When I looked up, I met his gaze. He was watching me intently, as if trying to read through me.
"It's just a minor stomach issue. The doctor said it's nothing to worry about," I added, careful to keep my tone steady so he wouldn't grow suspicious.
He let out a quiet sigh. "Good. Make sure you take care of yourself," he said, a trace of concern flickering in his eyes.
He sat down on the sofa beside me and poured himself a cup of warm water as well. For a while, we remained like that—side by side, quietly sipping from our cups, each lost in our own thoughts.why did he looked so worried about my health did he really care about me?I thought but then remembered his earlier comments about our relationship,I smiled sadly."I'm tired, I'm going to bed".I said as I got up and went upstairs though I could feel his gaze on me and I couldn't help but wonder what he must be thinking.
The next morning, the sharp ringing of my phone dragged me out of sleep. I fumbled for it and answered groggily. It was my assistant.
"Director Alicia, have you checked the trending topics?" Vicki asked, her voice tight with panic.
"No. What happened?"
"The photos of CEO Blackwood and Miss Summer have blown up. It's turning into a serious scandal."
I shot upright and grabbed my iPad. "I'll check now. Thanks, Vicki." I ended the call and immediately logged into Twitter.
The headlines were everywhere.
Another photo of Alexander and Lilian had surfaced—this one even more intimate. He was guiding her into a car, his hand at her waist, their closeness impossible to deny. But it wasn't the image itself that caused the chaos—it was the speculation.
Instead of the usual celebrity-and-businessman gossip, netizens were calling it a sugar daddy arrangement, claiming sponsorship and favoritism. Someone had connected the sudden change in Éclat Beauty's brand ambassador and begun drawing conclusions.
I quickly called Vicki back. "Contact Lilian's team immediately. Don't respond to anything yet—wait for me."
"Yes, ma'am."
I got ready in record time and headed to the office.
Vicki was already waiting when I arrived. As we stepped into the elevator, I asked, "Have you reached Lilian's team? What did they say?"
She hesitated. "The CEO has handed the case over to CCPR."
Before I could respond, the elevator doors opened.
Sophia stood outside with a smug smile. We had barely stepped out when she began, "Oh, Director Alicia, you're finally here. Have you seen the boss and Miss Summer yesterday? And the trending topics? Some people try so hard to get close to him—but he already said he isn't close to certain individuals. If it were me, I'd be too embarrassed to face anyone."
I ignored her and walked past, but she wasn't done.
"Don't you want to know how the boss plans to handle the scandal?" she called after me.
I kept moving.
"He's going to leak a headline saying he and Miss Summer were former lovers."
I stopped mid-step.
"Hope you understand what that means," she added before striding away.
My face went pale.
I should have expected this. The moment the first photo wasn't taken down, the direction was clear.
Back in my office, I reopened the trending page. The narrative had completely shifted. Instead of romantic shipping comments, people were digging up old photos and posts, proving Alexander and Lilian had been college sweethearts—once deeply in love.
For Lilian, who had just returned from abroad to rebuild her career, this was explosive publicity.
And the dots were connecting too easily.
Lily Avery had originally been set to represent our brand, but the ambassadorship was suddenly given to Lilian upon her return. To the public, it looked obvious—an ex-boyfriend helping his former lover, perhaps even rekindling their relationship.
And if that was the story being pushed, then everything else would quietly fall into place.