Chapter 20: Whispers of Betrayal

The next morning, Ethan's world was turned upside down.

He woke to a flood of notifications on his phone. The headlines screamed from every corner of the internet, each one more sensational than the last:

**"Rising Star Ethan Cross Caught in Love Scandal: Is He Hiding His True Feelings?"**

**"Exclusive: Ethan Cross in Secret Relationship—With a Man?"**

His heart sank as he scrolled through the articles. Photoshopped images of him with various male celebrities flooded the media. The rumors had snowballed overnight, and now they were out of control. It was everywhere—social media, tabloids, even major entertainment networks were running the story. The narrative had shifted dramatically, and it wasn't good.

Ethan threw his phone down on the bed, frustration boiling over. Who was doing this? Was it Oscar, trying to discredit him before they could expose him? Or was it someone else entirely, feeding off the chaos surrounding his rapid rise?

Before he could dive deeper into the mess, his phone rang. It was Leo.

"Ethan," Leo's voice was tense on the other end. "You need to see this."

"What now?" Ethan snapped, rubbing his temples.

"Check the newest video trending online. It's a paparazzi clip from last night, and it's bad."

With a sinking feeling, Ethan pulled up the video Leo mentioned. It was a grainy, shaky clip from someone's phone, showing him and Mia leaving the rooftop café. The angle was terrible, but in the brief moment where Mia had confessed her feelings, the camera had captured them sitting close, with Ethan's hand on hers. But the angle distorted everything, making it seem like a covert, secretive meeting. The video's title twisted the truth even further:

**"Ethan Cross and His Secret Lover Exposed—The Real Story Behind the Scandal!"**

Ethan's blood boiled. Whoever had uploaded this was stirring the pot, adding fuel to the fire. The internet was eating it up, speculation running wild, with fans and haters alike dissecting every frame. Some claimed it proved he was hiding his sexuality, others thought it was a cover-up for a relationship with Mia. Whatever the truth, the damage was done. The story had taken on a life of its own.

Just then, his phone buzzed again—this time, it was Mia.

"I saw the video," she said, her voice tight with frustration. "It's a mess."

"No kidding," Ethan replied, pacing the room. "How did this even happen? We were careful. Who could have known?"

"I don't know," Mia said, her tone softer now. "But this is exactly the kind of thing Oscar would do—destroy your credibility before we can take him down. He's trying to turn the industry against you."

Ethan clenched his fist. "We can't let him win, Mia. We're too close."

There was a pause on the line before Mia spoke again, quieter this time. "There's more. I overheard some things when I was with Oscar… He has connections with people high up in the industry. They're backing him because they know he controls the narrative. If we don't move quickly, this whole thing could spiral even further out of control."

Ethan sat down, trying to make sense of everything. The rumors, the scandal, Oscar's web of connections—it was all building to something bigger, something more dangerous than he had anticipated.

"We need to stay ahead of him," Mia said, her voice determined. "We've got the evidence. Now we just need the right moment to release it."

"But what if this ruins me first?" Ethan asked, his voice heavy with uncertainty.

Mia didn't respond right away. When she finally spoke, her words carried a weight that Ethan hadn't expected. "Then we'll take him down together. I won't let you face this alone."

---

That evening, Ethan and Mia met at a secluded hotel, their meeting shrouded in secrecy. The walls seemed to close in as the pressure mounted. Mia had brought more evidence—photos, tapes, and recordings—that they had to organize before they could make their next move.

As they sifted through the material, the tension between them simmered beneath the surface. Every glance, every accidental touch, felt charged with an unspoken intensity. The room was small, and the air between them grew thick with more than just the weight of their mission.

"Do you ever think about what happens after this?" Mia asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

Ethan paused, looking up at her. "What do you mean?"

"After we take Oscar down. What happens to us? To you?"

He hadn't let himself think that far ahead. The fight with Oscar had consumed every waking moment, but now, with Mia's question hanging in the air, he realized how uncertain the future really was. "I guess… I go back to trying to build my career. Whatever's left of it after this scandal."

Mia's eyes softened. "You'll make it, Ethan. You're too talented not to."

Her words warmed him, but there was something else in her gaze, something that hinted at more than just professional respect. "And you?" he asked, his voice quiet. "What happens to you after all this?"

Mia hesitated, then looked away. "I don't know. I spent so long trying to survive in Oscar's world, I never thought about what came after. But… lately, I've been thinking about things I didn't think I would."

Ethan's pulse quickened. He knew what she was hinting at—he had felt it too. The connection between them had grown deeper than either of them had expected, but they were both too cautious, too afraid to admit it.

He took a breath, gathering his courage. "Mia… About what you said last night. About us—"

Before he could finish, a knock on the door startled them both. They exchanged a quick, alarmed glance, and Ethan moved cautiously toward the door, peering through the peephole.

It was Leo.

Ethan opened the door, and Leo strode in, his expression serious. "We've got a problem."

"What now?" Mia asked, tension creeping back into her voice.

Leo threw a tablet down on the table, the screen displaying another headline:

**"Ethan Cross's Secret Dealings with Industry Leaders—Is He Just as Corrupt as Oscar?"**

Ethan stared at the screen in disbelief. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a smear campaign," Leo said grimly. "Oscar's pulling every string he has. He's making it look like you're in on the corruption, that you've been part of his schemes all along."

Mia paled, and Ethan's stomach dropped. Oscar was playing dirty, twisting the truth to frame Ethan as the villain. If they didn't act fast, his career would be over—and so would their chances of exposing Oscar.

"We need to release the evidence," Mia said, her voice urgent. "Now."

Ethan nodded, his mind racing. They were running out of time. If they didn't strike back soon, everything they had worked for would crumble. But as the pressure mounted, so did the realization that their battle wasn't just about taking down Oscar anymore. It was about survival, about protecting each other from the storm that was closing in around them.

And in the midst of it all, their growing feelings threatened to complicate everything.

As they prepared to make their next move, Ethan couldn't help but wonder: Could they take down Oscar before the rumors destroyed them both? And what would be left of their lives—and their relationship—when the dust finally settled?

The drama was far from over, and neither was the danger.