Chapter 8 Keeping Up Appearances
Morning light floods the penthouse. Zephyra sits at the kitchen island. Kairo stands by the window. Neither speaks about last night. About the devices. About being watched for weeks.
But something has shifted between them. Enemies forced into reluctant alliance.
The silence feels different now. Less hostile. More careful.
Kairo's phone buzzes. He grimaces.
"Percy wants us at a café in an hour. Public appearance."
"Of course he does." She drains her coffee. "Because nothing says romance like performing for strangers."
He almost smiles. Almost.
The café is in the arts district. All exposed brick and Edison bulbs. Perfect for candid couple photos.
Except nothing about this is candid.
Percy has positioned photographers across the street. Elara adjusts Zephyra's hair three times. They're told to sit close. Hold hands. Look in love.
"This is ridiculous," Zephyra mutters.
"Smile," Kairo says through clenched teeth. "You look like you're at a funeral."
"I feel like I'm at a funeral."
His mouth twitches. "Whose? Mine or yours?"
"Both. A double funeral. Very efficient."
The twitch becomes almost a smile. She blinks.
Did she just make Kairo Draven smile?
They order coffee neither wants. The café is suspiciously empty except for the staff and planted photographers.
"This is so staged it hurts," she whispers.
"Everything about our relationship is staged." He stirs sugar into his espresso. "Why should today be different?"
"Fair point."
Silence stretches. Awkward. Heavy.
Then Kairo speaks. "Did you really tell my mother she had no vision?"
"You heard about that?"
"The whole building heard about that."
"She rejected me from her mentorship program. Told me I was too bold. Too unconventional." Zephyra's jaw tightens. "So yes. I told her she had no vision."
He shakes his head. "You're either very brave or very stupid."
"Why not both?"
This time he actually laughs. Short. Surprised. Like the sound escaped against his will.
She stares. His whole face changes when he laughs. The harsh edges soften. He looks almost... human.
"What?" he asks.
"Nothing. I just didn't know you could laugh."
"I laugh."
"When? At puppies drowning?"
His eyes spark. "Only the annoying ones."
She snorts. Actually snorts. Then claps a hand over her mouth.
But it's too late. He's staring at her like she just spoke a new language.
"You should laugh more," he says quietly.
The moment hangs between them like a held breath.
A camera flash breaks the spell. Then another. Five more.
Percy appears, grinning like he won the lottery. "Perfect. Absolutely perfect."
In the car, Zephyra scrolls her phone. The photos are already online.
She looks genuinely happy in them. He looks captivated. Like she's the only person in the world.
Her stomach twists in a way she doesn't want to examine.
"Did you ever want this?" she asks suddenly.
"Want what?"
"Marriage. Relationship. Any of it."
He is quiet for a long moment. The town slides past the tinted windows.
"No," he finally says. "You?"
"Never. I watched my mother sacrifice the entirety for a man who destroyed her." She stares at her mirrored image in the glass. "I swore i'd never want everybody like that."
"My father married for business purposes. Died alone." Kairo's voice is flat. "appeared like a caution."
They take a seat with that truth. Two people who by no means desired this. Trapped in a perfect imitation of it.
"At the least we are sincere," she says.
"At least there is that."
Her phone explodes with notifications. She opens Instagram.
A movie star body language professional has analyzed their café pix. The submit has 3 million perspectives already.
"The manner he looks at her. the real smile. these are SOULMATES. I've analyzed thousands of couples. That is the real issue. #DravenLove #Zephyro"
Comments flood in. hundreds of them. Supportive. Obsessed. convinced.
"They are more in love than my actual dad and mom."
"if they break up, i'm by no means believing in love once more."
"HIS FACE when SHE LAUGHED. I am CRYING."
Zephyra's chest tightens. they are so convinced. So invested in a lie.
Then a new comment appears at the top. demonstrated account. hundreds of thousands of followers.
Dalia Draven.
"A few matters are too right to be authentic. #TimeRevealsAll "
Zephyra's blood runs bloodless.
Percy calls thirty seconds later. Emergency meeting. He sounds panicked.
They collect in Kairo's workplace. Percy paces. Elara bites her thumbnail.
"Eclipse mag wishes you," Percy says. "cowl story. 'Twenty-four Hours with the Dravens.'"
"What does that imply?" Zephyra asks.
"Cameras. Following you everywhere. At domestic. at some point of food. Morning to night. general access."
"virtually now not." Kairo's voice is ice.
"It receives worse." Percy adjusts his glasses. "Dalia encouraged them. in my view vouched for the journalist. if you refuse, you affirm you're hiding something."
"we are hiding something," Zephyra snaps. "we are hiding the entirety."
"that's why you've got to say yes." Elara in the end speaks. "all people's looking now. Dalia made certain of that along with her remark. You refuse this, and those will ask why."
Kairo stands. Walks to the window. His shoulders are inflexible.
"The surveillance gadgets," he says quietly. "someone watching us at domestic. Now you want to ask cameras in?"
"it's controlled," Percy insists. "We pick out what they film."
"nothing is managed anymore."
The words hang heavy.
Zephyra thinks approximately the devices. The weeks of being watched. each private second stolen.
"when?" she asks.
"Next week."
Seven days. Seven days to put together for cameras to invade what little privateness they have left.
Kairo's smartphone buzzes. He seems at the screen. His face is going white.
"What?" Zephyra's coronary heart hammers.
He turns the cellphone towards them. safety photos plays at the display.
A determine in black strategies the penthouse door. attempts the manage. tests the safety panel. tests over their shoulder. Pulls something from their pocket.
"This became taken one hour ago," Kairo says. "even as we had been on the café."
The discern on screen works on the door lock with expert precision.
"who is that?" Percy whispers.
"The same man or woman who planted the bugs." Kairo's jaw clenches. "security scared them off earlier than they got in. however they tried. they may be escalating."
Elara's face is pale. "Escalating toward what?"
No one responded.
The figure on display seems without delay on the camera. Waves. Then disappears.
Kairo's cellphone buzzes once more. A textual content from an unknown number.
"Loved the café. She laughs fantastically. I wonder what different sounds she makes while she thinks nobody's listening.”