The morning after Adrian's confession was oddly quiet. No headlines. No drama. Just sun filtering through tall windows and the soft buzz of a city that hadn't yet realized everything had changed.
Nancy woke up in Adrian's shirt, hair tangled, soul tangled more. She padded into the kitchen to find him making breakfast. Badly.
"You're burning the eggs," she said.
He looked up, grinning. "Just seasoning with smoke."
She laughed despite herself and took over.
---
Later – Blackwood Enterprises, Top Floor
Adrian entered the boardroom with Nancy at his side. The members froze mid-discussion. Uncle Harold's jaw clenched.
Adrian didn't wait. "I want it on record. Nancy is not just my wife in name. She's my partner in everything. Any attempt to undermine her position is an attempt to undermine me."
Murmurs broke out.
Harold growled, "This isn't about romance, Adrian—"
"It's about loyalty," Adrian cut in. "To this company. To the truth. And I'm done hiding ours."
He held up the flash drive Camille had tried to use against them.
"This? Let it surface. We'll deal with it. Because real love doesn't need a contract to be valid."
Nancy looked at him like he'd just burned the whole room down—in the best way.
---
Back at Their Apartment
Nancy flopped on the bed, exhausted. "You just declared war on your uncle. Again."
Adrian lay beside her. "Yeah. But this time I've got better armor."
She smiled. "Me?"
He rolled over, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You."
Then her phone buzzed. A journalist she knew from campus had messaged.
"Got your back. Interview drops tomorrow. Get ready to own your story."
Nancy read it out loud. Adrian raised an eyebrow. "Ready?"
She exhaled. "Let's burn the last lie."