Chapitre 5: UNMASKING THE BETRAYER
Olivia's heart raced as she frantically tried to delete the posts, but the option was nowhere to be found. Panic surged through her veins, her fingers trembling as she gripped her phone. Who could have done this? She felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead as she realized the magnitude of the situation. The trending hashtag #OliviaExposed has hundreds of posts from different content creators adding fuel to the burning fire.
Olivia felt a wave of panic wash over her. Her reputation has been destroyed, and she did not know how to stop it.
Meanwhile, Antonio sat in his office watching the chaos unfold on social media with a grim satisfaction. He knew the fallout would be severe, but seeing Olivia's public image crumble gave him a sense of vindication. Yet, beneath his satisfaction, there was a nagging sense of guilt. Was this really the right way to restore his pride and save his company?
Olivia's phone rang, it was a call from her manager. Without wasting time, she picked it up.
"Olivia, how did this happen? Were you drunk and posted those pictures yourself?" her manager asked, her voice stern and disapproving.
Olivia's eyes widened in shock. "No, I didn't. I would never do such a thing."
"Olivia, you need to be honest with me, so we can clean this mess up as soon as possible" her manager said. "Remember the incident that happened seven years ago, where you had posted a video of you buying cucumber with a naughty caption"
Olivia's face grew hot with indignation. "Am I a kid, I said I wasn't the one. What would I gain in tarnishing my own image?"
"I hope you know anger won't solve this issue. This is your life here, not mine. If you don't want to open up, then it's fine. Just so you know, you're on your own as from now on, every other member of the team has gone on a break and sponsors has pulled out of all the contracts. Your face has been taken down from all posters, banners and billboards."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be harsh. Although I had sneaked to the club last night and got drunk, I didn't even know how I got back to the hotel. I'm sure someone must have hacked into my page" Olivia explained.
Her manager sighed "I'll do everything I can to sort this out, even if it means taking legal actions. But make sure you stay indoor, out of trouble and do not contact anyone for now"
"Okay. I'll do as you've said." Olivia nodded, her mind racing with thoughts of who could have done this to her. As soon as she ended the call, a knock was heard on the door. Olivia pushed herself to open the door, allowing Nara in.
"Look at you, Liv," Nara said sympathetically, pulling Olivia into a hug.
Olivia fell into her arms, allowing the tears she had been fighting to fall freely. "I just can't believe someone would do this to me," Olivia said, her voice laced with frustration.
"I know, Liv. It's awful. But do you suspect anyone?" Nara asked, patting her back lightly.
Olivia hesitated. "I don't know… maybe a jealous colleague?"
Nara's tone turned speculative. "Or maybe someone who's been holding a grudge…"
Olivia's mind went blank for a moment before a name popped into her head. "Antonio?" she exclaimed, pulling herself away from the hug.
"No, it can't be" Olivia said, trying to brush off the thought. But Nara's word had planted a seed of doubt.
"Why can't it be?" Nara asked, her voice probing. "You did reject him pretty harshly, Liv. That took a toll on him, I heard his company is at the verge of bankruptcy and his pack is unstable. And besides, don't you find it weird that he isn't making any move despite the chaos?"
"Hmmm… I noticed he seemed off, I had expected him to come at me, or at least do something. But do you really think Antonio could be behind all this?" Olivia asked, doubtfully.
Nara's voice was firm. "The reason why he's been quiet was because he had been planning your downfall, and this is it. You need to confront him, Liv, you can't let him get away with this. Else, he would see you as a weakling and go ahead to reduce you to nothing."
A brief silence ensued as Olivia was lost in her thoughts. Every evidence pointed at Antonio, and this annoyed her even more. It wasn't her fault that news was published about the rejection, not her fault that he was in a financial crisis, all she had done was advise him on what to do before he could claim her as his mate.
With determination, she pulled off the sheet mask from her face.
"Book me a flight ticket, I'm going to New York," Olivia said, her voice steely with determination. She dashed into the bathroom, her mind racing with thoughts of confronting Antonio.
Nara's voice was encouraging. "That's my girl!"
As Olivia stepped into the shower, she couldn't contain the anger coursing through her vein. She was ready to take on Antonio and get to the bottom of all this mess. She had a quick bath, dried her body and quickly dressed up.
"I booked the flight already, but be careful, Liv. You don't know what Antonio is capable of" Nara said
Olivia looked at her outfit in the mirror. "Don't worry, Nara. I'll be fine, and make sure not to tell my manager I am away"
"I trust you. If there is any problem, call me okay" Nara said, pitifully.
Olivia nodded in agreement. With a deep breath, she grabbed her bag and headed out of the door.
Olivia settled into her seat beside the window on the plane, her mind racing with the possibilities of Antonio's involvement. As the plane took off, she overheard people talking about the posts and how they had always known she was a bad person. Olivia closed her eyes, her breath came in quick, shallow gasps. She felt a lump in her throat, her vision blurring with unshed tears. She needed to calm down, to think clearly, but the betrayal cut deep.
How could her own mate do this to her?
Hours later, as the plane landed at ABC Airport, Olivia's nerves were on edge. She had no idea what she would find when she meets Antonio, but she was ready for anything.
Olivia stepped off the plane into the airport, her eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of trouble. But instead of the usual sea of adoring fans, she was met with a group of angry protesters. They held up signs and billboards, their faces twisted in scowls.
The crowd surged forward, their voices rising in chorus of hatred and anger. "You're a disgrace, Olivia."
Olivia's eyes widened in shock as she realized they were not fans but an angry mob.
How did they know I was coming to New York?
Olivia quickly pulled out a face cap and sunglasses from her bag and put them on, hoping to go incognito. But it was too late as the crowd had already spotted her, and they closed in.
Olivia pushed through the mob, trying to make her way to a taxi. But they surrounded her, their anger and hostility obvious.
"You're a bad role model," one person shouted.
"You're disgusting," another one screamed.
Olivia's heart raced as she tried to escape the crowd. She finally managed to grab a taxi and jump in.
"Luca Enterprise, please," she told the driver, her heart still racing with fear.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone