The Scandal Before the Wedding

I couldn't move. The headline stayed on my phone screen while notifications kept pouring in. Someone had leaked our marriage contract, and every news page was calling me a gold digger. My hands trembled. Outside, reporters shouted Caelan's name, demanding answers. Evelyn closed the blinds and asked me to stay away from the windows. I wanted to leave, but stepping outside would only make things worse.

Caelan returned a few minutes later after speaking with security. His jaw was tight. 'This wasn't an accident,' he said. 'Someone planned this.' I looked at him. 'Your enemies?' He nodded once. 'And now they've dragged you into it.' I wanted to ask more questions, but another notification appeared. My company shares had started falling because investors believed the marriage was fake. My stomach twisted. Everything I wanted to protect was being destroyed before the wedding even happened.

Caelan took my phone and placed it face down. 'Stop reading the comments.' I frowned. 'Easy for you to say.' 'No,' he answered quietly. 'I've lived with this kind of attention for years. It never gets easier.' His words surprised me. For the first time I saw how tired he looked.

He told me he would hold a press conference that afternoon. 'I'll deal with this publicly.' 'What if they ask why you're marrying me?' I asked. He looked at me for a second. 'I'll tell them the truth they need to hear. The rest stays between us.' I didn't know whether to trust him, but I had no better choice.

The conference hall was packed. Cameras flashed the moment Caelan walked in. I stayed backstage, watching through a monitor. Questions came from every direction. 'Is this marriage a business deal?' 'Did Miss Vale force you?' 'Is the contract real?' Caelan waited until the room became quiet.

'Yes,' he said. 'Miss Neria Vale is the woman I have chosen to marry. I will not discuss private agreements. But I will say this. Anyone attacking her is attacking me.' Silence filled the room before reporters shouted even louder. My heart pounded. He could have denied everything or blamed me. Instead, he protected me.

After the conference, we left through a private exit. As the car pulled away, I looked at him. 'Why did you do that?' He kept his eyes on the road ahead. 'Because you don't deserve what they're saying about you.' Those simple words stayed with me the entire drive.

When we reached the mansion that would become my home after the wedding, I realized this fake marriage had already become far more complicated than either of us expected. And somewhere, someone was still watching us, waiting for the next move.

The headline spread across every news channel within minutes. I stood frozen as my phone kept vibrating. Messages from unknown numbers flooded my screen. Some called me a gold digger. Others accused Caelan of buying a wife to secure his company.

Caelan gently took my phone and switched it off.

"Don't read any more of them," he said.

"I can't pretend this isn't happening."

"You don't have to face it alone."

His words stayed with me as Evelyn rushed back into the office.

"The rear exit is secure, sir."

Caelan nodded. "Let's go."

Security surrounded us as we left through a private elevator. Even from inside the building, I could hear reporters shouting outside. Camera flashes lit the entrance as our convoy drove away.

Inside the car, neither of us spoke for several minutes.

Finally, I broke the silence.

"Someone is trying to destroy both of us."

"Yes."

"You knew something like this would happen?"

"I knew my enemies wouldn't stay quiet."

I looked at him carefully.

"Who are they?"

His expression remained unreadable.

"I'll answer that when I have proof. Until then, I need you to trust me enough to stay careful."

I sighed and looked out the window.

This fake marriage was already becoming more dangerous than I had imagined.

Nearly forty minutes later, the car stopped before a massive black gate. Beyond it stood Ashford Mansion.

I stared at the building.

"This is where you'll live?" I asked.

"For the next year," he replied.

As the gates slowly opened, I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was already watching us from the shadows.