The night had been nothing short of dream, but like all things that felt like afairy tale, the spell didn’t last.
A projector behind them started itself. Naturally, everyone’s eyes shifted to the interruption. A slideshow came up in video format with a distorted voice-over.
“Ladies and gentlemen, meet your female lead of the night!” the hidden person yelled as pictures rolled by of Emily beside a familiar black car.
A man was seen in front of her, then coming in to hold her intimately. Her stomach churned.
“She’s also one of the biggest liars and cheats to ever walk the planet.”
The crowd gasped at such an accusation.
Emily’s heart began to race. What the hell was going on? She looked over to see Valentina wearing the same confused expression.
“The same person who leaves with her sugar daddy—probably some director she slept her way to the top with—after hospitalizing someone. That someone being Stella Peterson who is now pregnant with Jake Mallion’s child.”
Everyone went into a fine frenzy, pointing their fingers at the photos. The person in them indeed looked older than Emily.
She felt her hand balling into a fist by her side. It had to have been a pap who caught them when they were leaving the hospital.
Though Emily knew the truth, a few bystanders were already buying this story:Emily Pinault causes agency colleague and romantic rival to get hospitalized.That was what the headlines would say by tomorrow morning.
A scoop was a scoop no matter how ridiculous it was, and in the entertainment world, it was guilty until proven innocent.
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Within a second, Emily was bombarded by reporters. They tossed the most degrading comments about her so-called “sugar daddy” and how evil she was for causing Stella to get hurt knowing she was with a baby. It was to the point that not even Talia and her bodyguard could block them off. Speaking of Cameron, he looked seconds away from knocking them out cold.
Emily found a way out when he created a gap and ran for safety. Why was this happening? Why did these things have to happen today of all days? This was supposed to be a happy day!
She’d already decided to let the past be past. Nightmares had come from that day; Stella’s cry, the blood, the hospital. Now the sickening feelings associated with them all came clawing at her throat.
Breathe, Emily. Breathe.
As she made it down the hallway, a hand grabbed her wrist tightly. She saw it was a reporter.
“Why are you running away, Emily? Are you guilty ofsomething? Why don’t you come inside and tell us the truth? Better yet, you can say it right here. I’ve risked my entire career to show these photos. My company was going to bury them forstupidreasons. They even messed up the resolutions when they returned them to me, but I thought the world deserved to see them.”
A photographer joined them, pointing a huge camera at her face, flashes blinding her.
“Stop it!”
She suppressed the rising feeling of a panic attack as the lights blinded her, whirling around to escape him, but it was so sudden that she lost her balance. Instead of the ground, familiar arms caught her.
Emily glanced up to see a pair of brown eyes.
“I leave you alone for one hour and you’ve already got the world in shambles,” Nicolas said.
Her lips trembled as she hugged him.
Cameron was standing behind them. His head snapped toward the photographer as another flash engulfed them. He grabbed the camera. “If you don’t want to regret ever knowing how to operate this thing.” He turned to the reporter. “And a mic, I suggest you leave before you’re unable to.”
The mic was lowered at his tone. It was eerie.
“Now!” Nicolas added while holding Emily, just as frightening, sending them scrambling away.
He looked back down at her as Cameron removed the SD card and tossed the device to the side.
“Why did you run away?”
