Chapter Six~ Under Fire
1051 Words
The ringing wouldn’t stop. Isla sat frozen at her desk, her phone vibrating against the wood like a living thing. Every time she glanced down, another notification lit the screen—gossip blogs, Twitter threads, anonymous numbers.
Her name was everywhere.
The photo had already spread beyond politics. Entertainment sites were speculating. Comment sections buzzed with cruel remarks about her age, her appearance, her supposed “ambition.”
She forced herself to mute the phone and bury it in her bag. But the whispers around the office still sliced through the air like blades. No one said her name out loud, yet everyone looked at her when she passed.
By the time Evelyn appeared, her expression sharp as glass, Isla’s nerves were unraveling.
“Miss Rivera. In my office. Now.”
The door shut behind them with a final click. Evelyn didn’t sit. She folded her arms and studied Isla like a hawk.
“You understand what this looks like, don’t you?” she said, her voice cold.
“Yes, but—”
Evelyn cut her off. “It doesn’t matter what the truth is. What matters is the story being told. And right now, the story is that a respected senator is sneaking around with a girl half his age.”
Isla flinched. “I’ve done nothing wrong. The photo was taken out of context.”
“That doesn’t matter either,” Evelyn snapped. “Perception is everything in this town. And perception can bury careers.”
Isla swallowed hard, her throat burning.
For the first time, Evelyn’s tone softened—just slightly. “I don’t know who’s targeting you. But whoever it is… they’re playing for blood.”
The warning landed like a weight on Isla’s chest.
That afternoon, the real storm arrived.
The senator’s next committee hearing had barely begun when the press descended. Cameras crowded the hallway, reporters shouting questions with flashing microphones shoved forward.
“Senator Ward, can you comment on the rumors regarding your aide?”
“Is there a personal relationship?”
“Does this compromise your position on the Ethics Committee?”
Alexander ignored them, jaw set, his stride unbroken as security cleared the way. But Isla, trailing behind with the rest of the staff, felt every camera lens burn into her. Someone even called her name.
Her pulse raced. She wanted to vanish.
Inside the chamber, Alexander’s composure never cracked. He asked questions, argued policy, and handled the hearing as though nothing outside mattered. But every time his eyes flicked toward her, briefly, she knew he was aware.
When the hearing ended, he summoned her with a tilt of his head.
“Walk with me,” he said quietly.
They slipped into a side corridor, away from the others. His face was calm, but his voice was lower, edged with steel.
“They’re not going to stop,” he said. “The photo, the stories—it’s a weapon. And the more you deny, the sharper it becomes.”
Her chest tightened. “So what do we do?”
For the first time since this nightmare began, something unguarded flickered in his eyes. “We hold steady. We don’t give them reason to believe it. And I make sure you’re protected.”
Protected. The word curled through her like fire and ice at once. She wanted to believe him, to trust that his presence was shield enough—but the doubt gnawed inside her.
“What if they destroy me anyway?” she whispered.
His jaw tightened. He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “They won’t. Not while I still have a say.”
The silence between them pulsed. For a heartbeat, it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of them—his steady gaze, her racing breath.
But then the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor. He pulled back, his expression shuttered. “Return to the office. Keep your head down. I’ll handle this.”
And just like that, the armor was back in place.
Isla followed orders. But as the day wore on, the walls of the office seemed to close in. Every whispered laugh, every side glance, every half-heard comment wore her thinner. By evening, exhaustion pressed heavy on her bones.
When she finally left the building, the crowd outside was worse. Paparazzi had joined the reporters. Flashbulbs exploded in her face, blinding her.
“Miss Rivera! Over here! Are you sleeping with Senator Ward?”
Her breath caught. Security ushered her toward the car, but the words still pierced like knives.
She sank into the back seat, gripping her bag until her knuckles whitened. She wanted to cry, to scream, to disappear—but instead she forced herself to breathe. If she broke down now, they would win.
Hours later, she sat alone in her apartment, curtains drawn tight. The television muttered in the background, another panel of commentators dissecting the scandal.
“…a young aide, barely out of college. If true, this raises serious questions about Senator Ward’s judgment—”
She muted it, pressing her palms to her eyes.
A knock at the door jolted her upright. Her heart hammered. Who would—
She opened it to find Lydia, worry etched deep on her face.
“I thought you might need company,” Lydia said softly, holding up a takeout bag.
Relief washed over Isla so quickly she nearly broke. “Thank you,” she whispered, letting her in.
They ate quietly, the silence broken only by the hum of the city outside. For a moment, Isla felt almost safe.
But then her phone buzzed again. Another unknown number.
She unlocked it, dread crawling over her skin.
Pretty, isn’t it? The world believes every lie I tell them.
Another message followed:
This is only the beginning. Choose carefully who you stand beside. Or you’ll both fall.
Her stomach turned to ice.
The next morning, the hammer dropped.
Alexander’s chief of staff stormed into the office, a memo in hand. His face was red, his voice sharp.
“The Majority Leader wants her gone,” he barked, pointing at Isla. “Effective immediately.”
The room went silent. Every head turned toward Isla.
Her blood ran cold.
Isla is officially targeted—powerful political figures demand her removal from the senator’s team.
- Writer
