The moment I walked into the hallway, I felt it. The whispers. The stares. The way people's eyes darted toward me and then back to their phones.
What was going on?
I barely made it to Chloe before she pulled me into the library.
"You haven't checked your phone, have you?" she asked, her face pale.
I shook my head. "No—why?"
She hesitated. "It's all over the school group chat. Someone leaked information about Damien."
My heart dropped. "What kind of information?"
Chloe turned her screen toward me. I saw a thread titled:
"Damien Blackwell—THE Damien Blackwell?"
Followed by screenshots. News clippings. Articles. His father's face. The name Blackwell Enterprises.
I stared at it, stunned. My Damien… was the son of that Blackwell?
"How did this get out?" I whispered.
"I don't know," Chloe said softly. "But people are going crazy. And… I have to tell you something else."
I looked at her, confused.
"My dad works for Blackwell Enterprises," she said. "I didn't tell you before because I thought it didn't matter. But Damien thinks I might've leaked it."
The floor shifted under me. I didn't know what to say. I barely even had time to process it all when—
Rylan appeared.
His face was tense, jaw clenched.
"Can I talk to you?" he asked me, ignoring Chloe entirely.
We stepped into the empty music room.
"I'm done hiding it," he said. "I've liked you since the moment I saw you, Ava. And maybe Damien's perfect to the world, but I see how confused he makes you. How hurt you look when he disappears. You deserve someone steady."
"Rylan…" I started, but he cut me off.
"Just tell me right now," he said. "Him or me?"
I was frozen. Not because I didn't know what I wanted—but because suddenly my phone buzzed again.
A notification. From an unknown number.
"Heard you and Rylan were getting close lately. Don't worry, Damien got the message too. Thought you might wanna see what you've been sending him 💋"
Attached were doctored screenshots of texts. Fake ones. Ones that made it look like I was secretly flirting with Rylan. Worse—there were photos. Edited to make it seem like we had been alone. Hugging. Smiling too closely.
"What… the hell is this?" I gasped.
Rylan looked at the screen, wide-eyed. "Ava, I swear I didn't send these! This is someone else—"
But I was already running.
---
Damien's POV
I stood alone on the rooftop, gripping the railing.
It was happening again. Lies. Secrets. Scandals.
Just like home.
Ever since the leak this morning, my phone hadn't stopped buzzing. I didn't care about the people suddenly pretending to be my friends. What shattered me was seeing those fake texts and pictures of Ava and Rylan.
It broke me.
I wanted to believe it wasn't true. But I was raised in a world where betrayal was second nature. Where money replaced trust.
"Ava's just like the rest of them," I whispered.
"Hey."
I turned.
Ezra.
He walked over and leaned beside me, glancing at me sideways.
"I saw the photos," he said. "But you know they're fake, right?"
I didn't respond.
He took a deep breath. "Damien… she doesn't even know how much you've been doing to protect her. You gave up everything. Hid your name. Cut ties with your dad. Left that life for her."
I turned toward him. "How do you know that?"
Ezra blinked. "Because I saw you, man. The day you burned your dad's invitation to the gala. You said, 'If loving her means being nobody, then I'll be nobody.'"
I clenched my jaw. My chest ached.
But then Ezra smirked. "Also… you're kinda dramatic, you know that?"
I chuckled despite myself.
Then Ezra leaned in closer. "Just talk to her. Before someone else wins her for real."
---