Unbeknownst to Jason and Mia, someone in the distance was aiming a camera toward the Lakeside Estate, Villa No. 6—quietly snapping photos of the two of them embracing as they entered the house together.
A moment later, the photographer sent the pictures to a contact saved as Chris.
Chris was one of Megan's many admirers—Jason had met him once at her birthday party at The Azure Lounge that evening.
That night, Jason had shown up like a knight in shining armor, buying the entire venue to help Megan out of an embarrassing situation. Later, when Megan personally fed him cake in front of everyone, Chris's heart had shattered.
After the party, Megan told him it was just gratitude—that Jason's heart might still belong to Emma. Chris, naïve and desperate, chose to believe her.
But soon, he learned that Megan had taken a trip with Jason. When she came back, she started avoiding everyone else—clearly keeping her distance for Jason's sake.
Chris's jealousy slowly turned into rage. He knew he couldn't compete with Jason in terms of wealth, influence, or charisma. So he decided to fight dirty.
Since Jason was also close to Holly Larson and Quinn, Chris hired a private investigator to follow him—hoping to catch some compromising photos. If Megan saw those pictures, maybe she'd realize what kind of man Jason really was and finally hate him.
The investigator soon delivered what he wanted: intimate shots of Jason and Holly together. He didn't manage to get any with Quinn, but instead found more women around Jason—more than Chris ever imagined.
And today, he captured another one.
Chris's eyes gleamed with a mix of envy and excitement as he looked at the photos sent by the investigator. These were enough to destroy Jason Carter's image forever. Megan would despise him once she saw them—he was sure of it.
He had the photos printed immediately and rushed toward the girls' dorms. He could have just sent them to her phone, but he wanted to see the look on Megan's face—the moment she realized Jason was nothing but a two-timer.
"Megan, Chris is downstairs looking for you," said her roommate Lily as she stepped into the dorm.
Megan frowned. "What's he doing here again? I already told him—we're not a thing."
In the past, even if Megan wasn't really into someone, she'd still keep them hanging around as backups. Teasing and keeping attention on herself was second nature—it didn't cost her anything.
But now, things were different. She didn't want Jason to misunderstand. If she kept entertaining other men, she'd lose her chance with him completely.
Sure, Jason seemed close to Holly and Quinn, but she wasn't obligated to be faithful when he wasn't. Still… she couldn't bring herself to play games anymore.
Everyone else had someone orbiting around them, yet she was cutting ties—for him. What did that make her? A fool?
Having played the "cool, manipulative girl" role for years, Megan knew exactly what she was doing wrong—but she just couldn't stop herself. Even if it wasn't rational, she couldn't let Jason go.
"Damn it," she muttered, clenching her fists. "Don't tell me I've actually fallen for him… Megan, what happened to your self-control?"
She exhaled sharply, but the thought of Jason—his calm confidence, his effortless dominance, that sense of belonging to a higher world—kept flashing in her mind. She was addicted to it.
"Megan! Megan!" Chris's loud voice echoed up from below the dorm.
Megan sighed, rubbing her temples. Chris yelling her name like this in public would cause a scene—and if people started gossiping, her reputation would take a hit. No rich young master wanted a woman with rumors swirling around her.
"Lily, come downstairs with me," she said, picking up her phone. "If I go alone, people will get the wrong idea."
Lily nodded, and the two descended the stairs.
As soon as Chris saw Megan, he stopped shouting and rushed over, holding an envelope like it was some priceless treasure. "Megan," he said breathlessly, thrusting it toward her. "Take a look at this—and then you'll finally see what kind of man Jason Carter really is."
Megan frowned, tore open the envelope, and pulled out the photos inside. Her pupils immediately shrank slightly.
The first stack of photos was of Jason Carter and Holly Larson.
The second stack of photos was of Jason Carter and Grace.
The third stack of photos was of Jason Carter and Mia.
Each photo was intimate—some even showed them embracing and kissing, leaving no doubt about the kind of relationships they shared.
Lily's eyes widened. She'd heard plenty of rumors that Jason was close to Holly and Quinn, but she never expected him to be involved with so many women at once.
Megan looked through the photos and let out a bitter smile. Her expression wasn't one of surprise—it was resignation.
She'd already realized long ago that Jason wasn't someone she could control. He had practically told her as much: he wasn't the kind of man who'd ever settle down.
A man like him—handsome, rich, and magnetic—could have any woman he wanted. If he desired it, he could build an entire empire of lovers around him.
What hurt Megan wasn't the fact that Jason had other women. It was that while she'd been hesitating, trying to decide whether to chase him or not, others had already taken their places beside him—enjoying the life she wanted.
Chris, who was watching her closely, waited for an explosion—for shock, for disgust, for anger—but none of it came. The expression on Megan's face was unreadable, distant, and calm in a way that unnerved him.
"What… what's going on?" he muttered under his breath, completely thrown off.
"Megan," he said quickly, "I swear these photos are real. They're not edited! Jason's cheating with multiple women—he's playing you all! He—"
"You didn't show these photos to anyone else, did you?" Megan suddenly interrupted him, her tone sharp.
Chris blinked, caught off guard. "No, but—"
Megan sighed. "Then listen carefully. For the sake of being classmates, I'll give you some advice: don't show these to anyone. Delete them. Forget they ever existed. If this gets out, things will end badly for you. And since you brought them to me, I'll be dragged down with you."
Chris froze. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Even now—even now—she was defending Jason Carter?
What kind of twisted reality was this?
He was the one who cared about her, who wanted to protect her, who came running to open her eyes—and yet she stood there defending the man who was clearly betraying her?
Chris's chest felt hollow. His worldview—his entire sense of right and wrong—was collapsing in on itself.
Megan looked at him once more and added quietly, "If you don't believe me, you can ask Josh what happened when he went against Jason Carter a while back. Think about your parents before you do something reckless. I've said what I needed to. I'm burning these. Handle the rest on your own."
With that, she turned and went back inside, Lily following silently behind her. Chris stood there at the dorm entrance, clutching the empty envelope, as the evening wind blew across his stunned face.
"Megan," Lily said softly once they were upstairs, "I didn't expect Jason to be so… complicated. You're not still thinking about him, are you?"
Megan didn't respond immediately. She looked out the window, her expression distant, conflicted. After a long silence, she let out a soft sigh.
Logically, she knew she should cut Jason off completely—that he wasn't someone she could ever have for herself. But deep down, she couldn't let go.
Even worse, she was terrified that if she waited any longer, she wouldn't even have the chance to be by his side at all.
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