Fallout

Selene’s phone was vibrating off the nightstand, the persistent hum dragging her out of sleep, but before she could even reach for it, her bedroom door was thrown open.

Cassian stood in the doorway, holding his phone out with a rigid face.

"Explain this," he said.

Selene sat up, pushing her hair out of her face as she looked at the screen he was shoving toward her. It was a gossip site, and right at the top was a picture of her and Daniel from the night before, standing outside the restaurant. They were close and smiling, with Daniel’s fingers just brushing hers, while the headline below it read: Selene Vale Spotted Cozying Up to Billionaire Artist Daniel Sterling on Late-Night Date.

"It was a business dinner," Selene croaked, as she threw the covers off and stood up, refusing to let him stand over her. "We were finalizing things for his launch, and you are well aware that I am handling this event."

"A business dinner? Look at the photos, Selene. You look like you're on a date, and people are already calling my phone asking if my wife is having an affair with our launch partner."

"I am running an agency, Cassian," she snapped back, her hands tightening into fists. "I am allowed to have dinner with my clients, and just because the paparazzi took a normal work meeting and spun it to sell ads, that does not make it my fault."

"It becomes your fault when it threatens my company's reputation. "I didn’t put millions into this launch, just so you could use my money to embarrass me."

"I am not embarrassing you!" Selene’s temper flared, the exhaustion of the past few weeks finally boiling over as she shouted, "You are the one standing in my bedroom, yelling at me about a fake news story because your ego can't handle a rumor!"

But as soon as the words left her mouth, one thought froze her in place.

Their divorce contract.

The clause was incredibly strict, and her lawyer’s warning flashed in her mind, reminding her that neither party could engage in any public behavior that caused a scandal or damaged the family reputation before the divorce was finalized. If either of them violated it, the other could void the entire agreement.

Dread washed over her, because if Cassian wanted to, he could use these photos to throw out the divorce papers. He could trap her in this marriage, or worse, use the breach to legally take her brand away from her since the agency’s funding was tied to their shared marital assets.

She looked at Cassian, noticing the anger on his face had changed into something far more dangerous, he knew exactly what he was holding over her.

"You finally remember the clause," Cassian whispered.

Selene swallowed, forcing herself to remain calm so she wouldn't show him how terrified she was of losing her freedom. "What do you want to do?"

"We are going to the office right now, the PR team is already setting up damage control, and we are going to walk into the building together. The press will be waiting outside, and if they see us separate, the rumors will double, so we show them a united front and then we deal with your artist."

"I need to make a call first," Selene said.

"Ten minutes," Cassian said, turning on his heel and walked out, shutting the door firmly behind him.

The moment the door closed, Selene grabbed her phone. Ignoring the flood of missed notifications from Noa and Hannah, she dialed Daniel’s number; he was a partner in this launch, and she wasn't going to let him get blindsided by her mess.

He picked up on the second ring. "Selene? Are you alright?"

"I’m fine," she replied quickly, she didn't want to sound like she was panicking. "Have you seen the news?"

"I just saw it. The photos were from last night."

"Cassian is calling an emergency meeting at the Vale corporate headquarters right now to handle the fallout," Selene explained, her heart sinking slightly. "I am heading over with him now, and I wanted to warn you before—"

"I actually just got the email from his legal team," Daniel cut in. "They summoned me to the boardroom, and I'm already heading out the door.”

A chill ran down Selene's spine as she realized Cassian’s team had already bypassed her to target her client. "I see. Well, I wanted to make sure you weren't blindsided."

"I appreciate it, Selene. Don't worry, we will handle this."

"I'll see you there," she said, and hung up.

She didn't let herself dwell on the anxiety, heading straight to her closet to pull out a simple cream knit top, black trousers, and a dark coat.

The drive downtown was suffocating as Selene sat in the passenger seat of the SUV, staring out the window at the passing city while Cassian kept his eyes on the road, his grip tight on the steering wheel as neither of them spoke.

Selene’s mind was running through every legal loophole she could think of. If Cassian used this to cancel the divorce, everything she had fought for over the last few weeks would be gone in an instant.

As they pulled up to the Vale skyscraper, she saw the crowd of at least a dozen photographers gathered near the main glass doors with their cameras raised.

Cassian parked the car and turned to her. "When we get out, walk with me. Don't look down, and don't look angry. Act like everything is normal."

Selene met his eyes. "I know how to play the part, Cassian."

They got out of the car together, and immediately the flashes started in a chaotic blur of light as the reporters began shouting over each other.

"Selene, are the affair rumors true?" "Cassian, are you pulling out of the Sterling launch?"

Selene kept her head up, walking right next to Cassian as their shoulders brushed on the way up the steps. She hated the physical proximity and hated pretending they were a happy couple, but she knew she had to do it, because if she pulled away now, she would never be completely free from him.

They passed through the front doors, and security quickly moved to block the press from following.

Selene let out a deep breath as they stepped into the elevator. When the doors finally slid open on the executive level, Selene stepped out first.

Daniel was already there, standing near the reception desk in a simple dark jacket. Amidst the corporate looking background, he looked completely out of place, yet he seemed totally unbothered.

As the elevator doors opened, Daniel looked up, and his eyes bypassed Cassian entirely, locking straight onto Selene, just as Cassian’s hand slid firmly around her waist, pulling her tight against his side in a visible possessive claim.