Elara's POV
The knocking didn't stop, growing hard and insistent, while Kai didn't move. I could feel the tension behind me, a smoldering energy lingering between us.
He didn't lock the door, and that realization made my stomach hurt. The door burst open before anyone could think twice. Cameras flashed, phones lifted, voices colliding as they shouted his name and fired questions all at once
Kai paused, his face arranged into the same look I had seen on magazine covers, shocked enough to sell the story. But the curve of his lips gave him away.
"Why would you just barge in like this?" he demanded, stepping forward. "Do you not see I'm having a private moment with my girlfriend?"
I blinked, confused. Girlfriend? My head spun, trying to process everything.
A reporter at the back caught sight of me lying on the bed, the disorientation clear on my face.
"Wait, she's with him!" the voice shouted. Cameras swung toward me, flashes bursting in my face as shouts filled the room.
My heart thudded against my ribs, my body going wobbly, dizziness blurring everything until nothing made sense.
Kai moved quickly, wrapping his arms around me gently, "Stop it," he barked, glancing at the cameras, "stop taking pictures!"
I barely registered his words. I couldn't make sense of what was happening, my thoughts blurred by whatever had been in my water.
The reporters didn't stop. They shouted, clicked and filmed. I could barely focus, my eyelids were heavy. Kai pressed me closer to his chest, still in his towel, and I felt the heat of his body. His eyes flicked to mine, mischievous but calm and calculating.
"Enough!" he snapped. "Security! Get them out!"
The crowd hesitated, muttering, but a few guards pushed their way in. One by one, the reporters were ushered out, muttering complaints and flashing cameras before disappearing.
Finally, there was silence.
Kai let go of me, stepping back before wrapping a robe around himself. His expression softened just a fraction, though his eyes held a sharp edge. He shook his head slowly, looking down at me.
"I never wanted this to happen," he said quietly, his voice low. "But you… you're so stubborn. You leave me no choice. I'll do anything to protect my career."
I tried to speak but my lips trembled. My body ached from lying on the bed, confused and drowsy. My mind was foggy, struggling to piece together the last hour.
He straightened up, pulled on his clothes, and without another word, left the room. The door clicked behind him, leaving me on the bed, alone and shaky.
I lay there for a long time, staring at the ceiling, my fingers clutching the sheets. My head spun, trying to make sense of the chaos. I hadn't expected any of this— the trap, the cameras, the way he had orchestrated everything to look like I was part of it willingly.
My hands dropped to my sides. I couldn't remember what I had been thinking or planning, only that the room now felt empty, cold, and suffocating.
I woke up the next morning to the faint hum of the air conditioner, the sunlight piercing through the thin hotel curtains. My head throbbed, my stomach twisted, and my limbs felt heavy as though I had waded through a storm while I slept.
I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced me back onto the bed.
What happened last night? My mind grasped at fragments: the knock, the reporters, his towel, the blinding flashes. And then… nothing. My chest tightened, my pulse thundering.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, trying to piece it together. The phone on the bed vibrated relentlessly, several missed calls from my boss and editor in chief blinked on the screen.
My fingers trembled as I reached for it. Each notification made the dizziness worse, but the pattern was unmistakable. Something was happening, and I had no control over it.
I rose slowly, gripping the edge of the bed, and forced myself toward the door. I hailed a cab the moment I stepped outside and alighted at my neighbourhood. Every step drew more eyes than I expected. People stared, whispered and pointed at me.
"What's going on?" I muttered, ducking my head under the hood of my sweater. I tried to move quickly, pretending I didn't see the sea of faces staring at me, but didn't move.
They weren't ordinary passersby. They looked angry. My stomach sank when I realized they were holding cards, banners, all emblazoned with my name and furious slogans. The crowd's murmurs grew louder as I neared the entrance of my apartment and my throat tightened with dread.
I hurried, hugging my sweater closer, ducking past them and ignoring the shouts. Their eyes were like daggers, burning into my back. Every step toward my apartment felt like wading through an ocean of anger.
Finally, I slipped through the back door, my heart racing. Relief washed over me when I saw Maya and Claire waiting inside.
Maya's eyes darted to the window as Claire turned to me.
