Chapter 9- THE PUBLIC EVENT

(Jane's POV)

I wasn’t prepared for this again

As soon as I opened my eyes and spotted the silky, champagne-colored dress draped over the armchair, an extravagance that could cover my rent for the old place for quite a few months,I knew I was in over my head.

A note rested on top.

“Be ready by noon. — W.”

No pleasantries. No context. Just classic William.

I groaned into my pillow.

Today marked my second public appearance as “the woman who is involved with William Martins” even though I had to pretend otherwise to help the scandal fade away more quickly.

Fantastic.

Dragging myself out of bed felt like an uphill battle; my body was leaden. I hadn’t slept well, consumed with thoughts about the leaked photo and how swiftly my world unraveled. I could still hear the hurt in Daniel's voice when he confronted me, asking, “Did you cheat on me?”

And then he left.

That memory stung like a fresh wound, constantly prodded.

After a shower, I slipped into the dress and examined my reflection in the large bathroom mirror.

It felt like I was staring at a stranger.

A woman who didn’t belong in the penthouse of a billionaire.

A woman without a job.

A woman reduced to a headline, embroiled in scandal and rumor.

I sighed and quickly wiped away a tear before it could fall.

“No tears today, Jane. Not in front of him. Not in front of anyone.”

By eleven forty-five, someone knocked.

Not softly.

Commanding.

William.

“Are you ready?” His voice came through the door, deep and clipped, as if he were speaking through clenched teeth.

I opened the door. “You know, a typical person might say ‘good morning’. But, whatever.”

He scanned me up and down.

For a fleeting moment,just a brief instant his expression softened.

Then he quickly cleared his throat, as if catching himself.

“It’s… fine,” he said.

I rolled my eyes. “Can we just get this over with?”

He nodded. “We’ll exit through the basement garage. Security is tight. Stay close.”

“I wasn’t planning to wander off,” I muttered.

He hesitated… as if he might say something kinder before stopping himself.

Classic.

The ride to the charity event felt like being in a pressure cooker. I could sense William's tension hanging in the air like static.

His phone buzzed repeatedly.

He answered one call.

“Tell them to stick to the narrative. No changes.”

Another came in.

“Send the draft to legal before anything goes out.”

And another.

“Who leaked the photographers’ location yesterday? Get to the bottom of it.”

His voice was low and controlled, a dangerous calm.

Though he seemed cold on the surface, I was starting to notice the cracks,signs of someone under intense stress.

Finally, I asked, “Do you ever take a breath?”

He turned his head slightly, narrowing his eyes. “What did you say?”

“You’ve been juggling a million issues since this morning. Just thought… maybe you could breathe in and out? Just a thought.”

William stayed silent at first.

But after a brief moment… he actually took a deep breath.

I turned to gaze out the car window to suppress a smile.

When the car came to a halt, I heard it.

The shouting.

The clicking of cameras.

The crowd.

My stomach churned.

“Just stick by me,” William said quietly, his tone softer than before. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”

I nodded, even though my hands trembled.

A bodyguard opened the door and the noise hit me like a blast of cold water.

“WILLIAM!”

“MR. MARTINS, OVER HERE!”

“JANE, ARE YOU HIS NEW MISTRESS?”

“DID YOU CHEAT ON YOUR FIANCÉ?!”

The last question made me flinch.

Then, suddenly, William was right there.

His hand clasped around mine. Firm. Steady. Calming.

I froze.

He glanced down at me, his gaze sharp. “Stick to the plan.”

Right.

Public. United. Controlled.

I nodded.

We stepped out together.

And every camera went off in explosive bursts of light.

I forced a smile so tight that I thought my cheeks might split.

The world around me blurred, lights, microphones, eager bodies pushing forward.

A shove came from my left, and I stumbled

William's arm slipped around my waist immediately, drawing me closer to him.

"Watch your step," he whispered.

I was too distracted by the dizziness threatening to take over.

As he navigated us down the carpet, he paused for the photographers' shots.

Bowing his head as if sharing a secret, he murmured, "We’re okay. Just hang on."

His tone didn't feel commanding; it felt like a comforting promise.

Oh, how I needed that reassurance.

Once we entered the event hall, the noise softened. It wasn't silent, people were still staring, gossiping, and pointing but at least the chaos of the paparazzi had dimmed.

I let out a shaky breath.

"First time?" William asked, a quirk of curiosity in his voice.

"Isn’t it obvious?" I replied.

"You handled it well," he complimented softly.

I blinked in surprise. "Did you just... compliment me?"

A smile teased the corners of his mouth. "Don’t get used to it."

I rolled my eyes, but his words sparked a small warmth in my heart.

About halfway through the event, I needed a breather. The weight of the stares felt overwhelming.

I slipped into a quiet hallway adjacent to the gardens.

Moments later, I heard approaching footsteps.

"Jane."

I turned around.

But it wasn't William.

It was Daniel.

My stomach plummeted.

He looked worn out. Angry. Heartbroken.

"What are you doing here?" My voice wobbled despite my effort to stay composed.

"I could ask you the same thing." His gaze flicked over my dress, my jewelry, everything that felt so out of place for me. "So it’s true, then."

"No," I whispered urgently. "It’s complicated. I didn’t choose any of this."

"You’re living with him."

"Only temporarily! Because of all the scandal...."

"The scandal that started when you were in his arms?"

"That photo lied, Daniel!"

He moved closer, pain etched on his face.

"How am I supposed to trust you, Jane? You vanished. You moved in with a billionaire. You show up in public with him, him holding you like...."

"It’s all fake!" I retorted. "It’s for publicity. I’m not...." I paused, swallowing hard. "I’m not with him."

Daniel shook his head. "I don’t know what to believe anymore."

Something inside me shattered.

"Then why did you come here?"

"I… I needed to know if you were okay."

My eyes widened, and I blinked rapidly; tears threatened to spill.

"I’m not okay," I admitted quietly. "My life feels ruined."

He stepped forward as if he wanted to hug me but hesitated.

"I miss you," he whispered.

And I hated how deeply that cut.

But before I could respond

A shadow loomed at the hallway's end.

William.

His expression was stoic and unreadable, but his eyes were sharp, focused on Daniel and how close he stood to me.

"What’s happening here?" William’s voice was steel.

"Nothing that concerns you," Daniel replied, standing firm.

"Everything concerns me when it comes to her," William shot back. "She’s under my protection."

Daniel scoffed. "She doesn’t belong to you."

William stepped closer.

Neither man laid a hand on the other, but the air between them crackled with tension,hostile, possessive.

I stepped in between them. "Please, stop. Both of you."

Daniel looked at me, desperation in his eyes. "Jane....... come home."

The word resonated painfully.

"Home" felt like a wound that refused to heal.

"I can’t," I said softly. "Not right now. I need to sort this out first."

Daniel’s expression crumbled.

He nodded stiffly and turned to leave.

I watched him walk away, feeling as though a piece of my heart was going with him.

When I turned back around, William was looking at me… differently. Almost as if he was grappling with an unfathomable feeling.

"You shouldn’t be talking to him here," he said quietly.

"He’s my fiancé."

"Was," William corrected.

"That’s not for you to decide."

Silence thickened between us.

He exhaled slowly. "Let’s head back inside."

His tone held something different this time,neither cold nor warm.

But somewhere in the middle.

Something charged.

When we stepped back into the ballroom, cameras snapped to attention again.

But this time, when William reached for my hand…

I didn’t pull away.

Not for the publicity.

Not because of some strategy.

But because, in that moment, it felt like if he let go.....

I might completely unravel.

And maybe he sensed that too, because he held on for the rest of the night.