It was a rude awakening.
My phone buzzed incessantly across the nightstand. Initially, I lay back under the covers, wrapped in the warmth of my sleep, but the buzzing continued. I groaned, reaching for it. My vision blurred from sleep as I squinted at the screen.
Twenty new notifications.
I blinked. Then another vibration. And another.
What the hell?
Sitting up, I tapped the first message. It was from Claire, my best friend.
Claire: Lily, what is happening?! Your face is everywhere!
The second was from my bookstore assistant, Sophie.
Sophie: Please tell me this isn't real. Are you actually dating Caspian Grey?!
A sick knot settled in my stomach. I switched over to the news app, and gasped.
My name was trending.
Lily Carter: The Woman Who Tamed Caspian Grey?
My pulse was hammering as I scrolled. The articles went on endlessly. Paparazzi shots from the gala, a picture of Caspian's hand resting on my lower back, another of us locked in a gaze that looked far too intimate. And then there were the captions.
"Billionaire Caspian Grey steps out with mystery woman."
"Sources confirm: Caspian Grey is officially off the market."
"Who is Lily Carter, and how did she capture the city's most untouchable man?"
There was a lump in my throat. This was more than speculation; it was a complete media storm.
Barely a moment to drink it up before the bedroom door swung open.
Caspian stood there with a phone in one hand. A deep crease appeared between his brows. He had dressed, his black shirt rolled up to his elbows, and the expression was unreadable.
"You've seen it." It was not a question.
"Oh, I've seen it," I exhaled sharply.
He stepped inside the room, shutting the door.
"Yeah, it was bound to happen."
I gave out a humorless laugh. "You mean the whole world deciding I'm your latest plaything? Yeah, that was kind of obvious."
His jaw tensed. "Lily-"
Another knock interrupted us.
A moment later, Olivia, his assistant, entered in. Usually composed, her expression wore an edge of concern. "Mr. Grey, reporters are outside the building. It's getting out of control."
I swallowed. Reporters. Plural.
Caspian's gaze flicked back to me, assessing. "I'll handle it."
But before he could move, Ava hesitated. "Sir, there is... someone asking for Miss Carter."
My stomach tightened. "Who?"
Ava glanced at me, then back at Caspian. "Elena Monroe."
That name sent chills down my spine.
I'm not the person who goes much into celebrity gossip. But I know who Elena Monroe is. The journalist among the country that was top in investigating. Ruthless. Relentless. And, most of all, the one who had almost dismantled Caspian Grey five years ago.
Every part of Caspian froze into rigidity.
Olivia shifted slightly. "She insists on speaking with Lily. Alone."
"Absolutely not," said his tone sharp and final.
But I have already ditched covers. "I will talk to her."
Caspian's gaze snapped to mine. "That's not a good idea."
"Neither is hiding," I shot back.
His eyes darkened. "Lily—"
I ignored him, climbing out of bed and reaching for the robe draped over the chair.
"If I don't talk to her, she'll spin the story however she wants," I said. "At least this way, I know what she's after."
Caspian's jaw ticked, but after a long, tense moment, he exhaled sharply.
"Fine." His voice was clipped. "But I'm not leaving you alone with her."
Elena Monroe was waiting in the lounge, her red lips curved into something that wasn't quite a smile.
That's how she is beautiful-her refined, intimidating beauty, shiny dark-brown hair waves and dressed in a spotless chilly-white corporate suit, a notebook resting on her lap.
Her eyes ran over me, then knocked on Caspian. "Grey."
Without bother with niceties, Caspian said, "Say what you came to say, Monroe."
She turned back to face me, crossing one leg over the other. "Lily Carter. Owner of a bookstore. A struggling entrepreneur. No notable social relationships... until now."
I forced back my shoulders. "Did I miss the memo about an exciting life?"
Her smile only got bigger. "It is now." She slightly leaned forward. "Tell me, Lily. Do you honestly think you're different from the others?"
Unease crept sharply up my spine. "Excuse me?"
"You think Caspian Grey doesn't have an agenda?" She tilted her head. "That you are more than just another convenient distraction?"
I stiffened, but she did not stop.
"You are his pawn," she states, voice silky and cruel. "A temporary fixture in a game only he knows the rules to."
The words cut deeper than I was willing to admit.
Caspian's hand closed around my wrist. Gentle. Anchoring.
Olivia's eyes flicked down, amusement flickering in her expression. "Oh, darling. You actually believe he cares, don't you?"
I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Caspian moved.
Slow. Deliberate.
And then, to my utter shock, he reached toward me-right there in front of her-and took my face in his hands.
My breath caught.
His touch was warm. Firm. Possessive.
His blue eyes burned into mine, intense and unwavering. "I don't care what she says." His voice was low, meant only for me. "You are not a pawn."
Something thick and unspoken lodged in my throat.
I barely had time to process before he turned-still close, still touching me-and leveled Elena with a look so sharp it could have cut glass.
"You wanted a statement?" he said coolly. "Here it is."
And then, without warning, he kissed me.
I sucked in a breath as my mind short-circuited with his lips upon mine.
It was not soft.
It was not gentle.
It was deliberate.
A claim. A declaration.
My fingers curled into his shirt before I could stop them, my body betraying me.
I ought to have pulled away.
I did not.
Because for all the pretending we'd done...
This kiss?
Did not feel like pretending at all.
When he finally pulled back, the room was deathly silent.
"Well." Her lips spread slowly with a smirk. "That's a first."
Caspian's arm stayed around my waist, his body still very near. "We're done here."
Elena appeared to study him for a few moments more before she got up and straightened her jacket. "For now."
She was about to leave and halted at the doorway. "Good luck, Lily," she said in a voice almost… pitying.
And she was out.
I hadn't had time to catch my breath when Caspian turned to me, his eyes darker than I had ever seen.
"Are you alright?" His tone was gentle now, his thumb absent-mindedly stroking my waist.
I let out an unsteady breath. "I—"
But the truth is…
I really didn't know how to respond.
Because my lips were still tingling.
And my heart was still racing.
And I truly knew-
That was no act.