The next morning, Aria woke up to chaos.
Her phone wouldn't stop vibrating.
Messages. Notifications. Unknown calls.
Half-asleep, she opened one of the alerts.
"ROHAN MALHOTRA'S SECRET WIFE REVEALED – ARIA SEN!"
Aria immediately sat up.
"What?!"
She quickly opened social media.
Her photo was everywhere.
Articles, fan pages, gossip blogs.
Some people were congratulating her.
Others were accusing her of being a gold digger.
Aria dropped back onto her pillow and groaned.
"My life is officially ruined."
Just then, her phone rang.
Kabir.
She answered immediately.
"Please tell me this is a nightmare."
Kabir sounded surprisingly calm.
"Good morning to you too."
"Everyone on the internet is talking about me!"
"Yes," Kabir replied. "That was expected."
Aria nearly screamed.
"Expected?!"
Kabir continued, "Which is why you need to move today."
"Move?"
"To Rohan's house."
Aria sat up again.
"What do you mean his house?"
Kabir sighed.
"You're his wife now. You can't keep living in your apartment. The media will find you within hours."
Aria glanced around her tiny apartment.
The peeling paint.
The small kitchen.
Her stack of unfinished manuscripts.
This messy little place had always been her safe space.
And now she had to leave it.
"This is happening way too fast," she muttered.
Kabir's voice softened slightly.
"I know. But the sooner we control the story, the easier this will be."
Aria took a deep breath.
"Fine."
Two hours later, a sleek black car stopped in front of Rohan's massive penthouse building.
Aria stepped out and stared up at the tall glass tower.
"You live here?" she asked.
Rohan nodded.
"Yes."
Aria whistled softly.
"Of course you do."
They entered the building and took the private elevator to the top floor.
When the doors opened, Aria's jaw nearly dropped.
The penthouse was enormous.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the entire city. Modern furniture filled the space, and soft sunlight poured into the living room.
"This place is bigger than my entire apartment building," Aria said.
Rohan walked inside casually.
"You'll get used to it."
Aria placed her bag on the couch.
"I doubt that."
She wandered around, examining everything.
"This couch alone probably costs more than my rent for a year."
Rohan leaned against the wall, watching her with amusement.
"You're very observant."
Aria stopped near the window.
"So… where do I sleep?"
Rohan answered simply.
"The guest room."
Aria nodded.
"Good."
Then she paused and looked back at him suspiciously.
"Wait… why not your room?"
Rohan raised an eyebrow.
"You prefer that option?"
Aria immediately shook her head.
"No!"
Rohan chuckled softly.
"Relax. Our rooms are separate."
Aria sighed in relief.
"Good. Let's keep the 'fake marriage' part clear."
But just as she said that, the doorbell rang.
Kabir walked in, holding a tablet.
"We have a problem."
Rohan frowned slightly.
"What now?"
Kabir turned the screen toward them.
It showed a news article with a new headline.
"ROHAN MALHOTRA AND HIS NEW WIFE TO MAKE FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE TONIGHT."
Aria blinked.
"Tonight?"
Kabir nodded.
"A charity gala. Important people will be there. Cameras too."
Aria groaned.
"I just moved in!"
Rohan looked at her calmly.
"Welcome to celebrity life."
Aria crossed her arms.
"You realize I have absolutely no idea how to behave at these events, right?"
Rohan walked over and gently lifted her hand.
The diamond ring sparkled under the light.
"You don't have to act like a celebrity," he said.
Aria frowned.
"Then what do I do?"
Rohan smiled slightly.
"Just act like my wife."
Aria stared at him.
Something about the way he said it made her heart skip for a moment.
But before she could respond, Kabir spoke again.
"There's one more thing."
Both of them looked at him.
Kabir scrolled down the article.
Another photo appeared.
A picture of a man watching them outside the courthouse yesterday.
Kabir's expression turned serious.
"This man has been asking questions about your marriage."
Aria frowned.
"Who is he?"
Kabir looked at Rohan.
Rohan's calm expression suddenly disappeared.
His voice turned cold.
"Someone who shouldn't know about this."
Aria's stomach tightened.
Because for the first time…
Her fake marriage didn't just feel complicated.
It felt dangerous.
End of Chapter 6
Next Chapter: The First Public Appearance