Under The Spotlight

The glow of the city lights filtered through the floor-to-ceiling windows of their Seoul penthouse, casting long, amber shadows across the hardwood floor. Chloe sat on the velvet sofa, her knees pulled to her chest, staring at the screen of her phone with wide, disbelieving eyes.

Her notifications were a literal blur. On Twitter, a blurry but undeniably clear photo of her—taken while she was laughing at something Felix had said from the stage—had over two hundred thousand likes. The caption read: “Found the girl who makes our sunshine smile like that. We have no choice but to stan.”

"You're still reading them," a deep, honey-smooth voice vibrated behind her.

Chloe jumped slightly, nearly dropping her phone. She turned to see Felix leaning against the kitchen island, a glass of water in his hand. He was wearing his favorite oversized hoodie, his blonde hair messy from the shower, looking every bit the gentle, warm boy she had fallen in love with. But there was a glint in his dark eyes that wasn't entirely playful.

"I can't help it, Lix," Chloe whispered, her cheeks flushing a soft pink. "It’s… it’s a lot. People are calling me 'The Nation’s Mystery Girl.' Someone even found out what brand of lip balm I was wearing in the front row."

Felix let out a short, airy laugh, walking over to join her on the sofa. He sank into the cushions, his thigh pressing firmly against hers. "Well, you can't blame them. You looked beautiful. I couldn't keep my eyes off you, so why should they?"

Chloe nudged him with her shoulder, her shyness flaring up. "You’re the one who started it! Why did you have to point at me during Surfin’? You practically told thirty thousand people exactly where I was sitting."

Felix leaned in closer, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw. "Because I wanted you to know I was singing to you. Is it my fault the cameras followed my finger?" He smirked, but the expression didn't quite reach his eyes. He picked up her phone, scrolling through the comments for a moment. "Look at this one. 'I would give up my life savings just to hold her hand for five seconds.' And this one… 'She’s literally an angel, Felix is the luckiest man alive.'"

"They're just being sweet," Chloe said, trying to diffuse the sudden tension she felt radiating from him.

"Sweet?" Felix’s voice dropped an octave, that famous low register sending a shiver down her spine. "They’re talking about my girlfriend like she’s a prize they can win. I saw a thread earlier of people debating your 'ideal type.' Apparently, a lot of guys think they have a shot because you look 'approachable.'"

Chloe giggled, though she felt flustered. "Are you actually jealous of a Twitter thread, Yongbok-ah?"

Felix tossed the phone onto the coffee table and moved with a sudden, fluid grace, pinning Chloe back against the armrest of the sofa. He hovered over her, his arms on either side of her head. The playful, easygoing Felix was gone, replaced by something much more intense, much more possessive.

"Maybe I am," he murmured, his breath warm against her ear. "I don’t like the way the world is looking at you. I don't like that millions of people now know what your smile looks like when you're happy. That was supposed to be mine."

Chloe’s breath hitched. She reached up, her fingers trembling slightly as she brushed his hair back. "Felix, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere just because some strangers like my face."

"I know," he said, his voice straining with a mixture of affection and frustration. "But I want to make sure you remember who you belong to. Not the fans, not the internet. Just me."

He kissed her then, a deep, demanding kiss that tasted of longing and a hint of desperation. It wasn't the gentle, sweet affection they usually shared. This was a claim. Chloe wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, her own heart racing to match the frantic beat of his. The teasing was over; the reality of his protectiveness was settling in, and it was intoxicating.

That night was only the beginning.

As the days turned into weeks, the public’s fascination with Chloe didn't wane. If anything, it grew. Every time she stepped out for coffee, a fan would snap a photo. Every time Felix posted a cryptic photo of two coffee cups, the internet went into a frenzy.

And every night, when the door to the penthouse clicked shut and the world was locked out, Felix was there. He became a shadow, a constant presence that demanded her attention. His jealousy didn't manifest in anger, but in a relentless, beautiful need for intimacy. He wanted to erase every other gaze she had felt during the day with his own.

"Tell me," Felix whispered one night, his hands gripping her waist as they lay tangled in the silk sheets. "Tell me you don't care about any of them."

"I don't," Chloe gasped, her eyes fluttering shut. "I only see you, Felix. Always."

"Good," he groaned, burying his face in the crook of her neck. "Because I'm never letting the world have you."

They lived in a bubble of their own making. The outside world was loud and chaotic, but inside, there was only the heat of their bodies and the whispered promises of forever. Felix’s protectiveness became the rhythm of their lives. He was attentive, checking her phone, holding her hand tighter in public, and spending every waking second he wasn't working making sure she felt loved.

