The Secret: YESÂ
POV: Kate Monroe
There was something reckless about saying yes to Dan Alexander.
The word had slipped from her lips like a secret prayer. Not loud. Not triumphant. Just... true🤍.
And Dan had paused. Just for a breath.
Like he hadn't expected it.
Like it wasn't part of the plan.
Then came the rush, his arms winding around her waist, the way he had lifted her off the ground with an exhale that sounded like relief and possession at once. "You won't regret this," he murmured against her neck, his voice slightly rough with something close to awe.
Kate had believed him.
At least, she wanted to.
The following weeks unfolded like silk sheets.
Private dates. Soft jazz on late-night drives. Rooftop dinners that made the skyline feel like a confessional. Weekend getaways to beach towns where the wind tangled her hair and Dan untangled her doubts with laughter.
He made her feel seen not like the world saw her, but like he did. And that had always been the loneliest thing about Kate: no one ever truly looked past her surface. But Dan… he looked into it.
And yet, their relationship lived behind curtains.
Rooms where no phones were allowed.
Hotels under fake names.
A vineyard once, just outside the city. She'd worn a sundress the color of old champagne. Dan had walked behind her, his fingers grazing the small of her back.
"This," he had whispered that day, "this right here is ours. Untouched. Just for us."
It should have felt romantic.
But it felt hidden.
One night, as she lay in his arms, their bodies sticky from the heat of the fireplace and whispered laughter, she dared to ask:
"When do we stop hiding?"
His thumb stroked her shoulder.
"Soon. But not yet. You know how brutal the media is. I want to protect what we have. Just a little longer."
Kate nodded.
She didn't argue. But a quiet ache curled up in her chest and made a home.
Prestige Belle was the kind of friend who glittered.
Everything about her was light, her laugh, her perfume, the way she filled a room like champagne bubbles. They'd met in college, and Kate had never quite figured out how someone so golden had decided she was worth keeping around.
Prestige had been her anchor in a world that constantly shifted beneath her. A mirror that never judged. A sister without blood.
So when Prestige burst through the apartment door one evening, shopping bags on one arm and joy bubbling from her lips, Kate smiled.
Real smile.
Until she heard the words.
"Kate," Prestige said, cheeks flushed with wine and excitement. "I think I met someone."
Kate looked up from her laptop. "Oh?"
Prestige nodded, kicking off her heels as she flopped onto the couch beside her. "He's amazing. Like, dream level is amazing. Rich. Classy. The way he opens the car door, calls me Sunshine… it's like he walked out of one of your romance novels."
Kate laughed, then froze.
Sunshine.
The word lingered.
Heavy. Familiar.
Dan had said that once. Not to her. But on a phone call. She'd barely been awake when she heard it. Just drifting in his sheets.
"I'll call you later, Sunshine."
At the time, she thought it was work. Maybe a client. Maybe an assistant. The word hadn't stuck.
Until now.
She shook it off. Her throat tightened.
"What's his name?" Kate asked, keeping her tone light.
Prestige grinned. "Not yet. Let me be sure he's real first. You'll like him though. He's the serious type. Private. Told me not to post about him yet… wants to keep things low."
Kate felt her stomach twist.
She sipped her wine, forcing a smile. "Smart move. You don't want the wrong people sniffing around."
Prestige leaned in. "He said I deserve soft things. Can you imagine?"
Kate tried to nod.
But the wine was sour in her mouth.
That weekend, Dan booked a suite at The Langham.
He welcomed her with roses and her favorite wine. Music hummed from the sound system, and the scent of him sandalwood and something expensive wrapped around her like a rope.
He undressed her slowly.
Loved her like she was the only woman in the world.
But when she reached for his phone later, he turned it facedown.
And that night, when he whispered her name like a prayer, she swore she heard hesitation in it.
Monday morning, Prestige was radiant.
Kate was folding laundry when she heard the front door swing open.
Prestige's heels clacked across the wood. Her voice rang out like bells.
"He gave me something!"
Kate turned.
Prestige held a small velvet box in her hand, the kind that made every girl lean forward with anticipation.
She popped it open.
Inside was a delicate gold bracelet.
Thin. Elegant. With a single diamond charm shaped like a crescent moon.
Kate's blood ran cold.
She looked down at her wrist.
She was wearing the same bracelet.
Identical.
"He said it reminded him of me," Prestige gushed. "He said I lit up his world in slivers. Like the moon."
Kate couldn't breathe.
Her voice barely came out. "It's beautiful."
Prestige twirled. "Do you think it means something? Like, maybe he's serious?"
Kate nodded numbly. "Maybe."
Later that night, when Prestige had gone to bed, Kate rummaged through her drawer.
She pulled out her own velvet box. Opened it.
Inside was the same bracelet.
But the receipt?
Stamped two weeks after the date Prestige had mentioned.
Kate flipped the note tucked underneath.
She had assumed it was blank. But now, with the light at the right angle, faint ink appeared.
To my Sunshine.
Kate's hand trembled.
She stared into the dark.
That one word echoed in her skull until it rang like a scream.
Kate pulled out her phone, heart racing. She opened Dan's texts. Scrolled. Searched for one word:
Sunshine.
There it was.
A message from three weeks ago.
"Dinner's at 7. Wear that dress you love, Sunshi
ne."
But he hadn't seen her that day.
Kate stared at the screen until her vision blurred.
Outside, the rain began to fall, soft and unforgiving.
Inside, her breath broke into quiet pieces.