Chapter 5 — Headlines
By noon that same day, everything changed.
Rosemarie stepped out of her office building to the sight of cameras flashing aggressively in her direction. Reporters surged forward frantically.
"Ms. Paris! Are you dating Michael Vale?"
"How long have you been seeing him?"
"Are wedding bells next?"
Rosemarie stared in stunned disbelief. Her stomach dropped. One photographer held up a tablet displaying grainy photos of her leaving Michael's penthouse that morning.
Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. She thought!
Rosemarie pushed past them quickly without answering any of their intrusive questions, heart pounding with irritation. This was exactly what she feared, attention, public scrutiny. Her phone buzzed continuously all afternoon with messages from colleagues and friends, mostly teasing, some invasive. It was too much! By evening, Michael's name trended across local entertainment blogs beside hers.
MYSTERY WOMAN CAPTURES MICHAEL VALE'S HEART
Rosemarie wanted to disappear. Instead, Michael arrived at her office carrying coffee and entirely too much confidence.
"You look stressed," he observed calmly.
Rosemarie stared at him incredulously. "Really? What gave it away?"
Michael tried not to smile, but failed miserably
"This isn't funny."
"I know."
"Your fans are dissecting my entire existence online."
Michael's expression softened slightly. "Welcome to my world."
"That's exactly the problem."
He moved closer carefully. "Rosemarie—"
"I don't want this kind of life."
His jaw tightened slightly.
"You think I do?"
That answer surprised her. Michael sighed quietly before sitting across from her desk.
"You think I enjoy strangers analyzing every relationship I have?" he asked. "Every mistake? Every rumor?"
Rosemarie stayed silent, because suddenly he looked tired again, not glamorous, not untouchable, just exhausted.
"I know this is overwhelming," Michael continued quietly. "But don't punish me for other people's attention."
Rosemarie rubbed her forehead slowly.
"I'm trying not to."
Michael leaned forward slightly. "Then let me help."
The sincerity in his voice softened something inside her. God, this man is dangerous in every possible way. Not because he was arrogant, but because beneath all the fame and charm, he genuinely cared and Rosemarie wasn't prepared for that at all.
—
Later that evening, Rosemarie attended another performance reluctantly. The moment Michael stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted. Women screamed his name. Phones lifted immediately to record him.
Rosemarie sat quietly in the shadows of the VIP section observing everything carefully. She now understood, the realization that Michael belonged to the public is what frightened her. Women desired him openly, the attention never stops and no matter how intimate things felt between them privately, she couldn't ignore reality.
Men like Michael Vale were never truly alone. Halfway through the performance, Michael's gaze found hers across the room, suddenly his entire expression changed, it was soft but focused, like nothing else existed.
He sang directly to her after that. Everyone in the audience noticed. Rosemarie felt that burning passion rise beneath her skin as the lyrics became more emotional, more personal.
By the final song, even strangers could sense the passion between them. When Michael finished, the applause from the audience shook the lounge. But Michael ignored everyone else completely as he walked directly toward Rosemarie.
"You're staring again," she murmured quietly.
He leaned down beside her chair slightly.
"Can you blame me?"
Rosemarie's pulse jumped.
"You're impossible."
"And yet," he whispered near her ear, "you keep coming back."
She turned toward him. Close enough to kiss him. Close enough to feel that troubling temptation rising again. Michael smiled softly, he knew, despite the fear, despite the chaos, Rosemarie Paris was falling for him too.