Page 78 of It's Not All Fake

Susan laughs, picking up on the humor but not the nuance. “And why’s that?”

“He likes his life as it is.” Chloe shrugs nonchalantly. “The people I work with want to make big changes.”

“But your relationship is a big change,” Susan points out, her gaze shifting back to me. “Liam, you’ve never been in a public relationship like this before,” she says with a light laugh.

“This is different,” I reply honestly, glancing at Chloe to meet her gaze. I want her to know that I’m serious. Her green eyes hold a hint of vulnerability and I want to reassure her.

“Different how?” Susan challenges. “There are rumors circulating that your relationship is fake. Text messages where you refer to yourself as Chloe’s boss,” she looks at me closely. “Is this all for show, Liam?”

Fuck. She’s smiling, but Susan is ruthless.

I feel Chloe’s hand tighten in mine; I know she must be feeling anxious.

I give Susan a confident smile. “No, not at all. This is the most serious I’ve ever been,” I assert.

Beside me, Chloe shifts slightly, and I sense her eyes on me now, maybe surprised by my answer.

“And recently, I also made the decision to invest in her company. Chloe’s brilliant at what she does,” I add.

“So now he’s your boss?” Susan probes, turning to Chloe.

Both Chloe and I chuckle at the suggestion.

“No,” Chloe clarifies smoothly, sticking to the story ironed out earlier today. “We like to joke about that. Liam does hold a small equity stake, but I’m very much in control,” she states, her tone both amused and assertive.

“She truly is,” I affirm, keeping a light-hearted tone and subtly hinting at dynamics beyond business.

Susan smirks, catching on. “So, this is real between you?”

“It is,” I confirm without hesitation, because it’s the truth.

There’s an undeniable reality to what Chloe and I share. I squeeze her hand a little tighter. She’s giving me a tender look for the cameras, but beneath it, I detect her doubt.

“You seem very close, considering you’ve only been together less than a month,” Susan observes.

“I think sometimes you just know,” I reply casually.

Susan laughs. “You ‘just know’? I’m not letting you off that easy. What exactly do you know, Liam?”

I turn to Chloe, whose eyes are searching mine, filled with nerves about what I might say next. She looks both strong and vulnerable, and I’m suddenly aware of how much I could hurt her.

“I fell in love with Chloe before I even realized it,” I answer Susan but speak directly to Chloe, my gaze locked with her emerald eyes. “Time didn’t matter,” I explain. Maybe we’re like her parents, who married after only four days of knowing each other.

A tumult of emotions plays across Chloe's face. For a moment, tears seem to threaten her composure, but she blinks them back. Her look is full of questions, wondering if my feelings are genuine.

“Wow,” Susan interjects, jarring me back to our on-screen task. “And Chloe, how do you feel?”

Um," Chloe looks down at her lap and hesitates before answering. "I feel the same," she responds softly while avoiding eye contact with me. Suddenly, I fear she may call it quits and end this whole charade.

But then she takes a deep breath and meets Susan's gaze with determination. "I didn't want to fall for Liam," she admits, turning to look at me. She seems on the verge of tears. "But I did," she confesses, and I believe her.

My heart soars but also breaks as I see the pained look on Chloe’s face, as though she’s been forced to reveal too much, too publicly. This interview may have been a mistake.

“Alright, we either owe these two an Emmy, or they are truly in love,” Susan concludes brightly. “Thank you, Liam and Chloe…” Her voice trails off as my mind races.

I told Chloe I love her, and she reciprocated. It feels profoundly real.

But the exposure has unnerved Chloe more than I anticipated.

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