Chapter 49: Unexpected Revelations

Chapter 49: Unexpected Revelations

Ethan was momentarily taken aback, his dark eyes flashing with a hint of surprise before they hardened once more.

"You know?" He raised an eyebrow slightly, his imposing figure taking another step forward. "Did she tell you?"

Ryan was nearly as tall as Ethan, but while Ethan's broad shoulders and solid chest radiated strength, Ryan's build was more slender, almost boyish. Despite Ethan's overwhelming presence, Ryan remained unfazed. He met Ethan's intense gaze with a slight, almost teasing lift of his brows, then suddenly smiled.

"It's just a guess. But—" Ryan's smile widened, though the amusement didn't reach his eyes. "Chairman Harrison's reaction confirms my suspicion."

Ethan's expression flickered briefly, his lips curling ever so slightly.

"Your guess isn't entirely accurate," he said coolly. "Alisa and I haven't finalized our divorce. Technically, she is still my wife."

Ryan's expression stiffened, but he quickly lowered his eyes, muttering to himself as if piecing together the puzzle. "So that's what she's been struggling with..."

Ethan heard his quiet musing and frowned.

Ryan glanced back at Ethan's phone. "Chairman Harrison hasn't answered my question."

Before Ethan could respond, Ryan continued, "But regardless of the capacity in which you're asking, I can answer—"

The young star's jaw tightened, and the face that normally elicited screams of adoration from fans now bore an uncharacteristically cold and fierce expression.

"This isn't a rumor," Ryan said slowly. "Because it's true."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Ethan's eyes, sharp as a blade, snapped up, piercing Ryan with a gaze that could cut through steel.

"Do you even know what you're saying?" Ethan's voice was low and dangerous.

"I do," Ryan replied, not flinching under Ethan's stare. "But does Chairman Harrison understand what I'm saying?"

Each man was staking his claim, making it clear that they both knew what was at stake. Ethan picked up on the unspoken challenge in Ryan's words, but his only response was a slight, dismissive curve of his lips. It was as if he didn't think Ryan had any right to speak to him this way.

"And what makes you think you're qualified to say this?" Ethan's tone was sharp, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "With your status as an idol who can't even date publicly? If you and she were seen having dinner together, she'd be the target of baseless attacks."

Ethan didn't let up, his words precise and unyielding. "Or perhaps you think your twenty-year contract with TrueArt Media gives you the leverage to make promises about her future?"

Each word struck at Ryan's vulnerabilities, leaving no room for him to hide. Ryan's gaze dropped, the defiant spark in his eyes dimming as he faced the reality of the situation. He had been so focused on seeing Ethan as a rival in love that he had forgotten the vast difference in their power and influence.

He had climbed as high as he could, but there was still someone standing above him, someone who seemed insurmountable.

Ryan closed his eyes briefly, then reopened them, determination flashing in his gaze once more.

"At the very least, I wouldn't cause her so much pain and stress." He looked directly at Ethan. "If I were Chairman Harrison, I would appreciate her more."

He paused, tapping his chest with his hand, lifting his chin slightly. "And I have something Chairman Harrison doesn't."

Ethan's lips thinned.

Ryan continued, "I know Chairman Harrison has the power and the means to crush me with a single move. But I don't regret saying what I did today."

Ethan listened, then slowly shook his head.

"Don't worry," he said, his dark eyes sweeping over Ryan as if seeing through him. "I don't plan on doing anything to you. I'm not concerned about what you said today."

He took a step closer, the distance between them shrinking, but the power dynamic unchanged.

"Alisa and I have known each other since we were young. There are things between us that you wouldn't understand. And one more thing—"

Ethan paused, raising a hand and tapping his chest with two fingers.

"What you have, I have too."

**

When the news of the "secret confession" broke, the internet exploded.

Gossip-hungry netizens began connecting the dots, and the more they dug, the more convinced they became of their theories.

"I knew there was something off about the song title! Why pick a French word? And now I realize—Alisa is French! 'Elle' means 'she' in French, so 'she' is Alisa!"

"When I first heard the song, I thought it was obvious. Just look at the lyrics: 'Your eyes hold the world, I want to capture the scenery with you...' Isn't that clearly about a photographer?"

"They were spotted having dinner together before, weren't they? And then Creston Media issued a ton of cease-and-desist letters. Now it looks like they were guilty and trying to cover it up!"

"This has to be the real deal. It's been so obvious for a while now. Ryan's behavior has been so out of character—he's been following her, posting pictures together, and even accidentally liking her cover photos. And remember when Alisa was accused of plagiarism? Ryan tweeted in her defense and refused to delete it, even when fans begged him to."

"So the new song was for her? D*mn, this is making me so jealous I can hardly stand it!"

"But it's so sweet, how can I not love it? It's Ryan! And he wrote a song to confess his feelings—how cute is that?"

"Anyone who thinks this is cute is an idiot. Don't you know she's married?"

"But I heard they're divorced now..."

"I don't care if they're divorced or not, I just don't want it to be her. It's disgusting!"

