Skylar flinched slightly at his words. She knew she was the one who had secretly fed the media the information. She swallowed nervously, hoping her secret would remain safe.
Noticing her anxiety, Lucas softened his eyes and tried to comfort her. “Don’t worry, Skylar. I won’t stop until I find out who did this.” He then turned to call the butler over.
When the butler arrived, Lucas leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
The next day, the media acted like they hadn’t heard about the engagement fiasco from the night before. Instead, they were all focused on a new, more dramatic story. Their headlines were flooded with news about a different couple.
“Blake and Reese: When Love Becomes A Scam!”
“Blake and Reese: Why Did They Deceive Us?”
“The Love Between Blake and Reese Was All A Lie!”
“Blake and Reese: The Latest Manipulative Marketing Case!”
“Emerald Artists Agency: An Agency Built on Deception and Greed!”
Overnight, a well-known paparazzo exposed the truth behind Blake and Reese’s relationship, revealing it was nothing more than a fake. The relationship had been staged by Emerald Artists Agency to boost the popularity of both individuals by manipulating fans’ emotions. To make things even juicier, the paparazzo claimed that Blake and Reese were actually enemies behind the scenes and didn’t get along at all.
To back up his story, the paparazzo released two interview recordings with heavily altered voices.
In one, Natalie shared a conversation she supposedly overheard backstage during filming between the two so-called lovers. She claimed, “Reese and Blake were arguing like enemies. She told him if he was tired of their partnership, he could talk to Bianca about it. Blake responded that they had to keep things professional and leave personal feelings out of it. To quote him, he said, ‘We are just colleagues.’ He was so cold toward her…”
Another clip, released by someone who claimed to be an employee of Emerald Artists Agency, revealed, “Their online relationship is a total lie. These two have nothing in common and barely speak to each other at the office unless they have to. Their supposed love for each other is just an act. You’ve all been fooled…”
To top it all, the paparazzo dropped a bombshell that shocked everyone. Someone had seen Bianca and Blake walking into the Emperor Hotel together and then leaving a couple of hours before dawn.
This revelation sent fans of Blake and Reese into a fury. They flooded Bianca’s Twitter with questions, demanding answers and accusing her of being the mastermind behind the fake relationship. Thousands of fans repeatedly asked about her true relationship with Blake, wondering if it was more than just professional.
“Wow, this is insane! Why are Bianca and Emerald Artists Agency still silent? When are they going to tell us what’s really going on? Do they think we’re all fools? Our loyalty means nothing to them!”
“This is heartbreaking! Why would the agency do this to us fans? So there’s no real love between Blake and Reese? Was it all fake? I can’t believe they fooled us like this! I’m in tears right now. My heart’s been shattered beyond repair…”
“Bianca must be the most shameless person on the planet! I can’t believe she was into Blake while acting all sweet and innocent. Where’s her conscience?”
To the anger of millions of fans, some people shamelessly started shipping Blake and Bianca after the leaks.
“Looks like you’ve all been shipping the wrong couple this whole time, huh? Well, I’ve been rooting for Blake and Bianca from day one. It’s the perfect match. You’ve got a cool, noble, deep-voiced male star and his quiet, supportive, and stunningly beautiful female agent. It’s just perfect!”
Of course, the response to this comment was swift and harsh. Fans tore into the commenter with insults until they, seemingly unable to take it anymore, deleted their account.
Meanwhile, in the makeup room, a woman with flawless makeup and bright red nails casually picked up her phone and logged into Twitter. After scrolling through the trending topics, she smiled softly and nodded, clearly satisfied.
“Great job!” Natalie said into the phone. “I’ll send the money to your bank card.”
The voice on the other end was rough and casual. “This needs careful handling since it’s your request, right? Forget the payment for now. When are you coming to hang out with me?”
Natalie hung up the phone suddenly, her face blank.
Next to her sat another woman in a white lace dress, her hands folded neatly in her lap, her smile calm and peaceful.
Natalie turned to the woman and asked, “Miss Larson, are you happy with what I’ve done?”
Skylar smiled softly as she thought back. She noticed the tension between Natalie and Bianca during the talent show’s filming. Curious, she did some digging online and learned about their past issues. She then told Natalie about Blake and Bianca’s visit to the Emperor Hotel and the journalists who were there.
Natalie contacted the paparazzo and found out they had taken pictures of the two. At first, the paparazzo wanted money from Bianca for the photos, but Natalie stepped in and stopped that. Natalie’s knowledge of Blake and Reese’s relationship also led to even bigger news.
“I think we’re after the same thing,” Skylar said, smiling sharply and filled with evil intentions.
Natalie raised an eyebrow and replied, “I’m looking forward to working together. It’s surprising, though, that Bianca has crossed you, too. I do respect her skills, though.”
Skylar smiled back, “Let’s keep this between us. If it gets out, you’ll be in more trouble than I will.”
“I’ll keep it to myself,” Natalie promised. Then, looking Skylar in the eye, she said, “You owe me a favor now.”
“Of course, if you need anything, just call me,” Skylar replied.
Skylar stood up, grabbed her bag, and left.
Natalie leaned back, watching Skylar’s graceful figure as she walked away. To her surprise, Skylar seemed elegant and innocent, but there was something cold and ruthless beneath the surface.
“Bianca, you have so many enemies. I wonder how long you’ll last,” she muttered quietly to herself.
In the office of Emerald Artists Agency, Bianca sat, scrolling through her Twitter, both shocked and amused.
Before, no one really knew the truth about Blake and Reese’s relationship. People just believed whatever they were told. Now that it was revealed there was no romance between them, fans were quick to blame her and question her…
‘Didn’t people have their own minds anymore? It seemed like they just followed whatever others said without thinking for themselves.’
‘If they had been shipping Blake and Reese, shouldn’t they have trusted the couple?’
Bianca sighed heavily, feeling overwhelmed. The problems seemed endless, but she knew she had to deal with them.