Chapter 8 UNMASKED

Zara woke up to sunlight on her face and the scent of coffee wafting in from the kitchen. Tari's shirt was draped around her like a second skin, oversized, warm, safe. Last night hadn't been planned. She hadn't gone to the bridge thinking she'd end up in his apartment, tangled in sheets and truths. But when it happened, it didn't feel like a mistake. It felt inevitable. Now, in the golden hush of morning, she sat up slowly, brushing curls out of her face. The sound of dishes clinking followed by a muttered curse made her smile. She got up, walked barefoot to the kitchen - and stopped.

Tari was at the counter, shirtless, in grey sweats, trying to plate two perfectly overcooked eggs and slightly burnt toast. He looked up, startled. "Oh. You're up." She arched a brow. "You cooked?" "Attempted. Cooking is... not my core skill set." Zara laughed softly, walking over. "I'm impressed." "You shouldn't be. This toast is more weapon than breakfast." They sat together, the silence comfortable now - laced with something deeper. Zara bit into the toast and winced. "You weren't joking." Tari grinned. "Told you." She looked at him then, long and thoughtful. "You really meant what you said last night?" He didn't hesitate. "Every word." Zara's fingers brushed her tea cup. "I've been hurt before. Not just by lovers. By people I trusted. People who thought loving me meant owning me." Tari's voice was low. "That's not what this is." "I know," she said softly. "That's why I stayed." He reached for her hand across the table. Held it gently. They sat like that for a long moment, no lies, no pressure - just the soft, terrifying bloom of something real. But the world wouldn't let them live in that bubble for long. *** By noon, they were all over the internet again - this time, for a different reason. Someone had leaked Zara's business pitch deck. Her private investor documents - including details about her fake engagement clause. The one she and Tari signed. A deal. Not love. Not real. And the headlines were cruel: *"Was Zara Ezedi using Tari Amadi for business funding all along?"* *"Leaked contract exposes fake fiancée deal - betrayal or business? "Is Tari the real victim in a PR stunt gone wrong." Zara's phone exploded with calls.

She stood frozen in the middle of her studio, staring at her laptop screen in horror as the leak spread. Her assistant, Mimi, rushed in. "Babe, you need to respond to this." "I- I don't know how." "Someone's trying to bury you. This leak? It's personal." Zara's heart pounded. "They have everything. Even the original clause document." Mimi's eyes narrowed. "Who else had access?" Only a few people. Her old friend Ada. The investor group. Tari's legal team. Zara swallowed hard. She didn't want to believe it. But someone wanted her *destroyed*. And the timing? Right after she and Tari admitted their feelings? Too perfect. Too dangerous. She grabbed her bag. "I need to talk to him." Mimi nodded. "Go. I'll handle press." Zara ran. And as she did, the question echoed louder in her chest:

Zara reached Tari's office with her pulse hammering. His receptionist tried to stop her, but one look at her face and the woman silently pointed toward his door. Zara pushed it open without knocking. Tari stood at the window, on the phone, voice low and intense. He turned the second she entered. "I'll call you back," he said into the phone and ended the call. Her voice came out shaky, breathless. "Tell me you didn't do it." Tari blinked, shocked. "What?" "The leak. The contract. My pitch deck. Someone exposed *everything*. The blogs are already calling it a scam." His jaw tensed. "I had nothing to do with it." "I want to believe you," she said, voice rising. "But you had access. You and your lawyers." "You really think I'd do that to you?" His voice cracked with something close to hurt. "After everything?" "I don't know what to think, Tari! You have more to lose now than I do-public trust, board seats-maybe this was cleanup for you!" He stepped closer, his voice steady but deep. "I have *everything* to lose if I lose you." Zara flinched. Silence. Then she turned away. "I don't know who I can trust anymore." "I'll find out who did it," Tari said firmly. "You deserve the truth. And whoever tried to humiliate you-*they won't get away with it*." - Hours later, Zara sat on her apartment floor, scrolling through vicious comments, betrayal tightening around her like a fist. Just then, a text came in. *Mimi:* *Check your email. Urgently.* Zara opened it. A forwarded message. An attachment. The original leak file - sent from *Ada's* email address. Her old friend. Her former business partner. The one person who always knew about her clause. The betrayal hit like a slap. She dropped the phone, eyes burning. This wasn't just sabotage. This was someone she trusted pulling the trigger on her reputation. And tomorrow? Zara Ezedi would have to rise or fall - in the full glare of the public eye.