"What is this?" he asked.

"Just some antacids," I said, carefully plucking the bottle from his hands. I resisted the urge to snatch them in fear that he would notice something was amiss. I kept my tone as neutral as possible. "It’s only a minor stomach issue. The doctor said it’s nothing serious."

I met his gaze, keeping as still as possible as Alexander was watching me closely.

Too closely.

His eyes moved over my face as if trying to read every thought I was hiding. I tightened my grip around the cup.

I tried to school my expression. I had to be natural. Anything less, and he might start asking questions I wasn’t ready to answer.

He held my gaze for another moment before finally exhaling.

"I see." A trace of tension left his expression. I lightly exhaled as well in relief. "Take care of yourself."

The quiet concern in his voice caught me off guard.

He moved to the sofa beside me and poured himself a cup of warm water. Then we sat there side by side in silence.

Steam rose from our cups.

Two people close enough for our shoulders to almost touch. Two people farther apart than strangers.

Steam rose from our cups. The television played softly in the background. Neither of us watched it.Each person was lost in his own thoughts.

Why did he look so worried? Did he really care about my health?

For one dangerous second, hope stirred inside me. Then I remembered lunch.

’For Grandma’s sake, I look after her a little.’

I lowered my eyes and smiled sadly.

Of course.

Even his concern had a reason.

"I’m tired," I said quietly as I stood. "I’m going to bed."

He looked up at me but said nothing.

I turned and walked upstairs. Yet even with my back to him, I could still feel his gaze following me. And despite myself, I wondered what he was thinking.

The next morning, the sharp ringing of my phone dragged me out of sleep. I fumbled across the nightstand and answered groggily.

"Hello?"

"Director Alicia, have you checked the trending topics?"

Vicki’s voice was tight with panic.

I sat up immediately.

"No. What happened?"

"The photos of CEO Blackwood and Miss Summer exploded overnight. It’s turning into a major scandal."

Sleep vanished instantly.

"I’ll check now. Thanks, Vicki."

I ended the call, grabbed my iPad, and logged into Twitter. My heartbeat quickened as the page loaded. Headlines flooded the screen. Another photo of Alexander and Lilian had surfaced.

This one was worse.

He was guiding her into a car, one hand firmly at her waist, his body angled protectively toward hers. Their closeness was undeniable, but it wasn’t the photo causing chaos.

The problem was that a story had formed around it. People weren’t calling it romance. They were calling it sponsorship. Some even suggested that it was a sugar daddy arrangement.

Maybe even favoritism.

Someone had already connected Lilian’s sudden appointment as Éclat Beauty’s new ambassador and began stitching everything together.

CEO supports ex-girlfriend.

Uses company resources.

Helps revive her career.

The comments multiplied by the second.

I called Vicki back immediately.

"Contact Lilian’s team now," I said sharply. "Do not release any statement yet. Wait until I arrive."

"Yes, ma’am."

I got dressed in record time and drove straight to the office. When I arrived, Vicki was already waiting in the lobby.

As we entered the elevator, I asked, "Did you reach Lilian’s team? What did they say?"

She hesitated. "The CEO transferred the case to CCPR."

My brows furrowed. The company’s crisis public relations team.

Before I could ask more, the elevator doors opened. Sophia stood outside, arms folded, a smug smile already in place. The moment she saw me, her eyes glittered.

"Oh, Director Alicia. You’re finally here."

I stepped past her. She walked beside me anyway.

"Did you see Boss and Miss Summer yesterday? And the trending topics this morning?"

I kept walking.

"Some people try so hard to get close to him," she continued sweetly, "but he already said he isn’t close to certain individuals."

Her smile sharpened.

"If it were me, I’d be too embarrassed to show my face."

Vicki looked furious. I ignored Sophia completely and continued toward my office. However, she wasn’t about to let me leave so easily. She called after me.

"Don’t you want to know how the boss plans to handle the scandal?"

My steps slowed. I hated that they did.

Her voice came lightly behind me. "He’s going to leak a headline saying he and Miss Summer were former lovers."

I stopped. The hallway went still.

Sophia smiled in satisfaction.

"Hope you understand what that means."

Then she walked away in her heels, victorious.

My face turned cold.

I should have expected it. When the first photo hadn’t been removed, the decision had already been made.

Back in my office, I reopened the trending page. The narrative had shifted completely. Old campus photos of Alexander and Lilian were being dug up, along with past posts and witness accounts. Everyone told stories of how deeply in love they once were.everyone with his own thoughts and story, among the comments their was one that stood out the most, it stung my eyes to even read it.

‎"...It’s really ironic. I never thought it would come to this. Back in college, Alexander and Lilian were such a perfect couple—well-matched in every way. I honestly think Alexander still has feelings for Lilian."My throat tightened painfully.The pressure in my chest grew until breathing felt difficult. All this publicity was exactly what Lilian needed right now.

For Lilian—who had just returned from overseas to restart her career—it was priceless publicity.

The timing was too perfect.

Lily Avery had originally been selected as Éclat Beauty’s ambassador. Then suddenly, the campaign was handed to Lilian.

Now the public had a ready-made explanation.

An ex-boyfriend helping the woman he once loved. That was a perfectly reasonable explanation.

Especially if he was still in love with her after all this time.