Chapter 6 Six

JAMES

I immediately grabbed Stella's hand and we bolted like kids towards the back door. The waiter standing by the side immediately understood what was going on as he pushed the back door open and the moment we stepped outside, he slammed it shut.

My heart was pounding wildly as adrenaline rushed through my veins and I turned to Stella to see that she had a small smile on her face. I didn't let go of her hand as we stealthily made our way to the car and in a hurry, we got in before the reporters could notice us.

The moment I turned the car's engine on, the reporters spotted us and immediately came rushing through the front door, causing Stella to panic. I immediately shifted gears and stepped on the accelerator as the car zoomed out of the restaurant before they could catch up with us.

She didn't say a word the entire drive back. Her arms were crossed, her eyes glued to the city lights flashing past the window, and her jaw clenched like she was holding back words in her throat.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little amused by how pissed she looked. But I also knew better than to mess with her right now. I cleared my throat and glanced at her.

"You okay?"

"Do I look okay to you?" She snapped, finally turning to face me with a harsh glare and I winced. "You dragged me into that mess. You let them take pictures. You proposed, for fuck's sake."

"I didn't actually propose," I replied and she rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"You might as well have! You winked and told the media to wish you luck- do you even understand how insane that sounded?"

Okay, so maybe I got carried away. But seeing how easily the press bought into it... it gave me a kind of twisted satisfaction.

"I panicked," I said with a shrug and she clapped in annoyance as she turned to me with a scowl on her face.

"You panicked?" She echoed with a bitter laugh. "You're a billionaire CEO, James. You don't get to panic. You're supposed to be calculating. Strategic. Calm under pressure."

"Yeah, well, maybe you being so close is throwing off my sense of calmness," I muttered, more to myself than her but she didn't respond. She just looked away again, this time with a tired sigh.

We pulled up in front of her apartment, and I turned the engine off. She moved to open the door, but I reached out and grabbed her wrist gently.

"Wait," I said and she paused but not meeting my eyes.

"What now?" She asked and I leaned my head back against the seat and exhaled.

"Look, I know this isn't what you signed up for. But I meant what I said earlier. I'll triple your salary. Hell, I'll quadruple it. Just... don't quit."

"I didn't agree to this because of money, James," She said, her voice quiet now. "I did it because I thought I could handle the pressure. I thought it'd be a few appearances, a couple of photos, and then we'd move on."

"It still can be. We'll lay low for a bit. Next time we go public, it'll be planned. Controlled." I said softly and she finally turned to look at me.

"You promise?"

"Yeah. I promise."

"Alright. But I swear, if something like this happens again, I'm out." She said with a resigned sigh and I nodded in response.

"Fair enough."

She pulled her wrist free, but softer this time, and stepped out of the car. I watched her walk toward her building, her figure glowing by the dim street lights, her blue dress swaying with every step.

I didn't drive off immediately. I just sat there like an idiot as I watched her disappear inside.

Why the hell did she affect me like this?

This was supposed to be a business arrangement. A fake romance to save my reputation. I should've been thinking about my next move. How to handle PR. How to get Freya to shut up. But instead, all I could think about was Stella's eyes, wide and nervous under all that media pressure.

I banged my hand against the steering wheel and cursed under my breath.

This wasn't good.

********

The next morning, she was early to work and showed up dressed in a sleek black blouse tucked into a pencil skirt that hugged her like it was made for her alone. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail and all I wanted to do was pull it while-

Fuck, my thoughts were getting out of hand.

"Morning, we've got problems." She said as she walked in and I leaned back in my chair with my brows raised.

"That's new," I remarked but she didn't even roll her eyes, which made me realize just how serious it was.

"Reporters are still twisting the proposal story. Apparently, Freya's posted something on Instagram, a sad quote about betrayal, and now everyone thinks you cheated on her with me." She explained and I clenched my jaw in annoyance.

"She's really seeking attention with this scandal," I muttered under my breath but her next words had my head spinning.

"That's not all." She said as she tossed the tablet onto my desk and I leaned closer to see what she was talking about. "Look at this."

"Freya Ford's Brother Speaks Out: 'James Hawthorne Will Regret This.'"

Ford?

I felt a chill run down my spine just at the sight of the name.

"Nicolas Ford," Stella started and I looked up at her. "Your old college rival. And guess what? He's also Freya's half-brother. They're coming after you, James. And they're going to use me to do it."

"The fuck do you mean by that?"

"He just hinted that I was your weakness. That means if he wants to destroy you, all he has to do is come for me."