Chapter 14: Chapter XIV

They ended up at a sophisticated restaurant overlooking the coast with an open patio, where the view of the water and the scent of grilled seafood made everything feel a little less heavy. Callum ordered for them both, whilst Ariana let herself enjoy the moment and basked in the beauty of the interior décor of the restaurant.

They sat in comfortable silence whilst the waited for their food, until the unmistakable click of a camera shutter broke the peace.

A man dressed in all black with dark tinted sunglasses and a press badge hovered just outside the patio entrance, subtly snapping shots from his phone before pretending to look at the specials board.

Callum’s jaw twitched. He was used to their antics so it was easy to spot what the man was trying to do.

Ariana stiffened. “Let’s just go.”

“No,” Callum said calmly, touching her hand. “We stay.”

Then, to her surprise, he turned slightly toward the paparazzo and raised his voice just enough to carry.

“Since you’re so curious,” he said with cool amusement, “This is Ariana Cruze. And yes, I’m the lucky man who gets to be her husband.”

The reporter froze; his phone half-raised. He knew he had been spotted.

Callum continued, louder this time, “She’s smart, dangerously sexy and wickedly funny. Make sure you get that right in the headline.”

Ariana stared at him, speechless, a flush creeping up her neck.

The man mumbled a thanks and disappeared quickly.

She looked at Callum, eyes wide. “You really don’t care what they say?”

“Oh, they will still talk so I just prefer to give them a better story.” he said, reaching for his glass of wine.

Her heart did an unexpected somersault.

It wasn’t the grandest declaration—but it was something.

And for now, it was enough.

The press may have disappeared, but the moment lingered like an echo. Ariana played with the stem of her wineglass, still reeling from what Callum had said—so casually, so publicly, so proudly.

She didn’t expect him to be so vocal about her.

Especially not like that.

“You didn’t have to say all that,” she murmured, breaking the silence as the server placed their plates between them—Alfredo pasta for her, a perfectly seared steak with mashed potatoes for him.

“I know,” Callum said simply, slicing into his food. “But I needed to.”

She glanced at him. “You’re full of surprises.”

“I get that a lot.”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “I’m sure you do.”

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Ariana set her fork down and leaned back, letting the breeze run through her hair.

“I haven’t had a normal lunch like this in... months,” she said. “Back home, it was usually just the food at the hospital cafeteria for the past couple of months. Rock hard muffins and watered down coffee for breakfast and then ramen for lunch.”

Callum’s eyes flicked up. “Your sister.”

A nod. “I came here to help pay for her treatments. Didn’t think I’d end up... in this situation.”

He watched her closely, the usual guarded expression softening around the edges. “Is she doing better?”

“Some days are better than others but generally the feedbacks I’ve been getting from the doctors are encouraging.” Ariana said. “She has a long road ahead. But I’ll be there, no matter what.”

He watched her intensely. “That’s loyalty most people don’t understand. You can’t really buy that these days.”

“ She’s all the family I’ve got.”

There was a pause, quiet but weighted.

“What about you? I would like to know a little more.” she asked carefully. “Family close?”

Callum didn’t answer right away. He put down his fork. He glanced past her, toward the ocean, like maybe he was looking for the waves to give him an answer.

“My brother and I used to be close,” he said finally. “Now... not so much.”

“Because of the business?”

He gave her a dry smile. “Because I made choices he didn’t necessarily approve of.”

She tilted her head. “You mean bad choices?”

“I mean necessary ones.”

Something in his voice was telling her to stop pressing.

“But Alex,” he added with a faint smirk, “he’s the golden boy. The trophy child. Stanford grad. Family favorite. I’m the black sheep they try to polish when the cameras are on.”

Ariana searched his face. “Why would you think that?”

Callum shrugged, eyes back on his food. “Doesn’t really matter what I think. It’s just how it is.”

The walls were back up, strong and invisible. She could almost see them build up in his eyes.

“You’re not easy to get to know,” she said gently.

“Good,” he replied. “You’d get bored too quickly if I were. The lesser you know, the safer you’ll be.”

She laughed softly and picked up her fork again, but her gaze lingered on him. Behind the polished smile, the control and charm, there was a man who’d built walls high and deep.

But maybe, just maybe, she was starting to learn the shape of the cracks.