Clara and Marcus couldn’t believe what they were reading on the media.

The living room in Marcus’s penthouse was dimly lit by the glow of multiple screens. Clara sat cross-legged on the large leather couch, her laptop balanced on her knees while Marcus paced slowly behind her, still recovering from the lingering effects of his recent anxiety. The news alerts had started pouring in during the late hours of the Moonshine launch, and now, well into the night, the story dominated every major outlet and social feed in Aurelia Bay.

Caleb Reed, the unassuming architect, was the secret owner of Moonshine Empire. The revelation alone would have been explosive, but the engagement announcement to Fiona Flare had turned the entire evening into an industry earthquake. Headlines screamed the details: the stunned crowd at the Lumière Waterfront Pavilion, the dramatic double reveal, the red carpet photos of Fiona in her emerald gown standing gracefully beside him. Commentators speculated wildly about the timing, the rivalry with Voss, and what it meant for the beauty world.

Marcus stopped pacing, staring over Clara’s shoulder at the screen. His face was pale, the lines of exhaustion from therapy and his panic attack still etched deeply. "This can’t be right," he muttered, voice rough. "Caleb Reed?He’s been running Moonshine this whole time?"

Clara scrolled through another article, her manicured nails clicking sharply against the keyboard. Her expression was a careful mask of disbelief, but inside her mind raced with dark calculations. *Damn Fiona. She always gets the right ones.* The thought burned like acid. Fiona had walked away from Marcus, from Voss, and now she had landed beside one of the most powerful hidden players in the industry. It felt personal, like a deliberate twist of the knife.

"I can’t believe it either," Clara said aloud, her tone laced with calculated concern. She reached back to squeeze Marcus’s hand, pulling him down to sit beside her. "Look at this. The whole launch was apparently turned upside down when he announced the engagement on stage. Fiona in some fancy emerald dress, smiling like she belongs there. It’s everywhere.

Clara leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder while her mind worked furiously. She had always known Fiona was a threat, but this was on another level. The pregnancy suspicion she had carried since the hospital encounter now felt like a weapon she could wield. *She is pregnant and that baby can’t be Caleb’s. That I know for sure.* The timing didn’t add up for Caleb to be the father. Marcus’s past with Fiona.

If Clara played this right, she could destroy Fiona’s shiny new future before the wedding bells even rang.

"I will make sure she doesn’t get married," Clara thought, the vow settling cold and determined in her chest. Out loud, she kept her voice soothing for Marcus. "This is going to cause chaos at Voss tomorrow. Martin must be losing his mind right now. Katherine too.

The conversation stretched late into the night. Clara fed Marcus more details from the media, carefully highlighting every angle that painted Fiona in a suspicious light. She described the stunned reactions at the pavilion, the way reporters had swarmed, the speculation already linking the engagement to corporate sabotage. Marcus listened, his breathing growing steadier as Clara’s words gave him a sense of purpose and revenge.

Clara, meanwhile, felt a dark satisfaction building. Fiona had taken too much. First Marcus, then a place at Voss where she had shone, and now Caleb and the power of Moonshine. The pregnancy was the key. If Clara could prove or even strongly suggest the child wasn’t Caleb’s, the engagement would crumble. The scandal would destroy Fiona’s reputation and weaken Moonshine in one devastating blow.

As the screens continued to glow with fresh updates, Clara curled closer to Marcus, her mind already spinning with plans. She would start small anonymous leaks, strategic whispers to Katherine, perhaps even reaching out to contacts at Voss. Fiona would not get her happy ending. Not while Clara had breath in her body.

Marcus eventually fell into a restless sleep on the couch, the medication and emotional exhaustion pulling him under. Clara stayed awake, scrolling through more articles, her expression hardening with every picture she stumbles upon.

---

The next morning came with a blast. Caleb was all over the media. Sales of Moonshine skyrocketed like never before.