"Elera! What is happening?" Claire's voice trembled, her hands clutching her phone.
I shook my head, breathing unevenly. "I don't know anything yet. But I have a bad feeling about all these."
Maya's gaze dropped to the floor. "Are Kai's fans still there?" she asked quietly, her voice tight.
"Yes," I replied.
Claire held up her phone. "It's all over social media. Look." She handed me the screen, and I almost collapse. My chest felt like it had been kicked. The images were clear. Kai was half-dressed, holding me close on the hotel bed. The flash of the camera captured me leaning back, disoriented, while he smiled like nothing was wrong.
"I… that's not…" I stammered, clutching the phone. "I was trapped. It's not what it looks like."
Maya ran a hand over her face. "Do people even care about that? Look at these comments. They're furious. They think you…"
"They think I'm his girlfriend?" I completed the sentence bitterly. "That's all a lie."
Maya's fists clenched. "He set you up. He planned this, didn't he?"
I nodded, my jaw tight. "Everything was a trap. I knew going to the hotel late at night was a bit dangerous, but I wasn't expecting him to show up, let alone trap me like this."
Claire's hands shook as she spoke. "What are you going to do? Because this is massive. It's already spreading."
"I don't know yet," I admitted, biting my lip. "I need to figure out how to fix it before anyone else jumps into conclusion."
Maya turned to me, her eyes sharp. "Elera, look at me. We can't let him manipulate this. You have to decide now. Are you going to let this ruin everything, or are you going to take control?"
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of her words. My fingers dug into the sweater I had pulled over my head. "I can't let him get away with this. Not after everything he's done."
Maya stepped closer. "Then tell me. What's the plan? How do we survive this?"
Before I could answer, my phone rang again. The screen flashed my boss's name. I stiffened, heart hammering. Taking a deep breath, I answered.
"Elera," the voice said, sharp and cold. "Explain yourself. These pictures… do you know what kind of mess this is?"
I muttered, voice shaking. "I… I was set up. It wasn't what it looks like."
"Set up?" My boss barked.
"It's already on the front page, trending everywhere on social media. You were supposed to interview the lady and get the story but you ended up becoming the story itself. You could lose your job over this."
"I know," I whispered, "I… I'll fix it."
"You better. And don't call me again until you have a solution," my boss said, voice cutting through me. "We can't cover this mess anymore."
I hung up, my hands were shaking. The room spun, but Maya and Claire were there, watching.
"This is worse than I imagined," Claire muttered.
"People are calling him a victim too, saying you lied. They don't know what happened inside that room."
I nodded, lips pressed tight. "I know. That's why I have to do something. I can't just sit here crying. If I want to stop him and protect other girls out there, I can't be weak now."
Maya's gaze softened. "You're stronger than you realize, El. You've planned this for me and them, right?"
"Yes," I replied, feeling a spark ignite inside me. "It's for you and the girls who were hurt before, and for the ones who might fall into his trap later. I can't let him continue. I mean, look at what he even did to me."
Claire shook her head, it's obvious that she was brewing up inside, "But… look outside. People are angry. The world thinks you're his willing partner and they're ready to burn you alive for this."
I closed my eyes, drawing in a deep breath. "I know." My fingers tightened into fists. "But if I want to tame him, I can't be weak. Fear won't help anyone."
Maya stepped closer, touching my arm. "Then what now? How do you fix it?"
I opened my eyes, looking at them both. The sun had risen outside, but I barely noticed the light through the window. I pressed my lips together, thinking fast. "I have a plan," I said, voice steady, though my chest throbbed.
Maya and Claire watched me closely, sensing the weight behind my words. Outside, a mop clattered against the pavement, briefly breaking the room's silence. I didn't flinch. I let my resolve settle, hardening into something steady.
"This ends with me," I said quietly, determination threading through every word. "No matter what he's done, no matter what people think, I'll finish this. I'll make sure no one else suffers."
Maya's eyes glimmered with hope, Claire's with worry. Their trust pressed against me, heavy and unmistakable.
I glanced at the door, thinking of the chaos that had started last night and I knew, deep down, that t
he storm was only beginning.
I folded my arms, looking intently at them. "The tables have to turn and there's only one way to do that,"