Chapter 122 We're doing this
Violet
It happens fast. Too fast. One second I’m standing there, still trying to wrap my head around the fact that Rowan just bought me an entirely new life—The next... The front door slams open. Hard enough that every single person in the store turns.
Theo. He moves like something is already wrong.Not like he’s reacting. Like he’s confirming it.
“Rowan.” That’s all he says. But it’s enough.
Because Rowan goes still.
Behind Theo, Camille rushes in, breath uneven like she ran from the car. Her eyes lock onto me immediately, scanning me like she’s making sure I’m still in one piece. Then she’s at my side.
“Hey,” she murmurs, her hand brushing my arm. “I’m right here.”
My stomach drops.
“What happened?” I ask, even though— I already know.
Theo lifts his phone slowly. “You’re trending,” he says.
There’s no hesitation this time. No warning. Just truth. Rowan doesn’t ask to see it. He already knows. Of course he does.
“Which one?” he asks instead.
Theo lets out a breath. “All of it.”
That’s when it hits me. Not confusion. Not surprise. Recognition.
“They released them,” I say quietly. My voice sounds distant. Like it belongs to someone else.
Camille’s grip tightens slightly on my arm.
Theo nods once. “Yeah.”
Of course she did. Of course Hargrove didn’t just threaten. She followed through.
I swallow hard, my chest tightening as the reality settles in.
Those pictures. The ones she showed Rowan. The ones he didn’t fold for. They’re not private anymore. They’re everywhere.
“How bad?” I ask.
Theo doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Bad enough that every major outlet picked it up within minutes,” he says, turning to Rowan. “They’re calling it a pattern. Abuse of power. Saying you’ve done this before—”
“With Avery,” I finish.
“And now you,” Camille adds quietly.
There it is. I let out a shaky breath.
“I knew she was going to do this,” I say. “I literally knew it, and I still—”
Still what? Stayed? Trusted him? Walked into this?
My chest tightens. “I should’ve just—”
“Don’t.” Rowan’s voice cuts through everything.
Sharp. Final. I look at him. He hasn’t moved much. But something about him— It’s different. Colder. Quieter. More dangerous.
“They didn’t release anything you didn’t already see,” he says.
That’s not the point.
“They made it public,” I shoot back. “That is the point.”
I can feel it now. The store. The staff. The whispers that aren’t even trying to be subtle anymore. The glances. The judgment.
I take a step back. Like I need distance from all of it. “They’re going to drag me into this,” I say.
Not a question. A fact.
“Yes,” Camille confirms.
“And they’re not going to be gentle about it,” Theo adds.
No kidding. “I didn’t do anything though,” I say again, quieter now.
Camille leans in slightly. “You didn't have to,” she murmurs.
And god... That makes it worse.
I look back at Rowan. “This changes things,” I say.
Finally... He moves. Slow. Deliberate. He steps toward me.
“Yeah,” he says. His voice is low. Certain. “This changes everything.”
My stomach twists. “What are we going to do?” I ask.
He doesn’t hesitate. “We get married.”
The words hit harder this time.
“What?” I breathe.
“Today.”
My heart stutters. “Rowan—”
“This isn’t optional anymore,” he cuts in.
His hand closes around my wrist. Firm. Grounding.
“They’re building a narrative,” he continues. “That I abuse power. That I take advantage of the women who work for me.”
My chest tightens.
“But if you’re my wife,” he says, his voice dropping, sharpening, “that narrative dies before it even finishes forming.”
I stare at him. “That’s not how people are going to see it,” I argue. “They’re going to say you married me to cover your ass—”
“Let them.” No hesitation. “I don’t care what they say,” he continues. “I care about what they can prove.”
Silence. Heavy.
“They can’t prove anything illegal if you’re not my employee anymore,” Devin adds carefully.
“And if you’re his wife,” Theo says, “this turns into a personal relationship instead of a power dynamic.”
My head spins. “This is insane,” I whisper.
“It’s necessary,” Rowan replies.
“It’s fast.”
“It’s survival.”
God. I look around the store again. The whispers. The looks. The reality of it all crashing down on me.
“You don’t even care what I want,” I say quietly.
His eyes lock onto mine. “That’s not true.”
“Then act like it.”
A pause. Then...His hand lifts, brushing over the ring still on my finger.
“You already told me what you wanted,” he says. My breath catches. “When you said yes.”
And this time, I don’t argue. Because I know... This isn’t about what I want anymore. This is about what I’m already in. And whether I’m strong enough to survive it.
My fingers curl slightly. "Fine." The word comes out sharper than I intended.
Everyone goes still.
Rowan's eyes narrow. "Fine?" he repeats.
I swallowed hard. "Fine." I say again, steadier this time. "We'll get married tday."
Camille is looking at me like I just grew two more heads. Theo exhales under his breath.
Rowan doesn't move either. Doesn't speak, just watching me.
I guess if i'm going through with this, I'm going to do it my way though. I'm not doing this halfway.
"But," I add, which gets everyone's attention.
"Careful," He says quietly.
"I'm serious," I cut in. "When all of this is over," I contiune, forcing the word out. "I want the whole thing. I pause but then contiune before I can second guess myself anymore. "A real wedding. A big one."
I take a step closer to Rowan, meeting his gaze. "I want the dress. The venuse. The flowers, The stupid expensive cake people barely eat. I want my friends there. I want it to be something I actually choose." My voice softens a bit. "Not something I'm forced into because everything else is falling apart."
"You want a ceremony," he says.
"I want a wedding," I correct.
"You're getting married today," He says.
"I know, " I snap. "That's not what I'm aruging about though." I step closer and gesture between us. "This is survival. This is damage control. This is you fixing a problem. But later?" I pause, staring into his cold calculating eyes. "That needs to be something else. Something real."
For a second, I think he's going to shut it down. Dismiss it. Override it like everything else he usually does, but instead. he steps coser to me, closing the distance finally.
"And you think this isn't real?" he asks quietly.
My breath catches. "That's not what I said."
"It's what you meant." His voice is low and controlled. "But I'm not aruging with you about that right now." His hand lifts and he cups the side of my face, his thumb brushing over my bottom lip. "You want a wedding?"
"Yes," I whisper.
His eyes darken, "Big?"
"Yes."
"Public?"
I hesitated for half a second before answering. "Yes."
He smirks, staring down at me with that dangerous yet satisfied look in his eyes. "Good." he finally says. "If we're doing this, we're not hiding it. Not small, not quiet. I'll give you everything and when it happens, no one will questions who you belong to."