10. Kyle Media Mistake
Kyle: Media Mistake
The elevator doors slide open, and I step into my penthouse, exhausted from back-to-back meetings. As I take another step, I hear laughter—soft and light. I stop, surprised.
It’s been years since I heard that sound in my home.
Curious, I follow the soft giggles into the living room. What I see stops me in my tracks.
Leslie sits cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by colorful markers and sheets of paper. Ethan is beside her, beaming as he proudly holds up a project. Chloe is nearby holding her phone up, while Max, my golden retriever, happily nudges Leslie’s side. Traitor.
I blink, struggling to process the scene. Leslie—here. With my kids. Comfortable and laughing.
My chest tightens, but not in a bad way.
Leslie looks up, her warm brown eyes meeting mine. A smile spreads across her face, genuine and bright. “Kyle! Didn’t expect you back so soon.”
Ethan jumps up, waving his project excitedly. “Look, Dad! Leslie helped me. It’s so much cooler now.”
I step closer, looking from Ethan’s eager expression to Leslie’s amused one. “I can see that. It looks great. Thanks, Leslie.”
She waves a dismissive hand, laughing softly. “Ethan did all the work. I just added some sparkles.”
“Sparkles?” Chloe teases, typing something on her phone. “More like a glitter explosion.”
Leslie gasps playfully, putting a hand on her chest. “Hey, glitter is art.”
Ethan leans against her, completely at ease. Max pushes his head under her palm, demanding attention, and Leslie scratches his ears without hesitation.
I don’t know how long I stand there, just watching. The warmth, the ease, the way she fits into this space. It’s unexpected, yet . . . right.
Chloe’s eyes widen when she notices me standing there. She quickly puts on a smile. “Ethan, come help me upstairs.”
Ethan frowns. “Huh? Why?”
“Just come on.” Chloe gives me an innocent smile before dragging him away. “Come on, Max!” she calls, and the golden retriever happily trots after them.
Now it’s just Leslie and me.
She looks up at me with that easy smile that somehow makes everything feel lighter.
“You’re really good with them,” I say, leaning against the doorway.
“They’re great kids,” she replies, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I had fun today.”
A comfortable silence settles between us. It should be awkward, but it isn’t.
“How did this happen?” I ask, crossing my arms. “Didn’t realize craft sessions were part of your PR strategy.”
She grins. “Ethan needed help with his project, and they both came to the office to invite me over. I couldn’t turn down an afternoon with your daughter.”
Warmth spreads through my chest. “Thanks for helping him.”
She shrugs. “No problem. Besides, I have a weakness for glitter.”
I chuckle. “Clearly. I might need a cleaning crew after this.”
She laughs, eyes crinkling at the corners, and I swear the room feels brighter.
From upstairs, Chloe’s voice rings out, excitement in her tone.
Leslie tilts her head. “What’s she doing?”
“Probably making another TikTok. She loves that app.”
“Yeah, she showed me a few videos earlier. She’s really good.”
We chat easily, conversation flowing without effort. But before I can say something else, a sharp gasp comes from behind us.
“What the . . . ?” Chloe’s voice trembles with panic.
I spin around, my body tensing. Leslie’s eyes meet mine, worry clear on her face. We both move toward Chloe, who’s standing just a few feet away, staring at her phone like it’s burned her. Ethan stands beside her, his face confused.
“Chloe, what’s wrong?” I ask, my heart pounding.
She looks up, her eyes shiny with tears. “Dad . . . people are being so mean.” She turns the screen around, showing us the live stream. It’s a video of Leslie and me laughing together on the floor, Chloe’s cheerful voice in the background. “Look, guys! Dad’s smiling for once!”
But the comments are cruel, twisting something innocent into something ugly.
“Who’s that woman with Kyle Donovan? (thinking face emoji)”
“Guess we know how she got her job at SMG. (smirking face emoji)”
“Sleeping her way to the top, huh? (eye-roll emoji)”
“Wow, using the boss to climb the ladder. Classic. (unimpressed face emoji)”
My stomach drops. I didn’t even know Chloe was live-streaming. I look at Leslie, her face pale, eyes wide with hurt and shock.
I turn to Chloe, keeping my voice calm even though anger bubbles inside me. “Chloe, end the live. Now.”
Chloe’s hands shake as she stops the stream, tears rolling down her cheeks. “I didn’t know they’d say those things . . . I just thought . . . you looked happy. I wanted to share it.”
Leslie steps forward, her voice gentle. “It’s not your fault, Chloe. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Chloe’s lip trembles. “But . . . they’re saying such horrible things about you. About Dad.”
I pull her into a hug, my heart breaking at how upset she is. “Hey, look at me. People say stupid things online. That doesn’t make them true.”
