Chapter 17

The interview was scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the apartment. Diana had arranged for a journalist named Sarah Chen, someone with a reputation for fairness and integrity, to conduct it. The crew would be small, she assured us—just Sarah, a cameraman, and a producer.

But as Thursday approached, my anxiety grew exponentially.

Christopher had taken the week off work to help me prepare, which was both touching and terrifying. We spent hours going over potential questions, discussing what we were comfortable sharing and what remained private. Diana came by twice to run mock interviews, pushing us with increasingly difficult questions until I wanted to throw something at her.

"What made you think you could handle being married to one of the most powerful men in New York?"

"How do you respond to accusations that you married Christopher for his money?"

"Your brother-in-law was just arrested for embezzlement. Did you or your sister have any knowledge of his criminal activities?"

"Victoria Ashford has publicly stated that she warned you about the challenges of Christopher's world. Do you regret not listening to her advice?"

By Wednesday night, I was a bundle of nerves, second-guessing our decision to do the interview at all.

"We can still cancel," Christopher said, finding me pacing the living room at midnight. "Diana would understand."

"No." I stopped pacing, forcing myself to take a breath. "I need to do this. I need people to hear our side of the story."

Christopher moved closer, his hands settling on my shoulders. "Then tomorrow, you tell them the truth. You be yourself, the woman I fell in love with. That's all you need to do."

The casual way he said "fell in love with" made my heart stutter. We'd been carefully dancing around the L-word, both of us aware it hovered between us but neither brave enough to say it first.

"Christopher," I started, not sure what I wanted to say.

He seemed to understand anyway. His hands moved to cup my face, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones. "I love you, Anastasia. I should have said it weeks ago, but I was afraid. Afraid of being vulnerable, afraid of admitting that you'd become the most important thing in my life." He paused, his eyes searching mine. "But I'm not afraid anymore. I love you. And whatever happens tomorrow, that doesn't change."

Tears blurred my vision. "I love you too. So much it terrifies me sometimes."

Christopher kissed me then, soft and tender, and I felt something inside me settle. Whatever tomorrow brought, we had this. We had each other.

Thursday morning arrived too quickly. The crew showed up at two o'clock, transforming our living room into a set with lighting equipment and cameras. Sarah Chen was in her forties, with kind eyes and a professional demeanor that immediately put me at ease.

"Thank you both for agreeing to this," she said as we went over last-minute details. "I want you to know that I'm not here to ambush you or create drama. My goal is to give you both a platform to share your story authentically."

"We appreciate that," Christopher said, his hand finding mine.

They positioned us on the couch, angled slightly toward each other but facing the camera. Someone adjusted the lighting, checked the sound, and then suddenly, we were ready.

Sarah settled into the chair across from us, her notepad balanced on her knee. "Whenever you're ready," she said gently.

The camera's red light blinked on, and I felt Christopher's hand squeeze mine.

"Christopher, Anastasia, thank you for inviting us into your home," Sarah began. "Let's start with the beginning. How did you two meet?"

Christopher glanced at me, a silent question in his eyes. I nodded slightly. We'd agreed to be honest, even about the unconventional start.

"We met through my grandmother," Christopher said. "She introduced us with the intention of us forming a relationship. It was arranged, in a sense, though not in the traditional way that word implies."

Sarah's eyebrows rose slightly, but she didn't interrupt.

"My grandmother has always been concerned about my personal life," Christopher continued. "She thought Anastasia and I would be compatible, so she facilitated a meeting. We decided to see where it led."

"And Anastasia, what was your first impression of Christopher?" Sarah asked, turning to me.

I managed a small smile. "Honestly? I thought he was cold and intimidating. Very much the powerful CEO. But I agreed to meet him because I respected his grandmother, and I was curious."

"What changed?" Sarah asked. "When did you realize this could be more than just an arrangement?"

I looked at Christopher, seeing the warmth in his eyes as he looked back at me. "Gradually. There wasn't one big moment, just a series of small ones. The way he came home every night even though he didn't have to. How he tried to cook dinner despite having no idea what he was doing. The way he listened when I talked about my bookstore, like he genuinely cared about something that probably seemed insignificant compared to his world."

"And for you, Christopher?" Sarah prompted.

"Anastasia didn't treat me like Christopher Zane, billionaire CEO," he said quietly. "She treated me like Christopher, a person. She called me out when I was being presumptuous, refused my money when I offered it, made me work to earn her trust. No one had ever done that before."

Sarah nodded thoughtfully. "There's been a lot of speculation about the nature of your relationship. Some people have suggested this is a business arrangement, or that Anastasia married you for your wealth. How do you respond to that?"

"People are going to believe what they want to believe," I said, finding my voice. "But the truth is, I had no idea who Christopher really was when I agreed to marry him. I knew he was successful, but I didn't know the extent of his wealth or influence. And by the time I found out, I'd already started falling for the man, not the billionaire."

"You found out after you were married?" Sarah asked, surprise coloring her voice.

"Yes." I felt Christopher's hand tighten on mine, offering support. "Christopher kept his full identity private initially. When I discovered the truth, I was hurt and angry. We had to work through that breach of trust."

"And did you consider leaving?" Sarah asked gently.

"I did," I admitted. "I felt betrayed. But Christopher explained why he'd hidden it, and I understood, even if I didn't agree with his methods. He'd spent his whole life with people wanting something from him. He needed to know I wanted him, not what he could give me."

Sarah turned to Christopher. "That must have been a difficult conversation."

