An Upcoming Scandal

An Upcoming Scandal
Aria's POV

I ought to have been relieved.

Victor was incarcerated. His fear-based kingdom was collapsing. We had brought everything into the open, including the confession and the Mirror Protocol.

Peace, however, is a delicate concept.

Additionally, the enemy may not always be the source of the knife.

It comes from the person you believed to be standing by your side at last.

\---

Shortly after sunrise, the first headline appeared.

Kaitlyn Dawson reveals details about Cole and Aria's toxic romance in "Behind Closed Doors."

Maya clicked on the article, and I looked at the screen, gasping for air. Cole crossed his arms and stood beside me, his whole body tight as if he could already feel the hit coming.

And it came, quickly and forcefully.

> Kaitlyn said to a confidential source, "He was never over me." He occasionally called me, even when he was with Aria. Late in the evening. Sentimental. Intoxicated.

> "I told her. To get out of his father's shadow, Cole turns to women. I was one. She is another.

> "I didn't want to speak earlier, but... it went by too quickly. Too strong. As if he needed to hold on to her to live.

> "And now that people perceive them as a fairy tale of some sort? That's not simply risky. It is not truthful.

My fists tightened around the kitchen counter's edge. "She—what did she say?"

Maya appeared to be considering throwing away her laptop. Aria, she texted them. Older ones. from Cole. Most likely out of context—some might even be doctored. However, still.

Cole's mouth was clenched. "I did give her a call." Once. Months in the past. Back then, I was a complete disaster. I was fleeing from Victor, not grasping for her.

I muttered, "But now she's twisted it." "She turned against us after we forced her to face the truth."

Cole remarked sourly, "She was never fully in." She certainly detested what Victor had done to her. She enjoyed being a part of his business, though. cherished the power.

"And now she's attempting to reclaim it through the public opinion court."

\---

The media frenzy was brutal.

Kaitlyn's tears from previous interviews were intercut with clips of Cole and me holding hands outside the courthouse.

Old video. Manipulated.

It didn't matter, though.

It was being devoured by the internet.

"Was the Other Woman Aria?"

"Is Kaitlyn the True Victim—From Ex-Fiancée to Media Martyr?"

"Tainted Love: After Heartbreak, How Quick Is Too Quick?"

My phone kept buzzing. Emails. PR alerts. Now, even our allies were on edge.

Maya paced the kitchen like a general getting ready for battle, spinning toward us. "All right, this can be saved. A statement is required. A public one. Together.

I said, "Not another interview."

"No. a video for the press. According to our terms. Quickly Take care of the leak, the timing, and your truth before she takes over the story.

Cole gave a headshake. "No, the media isn't the issue here. It's a personal matter. Not only did she betray us, but she also made Aria seem bad.

He looked at me.

"I'll destroy all of her remaining connections if you say the word."

I didn't seek retribution, though.

I desired the truth.

I also wanted to say it out loud.

\---

That evening, we shot the video.

No ostentatious lighting. No cosmetics. Sitting on the couch, just the two of us.

Before we started, there was a dense quiet. The kind of silence that makes it difficult to breathe.

I then leaned forward and hit the record button.

I go by Aria Bennett. Furthermore, I never intended for this to be a show.

Cole nodded as I looked at him.

"Cole's strength wasn't the reason I fell in love with him. Alternatively, he was broken. It was because he treated me as though I were the one thing that was genuine while everything else was crumbling.

I stopped, gasping for air.

"I am aware of Kaitlyn's pain. I have no doubts about that. However, her current actions are not related to healing. Rewriting the truth is the goal.

Cole took over, his tone steady but smoldering.

"I won't say I'm sorry for going on. For living. Furthermore, I will never apologize for my love for Aria.

No one was "replaced" by her. I was saved by her.

I took a deep breath and stared directly into the camera.

"People will find a controversy if they desire one. But what if you want to know the truth? Here it is. We're not flawless. We are untidy. We quarrel. We tumble. However, we select one another.

"Daily."

Before we had a chance to reconsider, I cut the video short and uploaded it right away.

We waited after that.

\---

First came the backlash. It did, of course.

"Public relations stunt." "Royal Script." "Overly polished. It's too late.

However, then—

Something changed.

The remarks began to shift.

"This feels uncooked. Sincere.” “I believe them.” “You can’t fake that type of anguish in your voice.”

Then the messages came flooding in. from unidentified individuals. survivors. individuals who had been exploited by strong guys. or misled by resentful ex-partners. Or demonized for having the courage to move on.

They didn't simply accept our claims.

They joined us in standing.

\---

Kaitlyn wasn't finished, though.

Her attorney issued a cease the following day, alleging that Cole and I had defamed her by accusing her of manipulating others.

We didn't answer in public.

We didn't have to.

Because more footage came to light, exactly as Maya had predicted.

Kaitlyn joked with the tabloid interviewer in a behind-the-scenes video before her major "confession."

"They're going to devour this," she had stated. "I will once more be America's sweetheart."

That was the last straw.

The public turned once again.

She was dropped by sponsors. Interviews were removed by networks.

What about Kaitlyn?

As swiftly as she had taken over the headlines, she vanished from them.

\---

I watched the city lights flicker like fading stars while standing on Cole's apartment balcony that evening.

Cole encircled my waist with his arms.

"We made it through him," he remarked. "We are alive now, her."

I looked into his eyes as I turned in his arms.

"You didn't tell me lies, did you?" I muttered. "What about Kaitlyn's calls?"

He winced. "I told the truth. I simply wasn't prepared to discuss them. However, I never desired her return. I promise that.

With a trembling breath, I nodded.

"Cole, we can't base this on quiet. Not after everything.

His forehead rested against mine.

Next, we expand upon this. In reality. Regardless of how disorganized.

And when the world's cacophony subsided, I realized—

We may have learned how to hide from Victor.

However, we had left hiding.

Even from one another.