Chapter Ten: Off Script
772 Words
The room fell silent.
For three long seconds, no one asked another question.
Then—
Flash.
Flash.
Flash.
Every camera in the room exploded to life.
The reporters began shouting over one another.
“Mr. Hart, are you saying the relationship is real?”
“When did your feelings change?”
“Miss Brooks, do you love him?”
Nathan reached for Amelia’s hand.
Not because Oliver had instructed him to.
Not because the cameras were watching.
Because, for the first time since this began…
He wanted to.
Oliver ended the press conference immediately.
“That’s all for today.”
“Thank you, everyone.”
Security quickly escorted Nathan and Amelia through a private exit.
The moment the car doors closed, Oliver turned around from the front seat.
“What was that?”
Nathan looked out the window.
“The truth.”
Oliver blinked.
“The truth wasn’t in the media plan.”
“I know.”
“It also wasn’t approved by the studio.”
“I know.”
Oliver rubbed his forehead.
“You’ve just made my job ten times harder.”
Amelia quietly added,
“I think you made mine harder too.”
Nathan looked at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry.”
“I shouldn’t have put you on the spot.”
She was silent for a moment.
“I wasn’t upset because you held my hand.”
He turned to face her.
“I was upset because…”
“…I don’t know which part was real anymore.”
The words lingered in the car.
Nathan didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know either.
The contract had started with rules.
Schedules.
Public appearances.
Perfect photographs.
Now…
His heart was ignoring every one of them.
That evening, Amelia sat alone on the penthouse balcony.
The city glittered beneath her.
Normally, she loved city lights.
Tonight, they felt overwhelming.
The balcony door slid open.
Nathan stepped outside carrying two mugs of hot chocolate.
“I figured coffee wasn’t the best idea.”
She accepted one with a small smile.
“You remembered.”
“You said caffeine keeps you awake.”
“You remembered that too?”
“I remember a lot of things you tell me.”
She looked down into her mug.
That somehow made everything more complicated.
“Can I ask you something?” Nathan said.
She nodded.
“Back at the press conference…”
“When they asked if you loved me…”
“…what were you going to say?”
She looked at him.
“I don’t know.”
“That’s honest.”
“I promised I’d never lie to children.”
She smiled faintly.
“I’m trying not to lie to adults either.”
Nathan laughed softly.
“I think that’s one of my favorite things about you.”
The peaceful moment was interrupted by Oliver bursting through the balcony door.
He looked like he had run up the stairs.
“Nathan.”
“We’ve got another problem.”
Nathan immediately stood.
“What happened?”
Oliver handed him a tablet.
A video was spreading across every social media platform.
It showed Nathan’s interview from earlier that day.
But someone had edited it.
They removed everything after the words:
‘It may have started as an arrangement.’
The rest of the clip made it look as though Nathan had admitted the relationship was fake.
Comments flooded in by the thousands.
HE USED HER FOR PUBLICITY!
WE KNEW IT WAS A STUNT!
POOR AMELIA!
Amelia stared at the screen.
“They twisted your words.”
Oliver nodded grimly.
“The edited version has already been viewed twelve million times.”
Nathan’s jaw tightened.
“Who posted it first?”
Oliver enlarged the account profile.
It wasn’t a gossip blog.
It wasn’t a fan page.
It was an anonymous account created only two days earlier.
With no other uploads.
Nathan looked at Amelia.
“This isn’t random anymore.”
She nodded slowly.
“Someone wants people to hate us.”
Before anyone could say another word—
Nathan’s phone rang.
The caller ID read:
Unknown Number.
He answered.
“This is Nathan.”
A distorted voice spoke through the speaker.
“You broke the first rule.”
Nathan’s expression darkened.
“What rule?”
The voice laughed.
“Never fall in love.”
The line went dead.
Silence filled the penthouse.
Amelia felt a chill run down her spine.
The caller knew about the contract.
About the fake relationship.
About the rules that only a handful of people should have known.
Which meant one terrifying possibility.
Whoever was targeting them…
Was much closer than they had ever imagined.
- Writer
