in my apartment with a glass of wine, scrolling through the news. For every headline questioning me, there were others calling me bold, resilient, even inspiring.
But buried among the praise, something else surfaced:
Anonymous source alleges irregularities in Williams Company finances. Investors demand transparency.
My stomach dropped. Ashley wasn't done. She was striking deeper, into the heart of my empire.
And this time, it wasn't just my name at risk.
It was everything I'd built.