Aiden stepped through the doors of the luxury townhouse and straight into chaos.
The living room was packed—laptops open, screens glowing, team members sprawled across sofas, armchairs, even the floor. Some sat cross-legged with devices on their knees, fingers flying across keyboards. Every single one of them froze the moment he walked in, heads swiveling like synchronized surveillance cams.
He didn't flinch.
He had that kind of presence—magnetic, sharp-edged—and he knew it.
Valeria cut straight to a young woman with black-rimmed glasses seated near the main window. One glance at the screen, and she asked, "How bad is the fallout?"
The girl turned her laptop slightly. "Two more brands pulled their sponsorships. One issued a statement saying they won't renew. And Modern Women canceled your January cover."
Before Valeria could respond, another girl—round-faced, fidgeting with the edge of her hoodie—chimed in, "We need to buy a trending topic slot. Maybe also moderate the comments. It's getting worse by the second. Especially on his page."
She nodded toward Aiden.
"Ever since your clapback went viral," she added nervously, "your comment section's basically a bonfire."
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Let's rewind. My comments exploded after Valeria dropped our marriage license like it was a grenade. Let's not rewrite history just to save face."
The hoodie girl shut her mouth fast. He wasn't just a random tagalong anymore—he was the boss's husband. And the kind of guy who clearly didn't mind calling out nonsense.
Aiden strolled to the couch and dropped into the cushions next to Valeria like he owned the place.
"So, your career's unraveling in real-time," he said casually. "Regretting this yet?"
Valeria leaned back, tossing her hair over her shoulder with cinematic flair. "Do I look worried to you?"
Aiden nodded once, approving. "Good. Keep that energy. We're barely 24 hours in—if you start panicking now, I'll be bored to death."
If they were jumping off a cliff together, he expected her to at least scream on the way down.
Valeria threw an orange at him, fast and without warning.
He caught it midair, cool as ever, and started peeling it.
"Emotional support," he said, deadpan.
Around them, her team stared in disbelief. The easy banter, the unshakable chemistry—it was like watching a couple that had been together for years. No wonder they'd kept the marriage quiet.
Then Gloria Lang burst into the room like a human wrecking ball.
The veteran agent's sharp heels clicked across the hardwood as she surveyed the scene—her eyes locking on the pair sprawled across the couch like it was a lovers' retreat.
"Really?" she snapped. "We're doing flirtation theater now? In front of the entire team?"
"Gloria, you're tense," Valeria said sweetly, grabbing a chilled pear from the counter. "You need fiber."
Gloria slapped the fruit away. "Don't test me. How did this happen? How did you two even meet?"
Aiden bit into a slice of orange, completely unfazed. Great. They still hadn't agreed on a backstory.
Valeria walked behind him and rested her hands lightly on his shoulders, as if she were coaxing him into a spa treatment.
"We fell in love at first sight," she said, her voice dreamy, practically dripping in Hollywood gloss.
Aiden didn't miss a beat. He tapped her hand in rhythm and joined in.
"Mutual sparks."
"Instant connection."
"Two souls, one destiny."
"Meant to be."
They volleyed the lines like seasoned actors in a rehearsed bit.
"Stop," Gloria groaned. "God, please stop. You sound like a shampoo commercial. Give me one real detail."
Valeria tilted her head. "Gloria, some things are meant to be sacred. Our love isn't a press release—it's a poem."
Aiden smirked. "Also, prying into people's relationships sounds a little invasive. You're not saying you've never been in love, are you?"
Gloria's nostrils flared. "I was dating before you knew how to zip your pants."
"Exactly," Aiden replied. "And still so nosy. That's impressive longevity in the gossip game."
Valeria joined in, giving him a mock-serious nod. "A timeless love like ours is hard to relate to."
Gloria looked like she was about to launch a chair.
But then she narrowed her eyes.
"What about Claire?" she said sharply. "Don't pretend yesterday didn't happen."
Gasps sparked across the room.
Claire? The producer from the station? That Claire?
Now this was drama.
Aiden's brow arched. "Ancient history. Everyone has a past."
"Ancient? It was yesterday!"
"And I thank you for that," Aiden replied smoothly, shifting into full-on theatrical mode. "If you hadn't destroyed my relationship with Claire, I might've never known Valeria was waiting for me all along."
He even threw in a dramatic hand-to-heart gesture and a fake sniffle.
Valeria smiled sweetly, nodding like the long-suffering partner who'd finally won her man.
The room collectively held its breath. Everything was falling into place like a prime-time soap: Claire and Aiden were a thing. Gloria meddled. They broke up. Valeria swooped in. Now they were married.
And it almost made sense.
Gloria's glare wavered—just for a second. Could Valeria really have been hiding her feelings that long?
Valeria had always been press-shy about her love life. Maybe she had been in love for a while. Maybe she was tired of hiding.
Gloria exhaled sharply, clearly losing ground. "Whatever. Do what you want."
Valeria immediately latched onto her arm with mock-innocent eyes. "You're still my agent, Glo. You're my ride-or-die. If you don't back me, who will?"
"Val," the hoodie girl suddenly called from the corner, eyes wide as she stared at her screen. "The new photos just dropped. You hugging Aiden outside NYDLC, then getting into the van, and now entering the estate. Headline says—'Valeria Quinn Picks Up Husband From Work, Cozy PDA at Their Love Nest.'"
Valeria gave a satisfied little smile.
Exactly what she wanted.
Gloria, however, looked like she might vomit. There was never an in-between with Valeria—it was either nun-like secrecy or full-blown tabloid hurricane.
Aiden casually opened Instagram. New photos, check. New hate, check. Same unfiltered mess in the comments.
He smiled.
Time to stir the pot.
Gloria noticed and panicked. "What are you doing?"
"Just browsing," Aiden said innocently.
"Give me your phone."
"Why?"
"Because every time you open it, someone on the PR team loses a year off their life!"
Aiden shrugged. "I'm helping. Giving the trolls someone new to hate. Classic damage control."
"You're feeding trolls gasoline!"
"It's called natural selection," Aiden replied. "Mock the dumb ones and the rest scatter."
"You—!" Gloria nearly exploded again.
Valeria tried to shoot him a warning glare, but inside? She was kind of impressed.
She'd expected him to be snarky. Maybe even difficult. But this? He was holding his own in a wildfire—and smiling through it.
Then the hoodie girl's voice cut through again.
"Val… someone just leaked Aiden's private info. It's spreading fast."
The room went ice-cold.
"Wow. That was quick," Aiden muttered, leaning over the screen.
Gloria's eyes narrowed. Finally. Finally some real consequences for this cocky stranger.
But then her heart sank.
What if the leak dragged Claire into the spotlight?
No. Not now.
"I need to see it too," she barked, rushing toward the laptop.