Chapter 9: Glittered Lies
465 Words
The next morning, Chloe’s phone buzzed non-stop. She sat cross-legged on her couch, barely awake, makeup from last night still smudged under her eyes.
[10 Missed Calls: Manager - Ava]
[2 New Messages - Breaking News: ‘Ethan Walker Spotted with Actress Chloe Reed - Romance Rumors Heat Up!’]
Chloe stared at the headlines, heart skipping.
“What the hell—?” she muttered, scrolling through the article. The rooftop photo. The angle. Ethan standing close. Her lips parted mid-confession.
It looked intimate.
Too intimate.
Just then, her doorbell rang like a fire alarm.
Ava burst in, no permission, no shoes. “Chloe. What. Did. You. Do?”
Chloe blinked. “I... talked to him?”
“You confessed to him in full view of a media drone! The rooftop had surveillance, Chloe!”
“I didn’t know—”
“Of course, you didn’t. Because you were busy falling for a doctor like it’s a K-Drama plot twist.”
Chloe rubbed her temples. “It wasn’t a PR stunt.”
Ava groaned. “Even worse. It wasn’t fake, and now it’s out. The agency is losing its mind. You just started rebuilding your image. Do you want another scandal?”
Chloe’s phone buzzed again.
[Message from Mila: “Nice rooftop moment. I almost cried.”]
She gritted her teeth.
“Mila was there,” she murmured.
Ava froze. “Don’t tell me—”
“Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing.”
Just then, another call came through.
This time, from Ethan.
Chloe stared at the screen.
Should she answer?
Should she explain?
Before she could, Ava snatched the phone. “Let it ring. If you care about this guy, the worst thing you can do now is drag him into your world.”
Chloe’s jaw tightened. “He’s already in it.”
Ava crossed her arms. “Then prepare. Because Mila’s not going to wait. She just signed a contract with SilverHawk Productions.”
Chloe’s eyes widened. “The movie I rejected?”
Ava nodded. “She took your role. And guess who the director is?”
A beat.
“Ethan’s best friend.”
---
Meanwhile...
In a quiet hospital corridor, Ethan stared at his phone, unanswered.
His best friend, Daniel , approached with a smirk.
“She’s making headlines again.”
“I noticed,” Ethan muttered.
Daniel clapped his shoulder. “You’re about to be more famous than any heart surgeon in the city. Also... I cast Mila.”
Ethan turned sharply. “You what?”
Daniel shrugged. “You said you didn’t care about Chloe. Mila’s talented. Marketable. And let’s be honest—less complicated.”
Ethan didn’t reply.
But something in his chest twisted.
Mila. Chloe. Scandals. Secrets.
And a storm just beginning to brew.
- Writer
