chapter 13

THE BILLIONAIRE'S REVENGE BRIDE

CHAPTER 13: THE PUBLIC KISS

Mia POV

The invitation was gold. Thick. Expensive.

The Carter-Cole Charity Gala. The biggest event of the year. Every rich person in the city would be there.

Adrian looked at the invitation and sighed. "We have to go. If we don't go, people will say our marriage is falling apart."

I nodded. "We will go. Together."

That night, I wore a black dress. Simple. Elegant. Not too much. Adrian wore a black suit. When he saw me, he stopped for a second.

"You look beautiful," he said quietly.

"You look handsome too," I said, smiling.

We arrived at the gala, hand in hand. Cameras flashed everywhere. People whispered.

"There is Mrs. Cole!"

"She is so beautiful!"

"Is their marriage real?"

Inside, the hall was full of lights and music. Daniel and Lily were there too. Lily wore a red dress again. Daniel wore a suit that looked too big for him.

I tried to ignore them. I held Adrian's hand tighter.

Then a reporter came to us with a microphone and a camera.

"Mr. Cole! Mrs. Cole! One question, please!"

Adrian nodded. "Yes?"

The reporter smiled, but it was not a kind smile. "Mr. Cole, people are saying your marriage is fake. They say you never kiss your wife in public. Is it true? Is this all just business?"

The whole hall went quiet. Everyone was watching us.

I felt my heart stop. My hands started to sweat.

What were we supposed to do? We had rules. Rule 3: No touching unless it is for the cameras. But this was the cameras. This was the biggest camera of all.

Adrian looked at me. His eyes were not cold. They were warm. They were asking me a question without words: Can I?

I nodded, just a little.

Adrian POV

She nodded.

I did not think. I just pulled her close.

I put one hand on her waist, one hand on her cheek, and I kissed her.

Not a fake kiss. Not a quick kiss for the cameras.

A real, deep, slow kiss.

I could feel her hands grab my suit. I could feel her heart beating against my chest. I could hear the crowd gasp, then cheer, then clap.

For a moment, I forgot about the cameras. I forgot about the contract. I forgot about revenge. I forgot about everything.

There was only Mia. And her lips. And the way she kissed me back like she had been waiting for this kiss for a long time.

When we finally pulled apart, Mia's face was red. Her lipstick was smudged. My heart was beating like a drum.

The reporter was speechless. "Well... I think that answers the question."

The crowd laughed and clapped.

Daniel, in the corner, broke a glass in his hand. Blood mixed with wine. Lily grabbed his hand, trying to pull him away, but he just stood there, staring at us with red eyes.

Mia POV

In the car on the way home, we were both quiet.

My lips were still tingling. My heart was still beating fast.

Finally, I whispered, "That was for the cameras, right?"

Adrian looked out of the window. He did not look at me. "Yes," he said. "For the cameras."

But his hands were shaking. I could see it. His hands were on his knees, and they were shaking.

I knew he was lying. And he knew I knew.

"Adrian," I said softly.

"Yes?"

"That was the best fake kiss I have ever had."

He finally turned to look at me. He smiled, a small, shy smile. "Me too."

We laughed. Both of us laughed, like two teenagers who had just done something naughty.

That night, I could not sleep. I touched my lips and thought about the kiss.

Rule 1: No love. This is business.

But if that kiss was business, then why did it feel more real than anything I had ever felt with Daniel?

I closed my eyes.

Tomorrow, the whole city would talk about our kiss. Tomorrow, Lily would be angry. Tomorrow, Daniel would be jealous.

But tonight, I was just Mia Carter, a woman who had just been kissed by her husband, and who did not want to forget it.