"It was necessary," Christopher said. "I'd made a mistake by not being completely honest from the start. Anastasia had every right to be angry. The fact that she gave me another chance is something I don't take lightly."

"Let's talk about the challenges you've faced as a couple," Sarah said. "The media scrutiny, the public speculation, and most recently, the arrest of Anastasia's brother-in-law. How are you handling these pressures?"

I took a breath, steadying myself. "My sister's ex-husband's actions have nothing to do with Christopher or me. Emily is in the process of divorcing him, and we're supporting her through that. But Thomas's choices are his own. We had no knowledge of his illegal activities."

"There have been insinuations that you married Christopher to protect your family from legal trouble," Sarah said carefully. "What's your response to that?"

"The timeline doesn't even make sense," I said, frustration creeping into my voice. "Christopher and I got married before any of this came to light. And even if we had known, the idea that marriage to Christopher would somehow shield Thomas from prosecution is absurd. The legal system doesn't work that way."

"Victoria Ashford has been vocal about her concerns for you," Sarah continued, and I felt Christopher tense beside me. "She's suggested that you were unprepared for the reality of being married to someone in Christopher's position. What would you say to her?"

I chose my words carefully. "Victoria doesn't know me or our relationship. She's operating from her own perspective and experiences, which are valid for her but not applicable to us. I won't pretend that being married to Christopher is easy. His world comes with pressures and expectations I'm still learning to navigate. But I chose this. I chose him. And I'd make the same choice again."

"Christopher, your former relationship with Victoria has been the subject of much speculation," Sarah said, turning to him. "Can you clarify the nature of that relationship and how it ended?"

Christopher's expression cooled slightly. "Victoria and I were engaged briefly, yes. It was an arrangement that made sense on paper—our families wanted to merge business interests, and we went along with it. But I realized I couldn't spend my life in a relationship built on convenience rather than genuine connection. I ended the engagement two years ago."

"And how did Victoria take that?"

"Not well," Christopher said bluntly. "She's been making her feelings known ever since. But that's not Anastasia's problem or mine. Victoria's opinions about my marriage are irrelevant."

Sarah nodded, making a note. "Let's shift to something more positive. What does your future look like? What are your goals as a couple?"

Christopher and I exchanged glances, and I felt some of the tension ease from my shoulders.

"We want to build a life together," I said. "I'll keep running my bookstore, which I love. Christopher will continue his work with Zane Enterprises. But we also want to find ways to merge our worlds—maybe expand the Zane Foundation's literacy programs, create opportunities for small business owners like me to access resources and mentorship."

"We're also hoping to start a family eventually," Christopher added, and I looked at him in surprise. We'd talked about the possibility in abstract terms, but he'd never stated it so definitively before. "Not right away, but someday. When we're both ready."

The interview continued for another thirty minutes, covering everything from how we spent our free time to what we'd learned from each other to our advice for other couples facing public scrutiny.

By the time Sarah finally called it a wrap, I was emotionally exhausted but also oddly relieved. We'd done it. We'd told our story honestly and completely.

"That was wonderful," Sarah said as the crew began packing up equipment. "You two are very genuine together. That comes across clearly."

After everyone left, Christopher and I collapsed onto the couch, the same couch where we'd just been interviewed, and let the silence settle around us.

"You did amazing," Christopher said finally, pulling me against his side. "You were honest and articulate and everything I knew you'd be."

"You weren't so bad yourself," I teased, then grew serious. "Did you mean what you said? About wanting a family someday?"

"Yes." Christopher turned to look at me fully. "I know we haven't talked about it extensively, but yes. I want that future with you. Children, growing old together, all of it."

My throat felt tight with emotion. "I want that too."

He kissed my temple, the gesture achingly tender. "Then we'll have it. Once we get through this current storm."

My phone buzzed with a text from Claire.

Claire: Just got word that reporters are camped outside the bookstore. Security is handling it but it's intense. You okay?

I showed Christopher the message, and his jaw tightened.

"This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?" I said quietly.

"Probably," Christopher admitted. "The interview will air tomorrow night. People will have opinions, both positive and negative. But Anastasia, we just showed them the truth. Whatever happens next, we did this on our terms."

I wanted to believe that would be enough. That telling our story honestly would silence the critics and skeptics.

But as I scrolled through my phone and saw the headlines still speculating, still questioning, still picking apart every aspect of our relationship, I knew the battle was far from over.

Diana called an hour later. "The footage looks great," she said. "Sarah's team is already working on the edit. It should air tomorrow night at eight, prime time slot. We're expecting significant viewership."

"And after it airs?" I asked, needing to know what to expect.

"There will be a surge of attention, both positive and negative. We'll monitor social media and news outlets, respond to any particularly damaging misinformation, and otherwise let the interview speak for itself." Diana paused. "You both did well today. You came across as authentic and in love. That's going to resonate with people."

After we hung up, Christopher ordered dinner from our favorite Thai restaurant, and we ate in comfortable silence, both of us processing the day.

"Whatever happens tomorrow," I said as we finished eating, "I'm glad we did this."

"So am I." Christopher reached across the table, taking my hand. "No more hiding. No more letting other people define us."

That night, as I lay in bed with Christopher's arms around me, I felt a strange sense of peace despite everything. We'd faced the cameras, told our truth, and survived.

The interview would air tomorrow, and the world would judge us however they chose.

But tonight, in the quiet darkness of our bedroom, none of that mattered.

Because I had Christopher, and he had me, and that was worth more than all the approval in the world.