...

Ryan was no stranger to rumors, but this time, the evidence was too compelling to dismiss. Usually, when such stories surfaced, his fans would rush to control the narrative, insisting "don't believe or spread rumors." But this time, even his fans seemed to be losing control.

And more unusually, Ryan had yet to respond.

In the past, he'd been quick to shut down rumors. When a previous co-star tried to stir up dating speculation, his team immediately issued a denial, and Ryan unfollowed the actress on social media.

But now, as the news gained more and more traction, there was no statement from Ryan, and he hadn't unfollowed Emily either.

It was almost as if he was confirming the rumors...

As the internet erupted in a frenzy, Emily found herself growing increasingly anxious.

She couldn't shake the memory of Ryan's intense gaze as he half-jokingly, half-seriously explained the inspiration behind his song. Combined with the French title, it wasn't hard to see how he might have been expressing something more personal.

But she had deliberately avoided responding to that implication.

Liking her idol was one thing, but liking him in that way was another entirely.

She took relationships seriously.

And besides, she and Ethan hadn't officially finalized their divorce yet, so she was careful to avoid any appearance of impropriety.

But she never expected things to spiral out of control like this. There was nothing between them, yet the rumors had painted them as a couple who were secretly confessing their love.

Being caught up in a scandal with her idol turned out to be anything but enjoyable.

Now, people were attacking her online, calling her a "cheater," "homewrecker," and far worse, questioning her morality and slandering her family.

Emily had dealt with online hate before. She decided to block the comments and avoid reading them, out of sight, out of mind.

She wanted to message Ryan and ask how he planned to handle this.

Why hadn't he responded yet?

Was Creston Media's PR team planning something?

After some thought, Emily decided it was better to message Ethan directly:

*Have you seen the news online?*

Ethan replied almost immediately:

*Yes. Don't worry, PR will handle it soon.*

Since he said so, Emily could only sit and wait.

She was considering whether to post a statement on social media, clarifying that she was already divorced—at least to dispel the "cheating" label hanging over her.

Ryan was being painted as the "other man"...

As she hesitated, a simultaneous alert appeared on both her phone and computer:

*Ryan's new music video features an inaccurate map? Borders drawn incorrectly!*

**

"You're saying you can't trace the source of the information?" Ethan asked.

Jason shook his head, "We haven't found it yet, but the investigation is ongoing."

He laid out the data before Ethan. "These are all major media outlets, and they pushed the story simultaneously. Within an hour, the search index for this topic had peaked across all major search engines. On Weibo, it shot straight to the top of the trending list."

Ethan looked up at his assistant. "So you're saying there's someone behind this?"

"Yes. Creston Media is coordinating with TrueArt Media on this." Jason paused, then added, "I reviewed the video, and the map appears for less than two seconds during a scene where Ryan is looking at it while traveling. The image isn't even that clear, yet it's been blown out of proportion."

Ethan remained silent, his long fingers tapping a pen lightly against the desk.

"Maps are serious business," he said with a cold snort. "This kind of news is far more damaging than gossip. If not handled properly, Ryan could go from the top to the bottom in no time, and TrueArt Media could be dragged down with him."

He narrowed his eyes. "And Creston Media won't come out unscathed either."

Jason considered for a moment. "Are you suggesting that...?"

Ethan

cut him off, "What about Alisa?"

Jason shook his head, "The PR team hadn't even started addressing that before this map story broke. The focus has shifted entirely, so there's less attention on her for now."

He hesitated, "One of the promotional photos for Ryan's album shows him looking at a map. That photo was taken by Alisa..."

Ethan's eyes sharpened, "So?"

"So, there are already people online suggesting that Alisa, being French, might have had ulterior motives in choosing that prop..." Jason trailed off, watching Ethan's expression with caution.

The pen in Ethan's hand clattered loudly against the desk as he slammed it down, causing Jason to flinch.

Ethan's laughter was cold. "'Ulterior motives'? A conspiracy theory? Very clever."

He stood up abruptly, his face set in a hard expression. "Tell Mr. Fu at Creston Media to go to TrueArt Media immediately and start investigating. Find out who shot the video and what exactly happened on set—"

Ethan abruptly stopped mid-sentence, his gaze shifting to the door.

"Please wait, you can't go in right now, Chairman Harrison is in a meeting!"

"Move aside."

"Ma'am, you—"

The flustered voice of an assistant mixed with the rapid clicking of high heels grew louder.

Emily appeared in the doorway, her long legs carrying her forward with a determined stride. She walked straight up to Ethan's desk, her aura radiating authority.

Ethan looked at her calmly, though puzzled by the clear determination in her expression.

Emily's red lips were pressed into a firm line, her chin raised defiantly.

"Are you out of your mind?" She glared at him, her eyes catching sight of the tablet beside him—the screen displaying the news about Ryan's map controversy.

Emily snatched the tablet and slammed it down on Ethan's desk with a loud thud, the sound echoing through the room.

"This is the result of your PR efforts?!"