But time has a way of slipping through fingers when you’re distracted by passion.

It started with a dizzy spell one morning while Chloe was making tea. She dismissed it as lack of sleep. Then came the fatigue—a heavy, bone-deep tiredness that no amount of coffee could fix.

Felix noticed, of course. He noticed everything.

"You're pale, Chlo," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind as she stood in front of the fridge. "Are you feeling okay? Maybe we should stay in tonight. No dinner out."

"I'm fine, just a bit tired," she replied, leaning her head back against his shoulder. "The weather is changing, I think."

But a week later, while she was organizing her vanity, Chloe stopped dead. She looked at the calendar on her phone, then back at the little drawer where she kept her supplies. She did the math once. Then twice. Then a third time, her heart beginning to thud against her ribs like a trapped bird.

She was late. Not just a few days. She had missed her period. And looking back at the last two months of their "intimate sessions"—as Felix’s jealousy had fueled a fire that never seemed to go out—she realized she had missed the one before that, too.

"No," she whispered to the empty room. "It can't be."

She sat on the edge of the bed, her hands trembling. She thought of Felix—Felix, who was at the height of his career. Felix, who was currently the face of luxury brands and the leader of global charts. Felix, who loved her so fiercely he sometimes seemed afraid of the wind blowing her away.

The door to the bedroom creaked open. Felix walked in, dropping his gym bag by the door. He looked exhausted but lit up the moment he saw her.

"Hey, princess," he said, crossing the room to drop a kiss on her forehead. He frowned when he felt the tension in her shoulders. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Chloe looked up at him, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. She didn't know how to say it. She didn't know if she was ready for their bubble to burst, or for the world to have one more reason to look at them.

"Felix," she started, her voice cracking.

He immediately knelt between her legs, taking both of her hands in his. His expression shifted instantly from tired to intensely focused. "Talk to me. Did someone say something online again? Did someone follow you? I'll handle it, Chloe, I promise—"

"No, it's not that," she interrupted, a small, hysterical laugh escaping her lips. "It’s not the fans. It’s not the paparazzi."

Felix searched her face, his thumb stroking the back of her hand. "Then what is it? You're shaking."

Chloe took a deep breath, reaching out to touch his cheek. "Lix… I think… I think all those nights you wanted to make sure I was yours… I think you succeeded."

Felix went very still. He was smart; he didn't need her to spell it out. His eyes dropped to her stomach, then back to her face, his pupils dilating. The silence in the room was heavy, filled only by the sound of the city humming far below them.

"Chloe?" he breathed, his voice barely a whisper. "Are you saying…?"

"I’ve missed my period, Felix. Twice."

The shock on his face was fleeting, replaced by a look of such profound, raw emotion that Chloe felt her breath leave her. He didn't pull away. He didn't look scared. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"Twice?" he echoed, a shaky laugh breaking through his chest. "I was so busy trying to protect you from the world that I… I didn't even realize."

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked, her voice small. "Your career, the fans, the spotlight… it’s going to get so much louder now."

Felix pulled back just enough to look her in the eye. The jealousy that had simmered in him for weeks seemed to transform into something steadier, something permanent. He looked at her not just as his girlfriend, but as the mother of his child.

"Let them look," Felix said, his voice firm and grounded. "Let them talk. Let them take all the photos they want. They can have the pictures, Chloe. But they can never have this."

He moved his hand from her lap to her abdomen, his palm warm and protective. "You're mine. He or she is mine. I’ll build a wall around us if I have to. No one is going to touch this family."

Chloe felt a tear finally spill over, but it wasn't one of fear. It was relief. She reached out, pulling him into a hug, burying her face in the crook of his neck where she always felt safest.

Felix held her tight, his arms a familiar fortress. He knew the road ahead would be difficult. He knew the industry would have opinions, and the fans would have questions. But as he felt the steady heartbeat of the woman he loved against his own, he knew he didn't care.

The spotlight could shine as bright as it wanted. He was the one who got to go home to the light.

"I love you," he whispered into her hair, his grip tightening just a little. "I’ve got you. I’ve got both of you."

Chloe nodded, finally letting the tension go. The secret was out, the bubble hadn't burst—it had simply expanded to fit one more. And as Felix began to plan, his protective nature already shifting into high gear, Chloe knew that no matter how many cameras were pointed at them, she was exactly where she was meant to be.