Leslie kneels beside her, her voice soft. “Your dad’s right. They don’t know us. They don’t know anything about who we are or what we feel. Don’t let them make you feel bad, okay?”
Chloe nods, sniffling. “I’m sorry, Leslie. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
Leslie hugs her tightly. “You didn’t. And I had a blast today. Glitter and all.”
Chloe’s face brightens a little. “Really?”
“Really.” Leslie’s smile is warm and real. “But maybe next time, no live streams, okay?”
Chloe laughs weakly. “Yeah . . . no more live streams.”
As the kids head upstairs, I turn to Leslie. “I’m sorry about the comments.”
She shrugs, but I see the hurt in her eyes. “It comes with the territory, right?”
“Doesn’t mean it’s okay.” I step closer, lowering my voice. “If this gets messy . . . if people start talking . . . you’re not in this alone. I’m here.”
Her lips part, her guard slipping. “Thanks, Kyle.”
Before I can say more, her phone beeps. She looks at the screen—her face turns pale.
“Oh no . . .” Her voice is barely a whisper.
Dread coils in my stomach. “What is it?”
She turns the phone back at me and a tabloid post stares back at me. A picture from the awards ceremony—Leslie and me, standing close, laughing, my hand resting on her lower back. The headline reads:
"New Romance? Kyle Donovan and PR Specialist Cozy at Gala."
I clench my jaw, anger boiling inside me. “Where did they get this?”
Leslie’s hands tremble as she scrolls through the article. “I . . . I don’t know. But they’re calling me your . . . your girlfriend.” Her voice breaks on the last word, her eyes wide with fear. “Kyle, this could ruin everything. My job . . . your reputation . . .”
Before I can respond, my phone rings. I glance at the screen. Julia. Of course. I take a deep breath and answer. “Julia, I can’t talk right now—”
“You’re unbelievable!” she snaps, her voice icy. “Parading some woman . . . your employee around in front of our kids? Have you lost your mind?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Julia, calm down. It’s not what you think—”
“Oh, it’s not?” she cuts in, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Then explain why you are trending, and I can hear Chloe's voice. Do you even care how this makes me look? How does this affect the kids?”
My jaw tightens. “Chloe didn’t mean any harm. She was just having fun.”
“Fun?” Julia’s voice rises. “Do you know how many people have called me? Friends, family . . . even my own mother, asking if you’re engaged! I don’t care who you date, Kyle, but keep it away from our kids. This is humiliating.”
My patience snaps. “That’s enough, Julia. I would never do anything to hurt our kids. And Leslie . . . she’s not . . .” I glance at Leslie, standing there looking so small and scared. “She’s not what they’re saying.”
Julia’s voice softens, but only slightly. “Oh! She even has a name.” She hangs up before I can respond.
I lower the phone, my shoulders heavy. I turn to Leslie, whose eyes are fixed on the floor. “I . . . I should go,” she whispers, her voice shaky. “This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have been here.”
I step closer, resisting the urge to reach out and touch her. “Hey, this isn’t on you. The media twists things. They don’t care about the truth.”
She looks up, her eyes glassy. “But they’ll dig. They’ll find out everything. And then . . . my career . . .”
I shake my head. “We’ll handle it. Together.”
She hesitates, her body tense. “But your ex . . . she’s right. This could hurt your kids. I don’t want to be the reason they suffer.”
My chest tightens. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Chloe was just excited. She didn’t know this would happen.”
Leslie wipes a tear from her cheek, her shoulders slumping. “I never meant to cause trouble. I was just trying to help Ethan.”
I take a step closer, my voice firm. “You did help him. More than you know. And my kids . . . they’re happier with you around.”
Her eyes soften, but the fear is still there. “I don’t know if this is worth it, Kyle. My job . . . your family . . . Maybe it’s better if I just stay away.”
The thought hits me like a punch to the gut. “No,” I say quickly, my voice rough. “Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out.”
She looks up, surprised by the force in my words. I take a breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. “We’ll figure this out. I won’t let them ruin what we have.”
Her lips part, her eyes searching mine. For a moment, I think she might argue. But then her phone beeps again. Her face goes pale as she reads the screen, her fingers gripping the phone tightly.
I step closer, my stomach twisting. “What is it?”
She doesn’t speak. She just turns the phone around. My heart drops. It’s a picture of us kissing at the awards ceremony with the headline:
Secret Romance Exposed! Kyle Donovan’s Mystery Woman Revealed!
This isn’t just a rumor. It’s proof. I can already see the damage—news stories, reporters hounding my kids, Julia’s anger, questions from the board . . . Leslie’s career on the line.
I’m in trouble. We both are.
She looks up at me, fear and doubt in her eyes.