Chapter 4 The Wife on Camera

The camera loves her, or so they say.

Tessa stares at her reflection under the harsh lights of the makeup room, trying to find the version of herself the public will adore. Her curls are tamed into a graceful wave, her lips coated in a rich rose gloss, and a pearl necklace rests against her collarbone like a lie dressed in elegance.

She looks like a woman in love.

A woman she's not.

"Five minutes, Mrs. King," says the studio assistant, knocking gently before disappearing again.

She winces at the name. The label is starting to cling like static.

Across the room, Xavier is seated on a couch, unbothered in his charcoal suit, legs crossed like he owns the station. Of course he does - if not in name, then in aura. The CEO of KingCorp doesn't get nervous. Doesn't fidget. Doesn't blink.

"You don't look nervous," she says, tugging at her blazer.

"I'm not," he replies without looking up from his phone.

"Well, congratulations. You've officially become too rich to feel things."

He smirks faintly. "Try to smile when they ask about the honeymoon."

"We didn't have one."

"Exactly. Make it up."

Her eyes narrow. "I'm not an actress."

"Then it's a good thing the truth is bendable."

He finally looks up - and for a moment, there's a flicker of something she can't decode. Softness, maybe. Or regret. But it vanishes as quickly as it came.

The assistant returns. "You're on in thirty seconds."

Tessa swallows hard. "Showtime."

---

🎥 The Interview

Bright lights. A plush sofa. Cameras rolling. And a host with teeth too white to be real.

"Today, we have an exclusive sit-down with the power couple no one saw coming - Xavier King and his stunning wife, Tessa King!"

Applause. Forced smiles. Tessa's palms sweat beneath her sleeves.

"So, Tessa," the host purrs, "Tell us, how did a charming bookstore owner catch the attention of one of the world's most eligible bachelors?"

Tessa's heart pounds, but her voice is calm. "Honestly? I mistook him for a customer who couldn't find the romance section."

Laughter from the audience.

Xavier chuckles beside her, smooth and composed. "She gave me a copy of Pride and Prejudice and told me I looked like a Mr. Darcy in crisis."

Another wave of laughter.

The host beams. "So you bonded over books?"

"Over banter," Tessa replies. "And coffee. And mutual stubbornness."

"And now you're married." The host leans in. "Tell us about the proposal. We heard it was... unexpected?"

Tessa hesitates for a fraction of a second.

Xavier cuts in smoothly, "Very. I surprised her in her shop. No cameras. No ring pop, unfortunately."

Tessa adds, "He did, however, quote Jane Austen in front of a shelf full of cookbooks. I almost said no on principle."

More laughter.

The rest of the interview blurs. The media eats up every word - their 'whirlwind romance,' the 'secret ceremony,' how 'deeply in love' they are.

Tessa smiles. Nods. Plays the role.

But as the camera pans out and the audience claps, she wonders:

If the entire world believes this lie, does it start becoming the truth?

---

🕐 Later That Night – Penthouse

She tears off the blazer as soon as the door shuts behind them.

"Why do your lies sound so believable?" she mutters, collapsing onto the plush sofa.

"Because I rehearse them less than you think."

He heads to the kitchen, already undoing the top buttons of his shirt like he's shedding another mask.

She watches him, suspicious. "You didn't hate that, did you?"

"The cameras? No."

"The pretending."

He pauses. Pours water into a crystal glass. "I've been pretending most of my life. This isn't new."

His voice is tired - not just physically, but soul-deep. It startles her, how human he sounds in this moment.

"What about you?" he asks, finally looking at her.

"I've worked minimum wage jobs since I was seventeen. Pretending I'm okay is kind of my thing."

He nods slowly. Then says something she never expected to hear.

"You did well today. On camera."

She blinks. "Was that... a compliment?"

"A factual observation."

"You're dangerously close to being likable, Mr. King."

"I'll recover."

She laughs, more softly than before. And for a moment, the air between them feels... real. No audience. No contracts. Just two people who've accidentally wandered into each other's lives.

---

🌒 A Question in the Dark

That night, long after the lights are off and the penthouse is quiet, Tessa lies awake staring at the ceiling.

She should feel proud. They fooled the world. The interviews are trending. Her social media is flooded with people calling her "goals" and "the luckiest woman alive."

But her heart feels heavier.

She turns on her side. "Xavier?"

There's silence. Then a soft voice from the darkness. "Hmm?"

"Why did you really choose me?"

A pause.

"I told you. You wouldn't fall in love."

"That's not a real answer."

"It is. You're smart. Independent. You don't chase the fantasy. You wouldn't confuse a ring for forever."

She frowns. "You talk like love is a weakness."

Another pause. "Love is... messy. People ruin each other in its name."

"Or save each other," she says quietly.

More silence.

Then: "Get some sleep, Tessa."

But she can't. Not now. Not with the way his words cling to her like a draft under a locked door.

She touches the ring again.

Bound by a contract.

Bound by a name.

Bound by a man who doesn't believe in love - and a woman who might be starting to.