The footage of Daniel’s speech spread like wildfire. Within hours, his words had been replayed on every news outlet, dissected in talk shows, and clipped endlessly across social media.
Some mocked him. Naïve. Reckless. A lovesick fool throwing himself into ruin. Others praised him. A man brave enough to stand by love when the world demanded silence.
But regardless of opinion, one thing was undeniable: Daniel had changed the conversation.
At Marquez Couture, the staff gathered in the break room, huddled around a small television. They watched as his face filled the screen, voice unwavering as he said, “I love Elena Marquez.” Gasps and murmurs rippled through the group. Some looked uneasy, others smiled in quiet awe.
“Maybe…” one seamstress whispered, “maybe it’s not so shameful after all. To be loved like that.”
You Pick, You React
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Elena, however, was not smiling. She sat in her office, hands trembling around the glass of water she hadn’t touched. His words had been a shield, yes, but also a spark—and sparks, she knew, could ignite wildfires.
Her phone rang. It was her PR manager. “Elena, listen to me—this could work. Daniel just humanized you in a way we never could have planned. If you seize this moment, if you speak now, we can turn this from scandal into a love story. But you need to be bold.”
Elena’s heart pounded. She pictured Daniel on those marble steps, fire in his voice, love in his eyes. He had risked everything for her. Was she ready to risk everything, too?
Later that evening, she found him in her apartment, pacing, restless. “Did I make things worse?” he asked the moment she stepped inside. “Tell me the truth, Elena. If I hurt you—”
She silenced him with a hand against his chest. “You didn’t hurt me. You saved me. And maybe… maybe it’s time I stopped hiding.”
Daniel’s eyes searched hers. “Are you saying—?”
“I’m saying,” she whispered, her resolve hardening, “that if the world wants a story, I’ll give them one. But it will be our story. Not Regina’s. Not the media’s. Ours.”
Daniel exhaled, relief breaking into a slow smile. He pulled her close, pressing his forehead to hers. “Then we fight together.” And for the first time, Elena believed they might actually win.
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