BOUND BY A RING

oves her, or

on of herself the public will adore. Her curls are tamed into a graceful wave, her lips coated in

like a wom

n she'

the studio assistant, knocking g

. The label is startin

legs crossed like he owns the station. Of course he does - if not in name, then

vous," she says, tu

ies without lookin

You've officially become

y to smile when they a

n't hav

y. Make

row. "I'm no

od thing the tr

licker of something she can't decode. Softness, may

urns. "You're on

lows hard.

-

e Int

Cameras rolling. And a host w

the power couple no one saw coming - Xavi

es. Tessa's palms swe

a charming bookstore owner catch the attention

lm. "Honestly? I mistook him for a custom

from the

. "She gave me a copy of Pride and Prejudice an

wave of

. "So you bond

eplies. "And coffee. A

leans in. "Tell us about the propos

s for a fracti

surprised her in her shop. No ca

e Austen in front of a shelf full of co

lau

up every word - their 'whirlwind romance,' the '

s. Nods. Pl

s out and the audienc

eves this lie, does it s

-

hat Night

zer as soon as the do

elievable?" she mutters, col

arse them less

ndoing the top buttons of his shir

picious. "You didn't

ameras

prete

stal glass. "I've been pretending

ally, but soul-deep. It startles her

" he asks, final

since I was seventeen. Pretendi

says something she ne

ell today.

Was that... a

al obser

y close to being l

reco

between them feels... real. No audience. No contracts. Just t

-

stion in

e off and the penthouse is quiet, Te

views are trending. Her social media is flooded with pe

eart feel

on her sid

n a soft voice from

ou really

pa

You wouldn't

ot a real

You don't chase the fantasy. You wo

u talk like lov

... messy. People ruin

other," she

sil

some slee

the way his words cling to her

es the ri

by a c

by a

believe in love - and a wom