Fiona woke slowly in her apartment bedroom, the soft morning light filtering through the sheer curtains she had drawn the night before. The space felt familiar and grounding after the whirlwind of the previous evening her comfortable bed, the quiet hum of the city outside her windows, the gentle scent of the lavender diffuser she kept on the nightstand. She stretched carefully, one hand instinctively resting on the small curve of her belly, feeling the subtle changes that had become more noticeable each day. The emerald gown from the launch hung neatly on the closet door, a beautiful but now surreal reminder of everything that had happened.

She reached for her phone on the bedside table, and the screen lit up with an overwhelming flood of notifications. Hundreds of them. News alerts, social media tags, messages from Riley and a few other former colleagues, and trending topics that dominated every platform. Her heart picked up pace as she opened the first headline.

**Caleb Reed Revealed as Moonshine Owner in Dramatic Launch Night**

**Moonshine Stock Surges After Historic Reveal**

**Caleb Reed Engaged to Former Voss Creative Fiona Flare – Industry Earthquake**

Fiona sat up straighter, scrolling through article after article. The coverage was relentless. Clips from the night before played on repeat Caleb on stage announcing his ownership, the stunned silence followed by the explosion of shock when he revealed their engagement. Commentators called it one of the most dramatic nights in the beauty industry in recent memory. Sales reports were already pouring in: Moonshine’s website had crashed twice overnight from the traffic surge, and pre-orders for the Lumina Glow line had exceeded all projections within hours.

She set the phone down for a moment, rubbing her eyes. The night had been intense the red carpet, the elegant venue with its golden lighting and bay views, the way the crowd had descended into chaos after the announcements. And now the world was waking up to it all. Caleb’s face was everywhere, paired with photos of them together on the carpet. The mystery that had surrounded Moonshine for years had finally broken open in spectacular fashion, and their engagement had only amplified the frenzy.

A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door. Elara stepped in, carrying a tray with herbal tea and fresh fruit. Her mother’s expression was a mix of concern and quiet excitement as she set the tray on the bedside table.

"You’re awake," Elara said gently, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I heard the notifications going off nonstop. The whole city is talking about last night. How are you feeling, my girl?"

Fiona accepted the tea gratefully, taking a slow sip before answering. "Overwhelmed. Happy for Caleb the launch was a huge success, and the sales numbers are already insane. But it’s a lot. Everyone knows now. About Moonshine. About us."

Elara nodded, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind Fiona’s ear. "I saw the clips. He looked so proud standing beside you. And that ring... it’s beautiful on your finger. But I can see the worry in your eyes...."

Fiona lifted her hand, the diamond sparkling in the morning light. A small, genuine smile touched her lips despite everything. "It feels real now. I’m scared about how Voss is going to react. Martin. Katherine. The team. Clara’s probably already spinning this into something ugly." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

No need to worry about anything else .What we need to really consider is the baby.We’ll need be careful. No one needs to know about the baby yet. Not until you’re ready."

Fiona nodded, feeling some of the tension ease in her mother’s presence. She checked her phone messages from Riley congratulating her but warning about the buzz at Voss, and a sweet good-morning text from Caleb saying he was already in meetings but thinking of her.

The morning unfolded slowly. Fiona moved around her apartment with careful steps, still feeling the exhaustion from the night before. She changed into comfortable loungewear, the small bump more noticeable in the softer clothes but safely hidden from the outside world. Elara prepared a light breakfast, and they sat together at the small dining table, continuing to talk through the implications.

Moonshine’s sales figures were breaking records, with the Lumina Glow line seeing unprecedented demand. Analysts credited the dramatic reveal and the romantic engagement story for the surge. Fiona watched a few clips, feeling a quiet pride for Caleb mixed with nervousness about the spotlight now shining on both of them.

Her phone buzzed with another message from Caleb. **Thinking of you. The team is thrilled but the attention is intense. Rest today. I’ll come by later if you want company...