Chapter 112
Chapter 112
As they walked, Eliana suddenly heard Raphael say, in a sharp voice, “Honestly, you’re such a manipulator”
The realization that he’d fallen for her words without even noticing made Raphael scowl in irritation. “Stay away from ma”
There was no way he was going to end up like those othe
men, fooled by her and ruining the image he had so carefully built among his fand
Just then, Ed clutched his stomach dramatically and called out, “Ugh, my stomach’s killing met You two go ahead, I’ll catch up. Just need to hit the restroom!”
Eliana and Raphael slowed their pace, waiting for him while walking toward the car.
But before they could react, a swarm of reporters burst out from their hiding spots by the roadside, cameras hoisted on shoulders, flashes fiving directly in their faces, and microphones shoved inches from their mouths. Eliana froze, stunned by the sudden ambush.
Raphael, quick to assess the situation, instinctively removed his cap and shielded Eliana’s face with it. She was, after all, just a civilian, not someone accustomed to this kind of chaos.
But it was already too late. The questions were flying fast and furious.
“Raphael, is she your secret girlfriend?”
“Are you two seeing each other in private?”
“How did you meet her?”
With Ed nowhere in sight to run interference, Raphael was left to manage the situation alone. He straightened up and said firmly, “No. She’s a colleague. We work at the same company.”
But the questions kept coming.
“Where’s your agent? Isn’t he usually glued to your side?”
“Are you sneaking around behind his back, bringing your girlfriend to Vellum Glow?”
“I said she’s not my girlfriend!” Raphael snapped, his expression turning cold.
edia outlet.
are
you with? Do you even have press credentials?”
As the reporters fumbled to show their IDs, Raphael grabbed Eliana’s hand, pushed through the throng, and made a beeline for the van.
Of course, that brief moment of hand–holding didn’t escape the lenses pointed their way.
By the time Ed returned, he climbed into the van only to find Raphael and Eliana sitting there with grim expressions, as if they’d just come through a
battlefield.
Raphael turned to him and asked, his tone unreadable, “Did you tell anyone about today’s schedule?”
“No,” Ed replied, clearly confused. “Why? What happened?”
Raphael didn’t rush to explain himself. Instead, he suddenly turned to Eliana and snapped, his tone edged with irritation, “Did you tip off the reporters? Was this your plan, to get caught in a scandal with me?”
“What the hell?!” Ed’s face went pale. He couldn’t believe something like this had happened in the short time he was gone.
“You’re overthinking it.” Eliana, who had actually felt grateful moments earlier when Raphael used his hat to shield her face, found her goodwill rapidly fading. She returned the hat to him, closed her eyes, and said nothing more.
1/3
Chapter 112
Within hours, the scandal had ignited across the internet.
Eliana’s face, captured clearly by high–definition cameras, left little room for speculation. The fact that she was holding Raphael that and Matthey h left hand–in–hand only fueled the fire. There was no narrative the fans could construct to explain it away.
Theodore was in the middle of signing a contract when Felix’s call came through. As he paused to answer, the tip of his pen snapped clean eft.
Two seconds of silence passed. Then he tugged at his tie, leaned back in his chair, and asked, slow and dangerously controlled, “They were shooting a commercial, and somehow managed to create a scandal? Right outside your company’s front door? How do you plan to fix this?”
“Blame me, all right? I’ll take it.” Felix didn’t try to shift the blame. “But come on, is Raphael a magnet for trouble or what? Everywhere he goes, there’s a damn swarm of paparazzi.”.
Theodore had no patience for Felix’s rambling. “Just send me the link.”
“You can find it anywhere. It’s all over the web. But honestly? You might want to skip it. It’ll just piss you off.”
Unfazed, Theodore opened a browser and clicked into the top trending topic. Sure enough, it was the number one headline.
He didn’t have to scroll far before the dramatic write–ups started flashing across the screen.
“The youngest daughter of the Burke family lands an assistant job at Starlight Media to get close to her idol. Two and a half years later, she finally gets her moment.”
“Raphael lashes out at reporters to protect his girlfriend.”
He clenched his jaw, read halfway, then shut the page before finishing.
They’d even dug up Eliana’s background.
His gaze turned cold. Picking up his phone, he hesitated for just a moment before setting it down again.
She’d been giving him the cold shoulder for days now.
So he would wait for her to come to him.
8
At the same time, in Russell Manor.
Alice handed her phone to Barbara, a smirk tugging at her lips as she said, “So this is the paragon of virtue you always defend? The Eliana who’s supposedly so composed, so scandal–free?”
Barbara’s gaze swept over the article, her expression tight with displeasure. Yet she wasn’t about to give Alice the satisfaction. “Tabloids always chase shadows and spin tales out of nothing. Honestly, someone like her can’t hold a candle to Theodore.”
Alice arched a brow.““So you’re saying you don’t believe it?”
“Not for a second,” Barbara replied coolly. “Unless/l see them on an actual date with my own eyes, just like I saw you throwing yourself at Anth
Alice’s face went rigid with anger. “You!”
“Oh please,” Barbara said with a slow, deliberate sneer. “You look absolutely ridiculous when you’re jealous.”
Whatever grace or refinement Alice once possessed had long since vanished. What sat before Barbara now was a woman stripped of dignity, grotesque in her bitterness.
Chapter 112
Meanwhile, at Starlight Media. From the floor to ceiling window, Raphael stared down at the crowd of reporters pressed against the binding
He turned away with a huff of frustration and snapped, “I told you, the moment I got involved with Eliana, something would blow up in my fe po you just had to make me sign that endorsement!”
Nolan remained calm. “Take it easy. Eliana isn’t that kind of person.”
What he left unsaid was that Eliana was Theodore’s wife, and someone with that connection wasn’t likely to orchestrate a stunt like this.
But Raphael was in no mood to hear reason. He jabbed a finger toward the window, nearly shouting, “Then explain how those vultures know exactly where we were. They didn’t just stumble onto that spot by accident!”
Just then, Nolan’s secretary spoke up hesitantly. “Mr. Hall… there’s something I saw this morning. I don’t know if I should say it.”
Nolan exhaled slowly, massaging his temple. “Say it.”
de
“At around ten–thirty, I noticed Ms. Burke entering your office. Not long after, she left again, rather abruptly. She looked… rattled.”
A shadow passed over Nolan’s face. Without a word, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out Raphael’s contract. Handing it to the secretary, he said, “Take this to the police. Have them run it for fingerprints.”
“Yes, sir.” The secretary took the file and left.
Raphael stood frozen for a moment, then suddenly seemed to me. She wouldn’t.”
to
the
implication. His voice trembled with disbelief. “No. Hannah would never do that
“There was a time I believed that too,” Nolan said, his tone heavy.
“But now… let’s just say I’m not so sure. Between the two Burke sisters, it’s not hard to tell which one’s the imitation and which one’s the real gem. I’d think very carefully if I were you.”
By evening, Eliana returned to Russell Manor, every step betraying the weight of the day behind her. As she entered the living room, she found Lainey and Alice seated together, both eyeing her with thinly veiled hostility.
The scandal had clearly made its rounds.
Lainey didn’t wait long before twisting the knife. “Poor Theodore,” she said with theatrical sympathy. “He married such a… restless woman.”
Eliana was too exhausted to feign politeness. Without so much as a pause, she replied, “Maybe you should save that sympathy for your own son.”
Her eyes flicked meaningfully toward Alice, the implication sharp and unmistakable.
