The backlash came faster than Lily expected.
By morning, the headlines had shifted tone.
WHO IS LILY BLACKWOOD—AND WHAT IS SHE HIDING?
INTERNET DIGS INTO BILLIONAIRE'S WIFE'S PAST
Lily stared at her phone, dread pooling in her stomach.
They had found her old photos. College pictures. Her part-time café job. A blurry image of her carrying a stack of used textbooks with a caption that read:
From rags to riches—literally.
She scrolled further.
Someone had pulled records from her old neighborhood. Another had speculated about her parents. One anonymous post claimed she'd "strategically targeted" Adrian for money.
Her hands trembled.
She dropped the phone onto the bed and pressed her palms into her eyes.
"I didn't sign up for this," she whispered.
A knock sounded.
She didn't answer.
The door opened anyway.
Adrian stepped inside, his expression darker than she'd ever seen it.
"You should've warned me," Lily said immediately, voice tight. "This—this invasion—"
"I know," Adrian said. "And I've stopped it."
She laughed weakly. "Stopped the internet?"
"No," he replied. "Redirected it."
He handed her a tablet.
On the screen was a breaking article:
BLACKWOOD WIFE'S HUMBLE ORIGINS SPARK PRAISE: 'SELF-MADE, NOT SOLD'
She blinked. "How—"
"I authorized a counter-narrative," Adrian said. "Selective facts. Verified sources."
"You used my life as PR."
"Yes," he said. "To protect you."
Her chest tightened. "You didn't ask."
"I couldn't," he replied. "They were escalating."
She turned away. "I feel exposed."
Adrian was quiet for a moment.
Then he said, "They dug into my past too."
She looked back at him, surprised.
"They always do," he continued. "The difference is I'm used to it."
She swallowed. "I'm not."
He stepped closer, not touching her. "Then we slow it down."
"How?"
"You stop reading comments," he said. "I limit media access. And anyone who crosses the line—"
"—gets crushed?" she finished.
"Yes."
She searched his face. "You don't hesitate."
"No," he said. "Not when it comes to what's mine."
The word sent an unexpected jolt through her.
"I'm not property," Lily said softly.
"I know," Adrian replied immediately. "You're responsibility."
That was somehow worse.
Later that afternoon, Lily left the room for the first time all day. The mansion felt quieter than usual, as if even the staff were tiptoeing around her.
She made it halfway down the staircase when voices drifted up from below.
"…she's not suitable."
Lily froze.
Eleanor's voice.
"I don't care about sentiment," Eleanor continued. "The public will turn. They always do."
Adrian responded calmly. "They already tried."
"And she will break," Eleanor said. "Girls like her always do."
Lily's fingers curled into fists.
"She's stronger than you think," Adrian said.
"That's irrelevant," Eleanor snapped. "Strength doesn't equal endurance."
There was a pause.
Then Adrian spoke—cool, firm.
"She stays."
Silence followed.
Eleanor sighed. "You're choosing risk."
"I'm choosing my wife."
Lily pressed a hand to her mouth.
She didn't move until Eleanor left.
When Adrian looked up and saw her on the stairs, something unreadable crossed his face.
"How long were you standing there?" he asked.
"Long enough," she replied.
They stared at each other.
"You didn't have to say that," Lily said quietly.
"Yes," Adrian replied. "I did."
She descended slowly. "Why?"
"Because it's true."
Her heart pounded. "Even though this is a contract?"
"Especially because of it," he said. "A contract is a promise."
She hadn't expected that answer.
That evening, Lily found herself in the study again—this time invited.
Adrian sat behind the desk, sleeves rolled up, looking less like a billionaire and more like a man carrying too much weight.
"Do you regret it?" Lily asked suddenly.
"Regret what?"
"Marrying me," she said. "Choosing me."
He leaned back, considering.
"No," Adrian said. "I regret underestimating the cost."
She nodded. "Me too."
Silence stretched.
Then she said, "Thank you. For earlier."
"You don't owe me gratitude," he replied. "This is my responsibility."
"I know," she said. "But you didn't have to care."
He looked at her sharply.
"That's where you're wrong," Adrian said.
Their eyes locked.
The air shifted—heavier, charged.
For a brief, dangerous moment, Lily thought he might cross the distance between them.
Instead, he stood abruptly. "You should rest."
Disappointment flickered before she could stop it.
As she left the study, Lily realized something fundamental had changed.
This marriage was no longer just about protection.
It was about choice.
And Adrian Blackwood had just chosen her—publicly, deliberately, and without hesitation.