Sabotage And Secrets.

Monday morning began with a call Zane didn’t expect.

“You need to prepare,” his lawyer said bluntly. “Roman’s legal team is planning to subpoena your financials. They’re going to dig into your past, twist anything they can, make you look unstable or manipulative.”

Zane stood by his office window, jaw tight. “They can try.”

“They will. They’re painting you as a dangerous influence on Alessia and the baby. The last thing Roman wants is for you to look like a safe harbor.”

Zane stayed quiet for a beat, fingers twitching near his side. He had nothing to hide... but in the wrong hands, even a good thing could be warped.

His lawyer sighed. “They’re targeting your credibility, Zane. Not because you’re guilty, but because they’re afraid you’re winning her.”

That was the thing. He was getting close. Alessia was opening up more. Letting him near. Letting him see her.

And now, Roman was coming for all of it.

In the chaos of the day, Zane barely noticed when his assistant, shaken from a cold and rushing to finish a stack of edits, sent a mislabeled file from the estate’s camera system.

It was a short clip—barely thirty seconds—of Alessia in her bedroom at the estate. She was trying on a dress. The sun caught her in profile, her hands smoothing the fabric over her baby bump. She smiled faintly at herself in the mirror. Vulnerable. Soft.

It was intimate. Innocent. And in the wrong hands, it could be ruinous.

The file was supposed to go to Lisa, her best friend. Instead, it went to Tatiana. Alessia made the video to show off her sexy body.

The woman Zane had fired. The one who still had a grudge. And Tatiana knew exactly what to do with it.

The video was posted late Tuesday night with a false caption in bold.

“Caught: Billionaire Zane holding secret romance with his pregnant live-in gold-digger. Allegedly Roman’s ex, Alessia sends sexy videos to seduce him. This isn't just protection anymore, it's now a game.”

It spread like gasoline over an open flame. Clips were shared, slowed down and even zoomed in.

People dissected every detail. Alessia’s hands over her belly. The curve of her smile. Her bare feet on the hardwood floor. Her figure in that soft blue silk.

It looked staged. Romantic. As if Zane had filmed it for himself.

The internet turned savage.

“Homewrecker.”

“Gold-digging baby trap.”

“Zane lost his mind.”

Alessia’s name trended for all the wrong reasons.

By morning, paparazzi were stationed outside her apartment. Old rumors resurfaced. Blogs re-posted the video with crude commentary. She received anonymous emails, messages, and threats.

Zane’s team went into overdrive. But the damage was already done. Alessia stayed inside. Didn’t answer calls. Didn’t eat.

Her best friend came over, furious. “You need to fight back, Alessia. This isn’t true. People know it.”

Alessia whispered, “They believe what they want. No one ever asks me what’s true.”

And that broke her.

Zane was livid.

Not just at Tatiana. Not just at the media. But at himself.

He replayed the assistant’s mistake over and over. How could he have let this happen? That footage never should’ve existed. It was meant for a moment of beauty. Now it was a weapon.

He stormed to Alessia’s building, security trailing behind him, ignoring every protocol.

Her friend opened the door, startled. “She doesn’t want to talk to anyone.”

“I’m not anyone.”

He pounded on the bedroom door. “Alessia. Open up.”

Silence.

“Alessia,” he said again, voice rougher. “It’s me. I swear to God, I didn’t know that file got out. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Please.”

Nothing. Then soft footsteps. A click. The door cracked open.

Her eyes were red. Shoulders trembling. She looked like she hadn’t slept. He stepped inside and closed the door gently behind him. She didn’t say a word.

He pulled her into his chest and wrapped his arms around her. This time, she didn’t pull away.

They stood like that for a long time. Her face tucked into his shirt. His hand stroked her back, slow and steady.

“I don’t care what they say about me,” Alessia whispered.

“But the baby... I’m scared for my baby. They make it look like I’m some... monster.”

“You’re not,” Zane said fiercely.

“You’re the strongest person I know.”

Her breath hitched. “It was such a soft moment. That video. I liked that dress. It made me feel... pretty. And now I hate it.”

Zane pulled back to look her in the eyes.

“Don’t let them steal your softness, Alessia. That’s what they want. You’re not a scandal. You’re a mother. You’re mine.”

She blinked. The room didn’t move, the world didn’t shift. But something inside her did. Something subtle. Deep, like the sharp intake of breath before a storm.

He hadn’t meant to say that last part. Not yet. Not like this. But the words had slipped through his guard. And now they sat between them, hot and unspoken.

Her lips parted. Just slightly. “Yours?”

It wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. That one word cracked something open.

She tasted the edges of it. Bitterness. Longing. The faint trace of fear. The kind that trembles in your stomach when something impossible suddenly feels real.

He didn’t look away.

“Yeah,” he said, voice rough, full of conviction. “Mine. I know I haven’t earned it. But I will.”

He meant it. Every syllable felt like it had been carved out of him, not spoken but offered.

She couldn’t breathe. Not properly. Her lungs filled, but it wasn’t air she needed. It was him. It was whatever this was, whatever they were—suddenly not fragile anymore. Not if he meant it like that.

When he kissed her this time, it wasn’t about lust or desperation.

This time, when he kissed her, it wasn’t about lust or desperation. It was slower. Deeper. Like he was giving her something. Or maybe reclaiming what he already knew belonged to him.

To her, it felt like a shield.

His lips were warm. Not soft. Not rough. Just sure. He kissed her like he knew she needed time. Like he knew she’d flinch if he pushed too hard. So he didn’t.

His hand rose to her face. Not forceful. Just a gentle press against her cheek, fingers steady, grounding her.

Her lashes fluttered. She didn’t close her eyes at first. She watched him. The way his brows drew together. The way his whole body stayed still except his mouth. Like he was afraid to ruin the moment. Like he needed her to know he wasn’t here to take. He was here to stay.

And then she kissed him back.

The moment she did, he breathed out. Quietly. Into her. Like the world had been sitting on his chest and she’d just lifted it.

To him, it felt like something sacred.

He didn’t move fast. Didn’t deepen it like it was a race. He stayed with her, lips brushing, parting, pressing again, like every second mattered.

He was kissing her with everything he couldn’t say. All the moments he had watched her in silence. All the times he had wanted to protect her but stood too far away. All the nights he had wanted to claim her name like it belonged next to his.

This kiss was the opposite of performance. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t practiced.

It was raw.

It was real.

No one could twist this. No one could leak it or post it or filter it.

Because this was just them.

Her heart thudded against her ribs. His breath came harder, more uneven now. Not because of desire, but because of truth. That dangerous, unstoppable kind of truth that changes everything.

She pulled back first, only a little, but her eyes stayed on his and he let her.

“Are you sure you want me?” Zane asked, his chest rose and fell. The sky became their witness, his words became manifestations.

“Let’s ruin him.” Alessia licked her lower lip, her tongue slowly grazed her lips.