Selena thought the worst was behind them.
After Clara's venomous intrusion at the gala, Nolan spent the weekend proving with every kiss, every touch, every whispered promise that she was his and only his. Selena let herself believe again—believe in their love, their passion, their future.
But Clara wasn't done.
She was just beginning.
The morning started like any other. Selena padded into the kitchen wearing one of Nolan's shirts, smiling as he leaned against the counter, coffee in hand, his gaze devouring her bare legs.
"You're staring," she teased, pouring herself a cup.
"Can't help it," he murmured, pulling her into his arms. "You look better in my shirt than I ever did."
Their lips met in a slow, lingering kiss, and for a moment the world was perfect.
Then Nolan's phone buzzed.
He ignored it at first, but when it buzzed again, then again, he frowned and grabbed it. His face drained of color as he read the notifications.
"What is it?" Selena asked, her stomach tightening.
He turned the screen toward her. Headlines screamed across every news outlet:
"Business Mogul Nolan Sterling Exposed: Secret Family Revealed!"
Selena's coffee cup slipped from her hand, shattering on the floor.
The article was brutal. Photos of the forged birth certificate splashed across the page. A picture of Nolan with Clara, taken years ago at a charity event, had been twisted into proof of a long-hidden relationship. Anonymous sources claimed he had fathered a child and abandoned them.
Selena's name was there too, dragged into the mud. "The mistress," one blog called her. "The naive girlfriend," another sneered.
Her chest tightened, her vision blurring. "She did it… Clara actually did it."
Nolan swore, slamming the phone onto the counter. "I'll bury her for this. She's crossed the line."
But Selena could barely hear him. All she saw were the words, the lies, the cruel way Clara had spun her life into a spectacle.
"Everyone's going to think it's true," she whispered. "They'll think you lied. They'll think I—"
Nolan grabbed her shoulders. "Look at me."
She did, tears filling her eyes.
"I don't care what they say. I don't care what they think. You know the truth. That's all that matters."
Her voice broke. "But is it? Nolan, this isn't just about us anymore. This is public. This is my name, my face, my life."
He crushed her against his chest. "Then we'll fight it together. I'll call my lawyers, my PR team—we'll destroy her lies."
But Selena's heart still trembled.
Later, after hours of damage control, Nolan found her curled up on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He closed the door quietly and sat beside her.
"She's not going to win," he said softly.
Selena didn't answer.
Nolan leaned down, kissing her forehead. "I'll protect you. Always."
Something inside her broke. She turned into him, clutching his shirt, her tears wetting his chest. "Hold me, Nolan. Please. Just hold me."
He obeyed, wrapping his arms around her, rocking her gently. But the need between them couldn't be denied. Pain bled into passion as his lips found hers, desperate, seeking solace.
"Let me love you," he whispered against her lips.
Selena nodded, pulling him down with her.
Their clothes fell away piece by piece, urgency making their hands clumsy. Nolan kissed away her tears, his mouth trailing lower, sucking her nipple until she gasped, his hand stroking her slick folds.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, sliding inside her slowly, deeply, as if to anchor her back to him.
Selena moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist. The world outside didn't matter. Only him. Only this.
Their bodies moved together in a rhythm that was both frantic and tender. His groans filled her ear as he thrust harder, deeper, their sweat-slicked skin slapping together.
"Say you believe me," he begged. "Say you know I'd never betray you."
"I believe you," she gasped, her climax building. "Nolan, I believe you!"
Her release tore through her, her cries echoing in the room. Nolan followed, burying himself inside her, holding her as if she might disappear.
They collapsed together, breathless, their hearts pounding.
After, Selena lay against his chest, tracing patterns on his skin. "She won't stop, will she?"
Nolan kissed the top of her head. "No. But neither will I."
Selena closed her eyes, torn between fear and hope. Clara's next move had shaken their world. But maybe, just maybe, their love was strong enough to survive it.
This chapter raised the stakes—Clara took the battle public, dragging Nolan and Selena into a scandal. The intimacy between them here wasn't just passion; it was survival, a way to hold onto each other when the world was crumbling.
NisotWrites
As Nolan and Selena fight back, Clara prepares her deadliest strike yet. This time, it's not just lies—it's something that could shatter them forever.