A deal with the devil.

Jamie’s POV

I never told Aiden what I saw that night. Maybe because deep down I didn’t care if someone had seen us. Maybe the reckless, possessive part of me wanted the world to see the truth we kept burying under lies. I wanted them to know he wasn’t as untouchable as he looked on camera.

After the event, I retrieved the car and Aiden didn’t speak all through the ride, I could tell he was very exhausted as he just slumped into the passenger seat.I dismissed his driver and took the wheel myself, steering us through the quiet city streets.

The drive was peaceful, almost intimate. At a stoplight, I let my hand rest on his thigh, firm and grounding. He sighed, the tension leaving his shoulders like a slow exhale.

By the time we reached my apartment, the silence between us had turned heavy into something I knew very well. It was the kind of tension that only gave way to one thing.

I grabbed his tie and pulled him in, just as the door clicked shut.

He called my name like a secret. “Jamie…”

“Where were we?” I murmured, brushing my lips across his jaw.

He didn’t answer with words. Instead his lips crashed into mine, showing signs of need and relief. I caught him, kissed him back slowly at first, then deepened it until he groaned against my mouth.

He melted instantly, as my hands found way to his hair, I tugged them gently, just enough to make him groan softly, as his arms were locked around my waist.

My hands found his jacket, and I quickly took off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor. He shivered under my touch, and I guided him until he hit the couch. Our lips collided in a kiss that burned with everything we’ve been denying all day. I leaned over him, caging him in with my arms.

“I guess you've been starving for this all day,” I murmured, letting my lips trace the curve of his jaw.

“Oh absolutely. You have no idea how hard it has been,” he whispered, his voice hot and rough.

“Oh, I do,” I said, my tone steady, letting my hand slide under his shirt, feeling his chest rise under my touch. “I can feel it, but I’m not done with you yet.

I made him wait, I made him beg with the way his hands gripped my shirt, the way his eyes came shut under my touch. Heat pulsed between us, sharp and consuming, and for the first time all night, he wasn’t the star the world worshipped. He was just Aiden, mine to unravel, mine to control, mine to command.

Sparks flew, as time went by quickly. To me, nothing else mattered. Only the soft gasps he gave me, the way he clung to me like he was drowning without my anchor, the way I drew every ounce of control from him. I had him exactly where I wanted him.

Soft and vulnerable.

Eventually, he rested his head against my chest, his breathing slow and steady. I held him there, quietly watching the rise and fall of his chest, and at this point, I felt satisfied.

I watched him for a long while, as the lines of tension and exhaustion disappeared from his face. As he slept, he looked nothing like the man the world screamed for. He looked like my greatest weakness, and my greatest possession all at once. And for a fleeting moment, I felt proud.

Aiden’s phone rang, loud and sharp.

He blinked, trying to be awake, his voice groggy. “Mom?”

I could hear her through the phone even without the speaker. It was sharp, furious, almost like the sound of a blade cutting through paper.

"Aiden! What have you done? What were you thinking? Do you understand what this means? Do you understand the risk?". Her words came off like gunshots.

“Another photo? First the silhouette, now this? You are playing with your career, Aiden!” Stop being stupid. One more slip from you and your career is over!

“I—Mom, calm down—”

He tried to speak, but she didn’t let him.

“Calm down?” she snapped. “I warned you, didn't I? As if the silhouette picture wasn't enough, now this hallway nonsense? You know what, I'm gonna fix this myself, and you will do exactly as I say. No excuses.

Leona is being called today, and you'll will meet you tonight at the hotel. You will smile, hold hands, the press will see her, the people will love her and we will erase this before it succeeds in burying you.

She hung up before he could answer.

Aiden let the phone drop to his chest and closed his eyes, his hand trembling slightly. He met my eyes. “She’s definitely furious, and she's handling it… as usual. She said Leona will be brought in today to… cover this up. I guess the paparazzi won't let me even have a moment of peace to myself.”

I leaned back against the headboard, letting the words sink in. Nothing Victoria Vale does, shocks me anymore.

“Of course she is,” I said evenly.

He turned to me, with guilt in his eyes. “Jamie…”

“It's fine. Don't bother.” I kept my voice calm but firm. “You don’t need to explain. I’ve known since day one that your mother loves your image more than she loves the man behind it.

He looked away, silently.

You need to go Aiden! You know how your is. I’m pretty sure she has started calling everyone to start preparing for tonight.. I quickly added, almost as if I was chasing him away. Maybe I was.

He didn’t say anything. He just leaned in and kissed me deeply, instantly making me forget what just occurred.

“I’ll see you later tonight Jamie” he responded and headed to the living room. He got his clothes and started putting them on. Then he picked up his jacket off the floor, flung them over his shoulders and casually walked out smiling.

Just then, my phone buzzed where it sat on the table. I got up from the bed, and headed to the living room. I picked up my phone and it was from an unknown number.

It was an image of Aiden and I in the hallway. It was blurred, and shadowed but i knew it was us.

My chest tightened, and I locked the screen quickly. As I turned to go back, a message came through. "I know about you. How far are you willing to go to keep your little secret."