Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37 Trending
Sylvia’s POV
I couldn’t help but frown. Hadn’t Zane just been in custody recently? Now he was already back to causing trouble for me? Still, judging by his hidden appearance, he clearly didn’t dare to approach me openly.
I decided to ignore him. "See that dress in the window across the street? It’s Amani’s new collection. I think it would look perfect on you."
Morgana, being the devoted Amani fan she was, immediately grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the shop, completely forgetting about buying a tie for Caesar. I had deliberately diverted her attention – the last thing I wanted was to buy Caesar a tie.
If I returned home with one, Morgana would undoubtedly share the "binding" meaning with Caesar. The thought of him thinking I wanted to secure my place in his life made my stomach turn. What would he think? That a mere replacement was trying to become something permanent?
The bitterness rose in my throat, and I took a long sip of my coffee to calm the storm inside me. I glanced sideways at Morgana, confirming she was too engrossed in examining dresses to notice my inner turmoil. When I looked back outside, Zane had disappeared.
I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was it just a coincidence he was there?
I didn’t dwell on this small incident as we continued our shopping spree. After two hours of watching Morgana’s excitement build with each purchase, we found ourselves at a restaurant for lunch, surrounded by shopping bags – most of them hers.
"God, retail therapy is exactly what I needed," Morgana sighed contentedly, settling into her chair.
"Though it looks like you did most of the therapy," she added, eyeing my single bag.
I smiled softly. Shopping had never been my passion, but I enjoyed watching her happiness. "Let’s decide what to eat," I said, handing her a menu.
Morgana waved it away. "You order for me. You know what I like anyway."
She pulled out her phone and began taking photos of her purchases. "If I don’t post these, did I even shop?" she joked, angling the bags for the perfect shot.
I shook my head with amusement, not commenting on her social media habits. Suddenly, Morgana gasped loudly.
"Oh my Moon Goddess. You’re trending!" fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
My body tensed. "What?"
She shoved the phone toward me, the screen already opened to the post.
"Look!"
My breath caught in my throat.
It was me. Candid photos taken just moments ago. From across the street, from behind displays, from angles clearly meant to deceive.
One shot had a man—some stranger I hadn’t even noticed—leaning toward me, his hand barely brushing my arm. The framing was perfect... or rather, perfectly damning. We looked close. Intimate. As if we were sharing a private moment in public.
The caption was worse.
"Sylvia Frost spotted getting cozy with a mystery man while shopping. What happened to loyalty?"
The comments were vicious.
"So much for dignity." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Morgana was scanning the café now, her head whipping around.
"Someone’s following us. I know it. Who the hell took these?"
But I wasn’t looking around. My gaze had darkened and settled.
Not just a paparazzi. No, this felt targeted.
Zane.
The timing was too perfect. He lurked in the shadows, then vanished, and suddenly I was trending for a scandal I didn’t commit?
Coincidence? I didn’t believe in those.
I stared at the screen, jaw clenched, fingers white-knuckling the phone.
Someone wanted to make me look weak. Cheap. Replaceable.
They had no idea who they were messing with.
I clicked the post button without hesitation. Within minutes, my response went viral—security footage from the mall showing exactly what happened. The video revealed nothing but an innocent collision between strangers: the man had simply steadied me after we bumped into each other, not even exchanging a single word before we both continued on our separate ways.
The backlash against the gossip accounts came fast—and fierce. Comments flooded in defending me, condemning the malicious framing. Within hours, the original posters were issuing desperate apologies before eventually deleting their accounts entirely under the weight of public outrage.
"Look, that’s definitely him," Morgana said, pointing to a figure in the corner of the security footage. The man wore a fisherman hat and face mask—the classic paparazzi disguise. "Such a creep! Too bad we can’t see his face clearly, or I’d say we should just call the police and be done with it."
"It doesn’t matter," I said, my voice carrying the quiet danger of an approaching storm. "Whoever’s behind this failed today. They’ll try again, and when they do..."
The ringtone of my phone cut through the tension. Caesar’s name flashed on the screen.
In the past, I would have answered immediately. Now, I hesitated, my finger hovering over the green button as a strange reluctance washed over me.
"Wow," Morgana teased, not noticing my discomfort. "Alpha King Caesar is usually so busy he can’t even make it to his own birthday celebrations on time, but when it comes to you, he drops everything." She glanced at her watch. "He must have just finished his executive meeting and called you first thing. "
I let the call ring until it stopped, never answering.
Morgana stared at me in confusion. "Why didn’t you pick up?"
The call ended without Caesar trying again, which brought me an unexpected sense of relief. I needed time to sort through my feelings before facing him.
"I just remembered," I said suddenly, gathering my things. "There’s a section in my proposal that needs revision—it would make the whole project perfect."
"What? Now?" Morgana’s eyes widened.
"I need to get back to the office to work on it!" I was already standing, ready to leave.
Before Morgana could process what was happening, I was hurrying away, my mind racing faster than my feet.
Outside the mall, I slowed my pace, then came to a complete stop. The truth was, I had already finalized and submitted the Vertex Hot Springs Resort proposal.The excuse was merely my habitual way of avoiding difficult situations.
I pulled out my phone, debating whether to message Caesar or return his call. Minutes passed as I stared at the screen, unable to decide.
My attention shifted to Caesar’s profile picture—recently changed. It showed him in his high school uniform, bathed in the golden light of sunset. The warm glow outlined his sharp jawline with a gilded edge, but what caught my attention was his expression. He was looking at something—or someone—with such tender devotion that it made my heart ache.
"What was he looking at?" I whispered to myself.
"At you," a warm voice answered from behind me.
I whirled around, startled to find Caesar standing there, his tall frame silhouetted against the afternoon light. The shock made me lose my grip on my phone, but his reflexes were quicker—he caught it mid-air and handed it back to me, our fingers brushing momentarily.
"What are you doing here?" I asked, avoiding his eyes, feeling guilty for deliberately missing his call.
"Morgana told me where to find you,"," Caesar said with gentle reproach, his eyes reflecting concern rather than anger. "You handled that situation brilliantly, and I know you’re more than capable, but the person stalking you is still out there. What if they tried something while you were alone?"
As our eyes finally met, something shifted in the air between us.
