Kai Monroe POV
"Have you seen this?" Jason's voice cut through the air as I walked into the rehearsal room. He is my band mate.
I frowned. "Seen what?"
He tossed my phone onto the table. The screen lit up with notifications.
I picked it up. My eyes widened. "No… this can't be real."
Blog posts, videos, headlines… every screen was screaming my name. Allegations, past rumors, hidden truths and every part stories resurfacing at once.
"What the hell, Jason?" I growled. "How did this blow up like this overnight?"
"I told you, man. People are talking. It's everywhere," he said, running a hand through his hair.
I turned to the rest of the band. "You are all seeing this?"
Tony, my best friend, leaned back, his jaw tight. "Yeah. This is insane."
Before I could say more, Leo snapped. "Insane? It's his fault!" His hands clenched into fists. "I warned you, Kai. Countless times. Your obsession with women and your arrogance—look what's happening now!"
I flinched. "What? You think this is my fault? I didn't..."
"You didn't listen!" Leo cut in, eyes blazing. "We're losing face. The team, the crew, everyone! And it's on you!"
I felt heat rise in my chest. "I am trying to process this, alright? Stop yelling!"
"Jason slammed his fist on the table. You always have an excuse, but now? Now everyone's watching us crumble! We're on the line too! Fans, sponsors, media—they're all watching!"
I exhaled, trying to stay calm. "I know. I know what's at stake."
Leo sneered. "Clearly, you didn't think it through before."
"I did! I just didn't expect…" I trailed off, my jaw tightening.
"Didn't expect what? That your actions would come back to bite you in the face?" Leo snapped.
Tony stepped in between us, raising his hands. "Enough! Fighting won't fix this. We need solutions, now!"
I nodded, my pulse racing. "Solutions. Right. Step one… find the reporter. Step two… manage the fallout."
Jason shook his head. "It won't be that simple, Kai. Not when it's trending worldwide."
I slammed my palm on the table. "Then I'll make it simple. I'll deal with it myself. And..."
My phone buzzed in my pocket, interrupting my trail of thought. A message from the producer popped up: Come to the office. Now.
I groaned. "Seriously?"
"What's the matter?" Tony asked, looking at me
"It's the producer. He wants me to come to his office now." I replied.
"I knew something like this would happen?" Jason said, forcefully hitting his hand on the keyboard which made a loud noise.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "You better not mess this up."
"I won't," I muttered.
****
The ride to the office was silent, my hands firm on the wheel as dread coiled in my chest. When I arrived, the producer was pacing forth and back in the room. His office looked untidy, papers were scattered across the desk and the chair was sitting a little too far from it.
"Kai," he barked the moment I entered.
"Sit." he commanded. I didn't want to aggravate him any further than he already was so I obeyed.
My stomach churned the moment I settled on the chair.
"Did you see the headlines?" he asked, his voice sharp as he slammed a folder unto the desk.
"Yes. I do." I swallowed hard. "I'll fix it."
"The last time you did, what changed?" He asked, glaring at me.
"Your reputation is going down the drain. And now your album sales are dropping. Sponsors are pulling out. Promoters are canceling. To top it all, people don't want your music at events."
I rubbed my temple, trying to figure out what to say. "I know. I… I'll fix it. I'll get a statement out. I just need time."
"Time?" His laugh was bitter.
"Time is gone. Every hour you wait, the damage grows."
"I'll find her. I'll deal with it. Just with a few wads of notes, the damn reporter will keep her mouth shut, "I said, sounding confident.
"Wow!" How smart of you." He smiled
"Thank you, Sir. You don't have to worry, this is not the first time something like this has happened. I know how to silence her...."
"And you think I haven't tried doing that?" He yelled, shining his blood shot eyes
"I have tried using the same methods we used on previous reporters— Bribes, hush money but none of it worked. She won't budge. She's a different species with a sharp tongue," He concluded, walking towards the glass window.
I clenched my hands. "Then tell me what I need to do. I'll handle it."
"Handle it?" He threw his hands up. "Kai, your past sins are catching up. That case from last year? The one you thought was closed? It's back in the spotlight."
My throat tightened. "I… I can handle this. I just need to find the reporter first."
His eyes narrowed. "Tell me something." He paused, staring at me intensely. "Is it that you don't understand English or you are just pretending not to listen to what I have been saying, huh?" He questioned.
"All I'm trying to say is that, once I know the reporter who did this then it would be easier to clean up this mess." I explained, standing up from the chair.
"What part of what I said didn't you understand? I told you that I already find out who uploaded those gossips on the media site and there's nothing we can offer her to make her change her mind or take back her statement."
He looked at me for a moment longer than necessary. "Do you understand now, or should I spell it out for you?"
"Yes, I understand." I replied.
"Good. I think she's got something on you because she's on your trail. Who knows, perhaps she's one of your numerous girlfriend's," he said, his voice low but furious. "And no, you can't just pay her off. Believe me, she's ready to refuse a hundred times."
I rubbed my temples. "Damn it."
"You need to clean this mess, Kai. Before it costs you everything. Before it destroys the team, the label and your career."
I swallowed hard. "I promise. I'll fix this."
He leaned back, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You better. Because I've got a headache just thinking about it. You can leave," he said, going back to his desk.
"Just leave it to me, Sir. I'll deal with it my own way." I said, walking towards the door.
***
Elera Hayes
My phone buzzed on the nightstand.
I frowned. Who would be calling me this late at night? I thought to myself and picked up my phone only to figure out that the caller was an unknown number.
I answered, after a long hesitation "Hello?"
A woman's voice, soft and shaky, came through. "Hi… I, uh… I need to meet you."
"Who is this?" I asked, leaning back against my pillows.
"I… I can't talk over the phone. It's about Kai Monroe," she said, her voice trembling from the other end.
I quickly sat upright, "What about him?"
She inhaled sharply. "I'm another victim of his. I've been through what… Maya went through.
"Please, can we meet? Tonight? I have something big to reveal about him."
My heart thudded in my chest. "Tonight? I glanced at the wall clock. It's just a few minutes past 8pm. Umm…alright. Where?"
She hesitated. "I'll send the a
ddress. Please just make sure to meet me tonight. It's urgent."
The line went dead.
"Hello. Hello..." I stared at the phone, gripping it tightly.