Chapter 5 – Wake-Up Call 

The internet had no chill.

Nathaniel Knight was still trending, and the memes were getting wilder by the hour.

But Nathaniel? Blissfully unaware.

He was deep in sleep, tangled in his silk sheets, dreaming of—well, something undoubtedly self-indulgent. Maybe a vacation on a private island, a yacht party, or a world where his father didn't breathe down his neck every five seconds.

Then, like an uninvited storm, Olivia burst into his room.

"Rise and shine, Prince of Scandals!"

Nathaniel groaned, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow.

"Go away."

Olivia yanked the curtains open, flooding the room with sunlight like a villain in an old-school vampire movie. "No can do, Sleeping Beauty. You have a packed schedule today, and unfortunately for you, I am your fairy godmother of punctuality."

He squinted against the harsh light, throwing an arm over his face. "Can't you be a silent fairy godmother?"

Olivia ignored him and waved her phone in front of his barely-open eyes. "Care to explain why your name is still trending at number one? Because, buddy, the internet is having a field day with your 'Knight of Sin' title."

Nathaniel cracked one eye open and sighed. "Let me guess—more memes?"

"Oh, you bet," Olivia smirked, scrolling. "My favorite is the one where someone photoshopped you onto a romance novel cover. 'The Billionaire Bad Boy Who Stole My Heart—And My Dignity.' Classic."

Nathaniel exhaled loudly and finally sat up, running a hand through his messy hair. "Okay, okay, I'm up. What's on the agenda?"

Olivia crossed her arms. "First? Damage control. Second? A meeting with your new 'girlfriend,' Diana Reed. You remember, the woman you roped into this mess?"

Nathaniel stretched lazily. "Right. That's today?"

"Wow, the dedication," Olivia deadpanned. "Yes, genius. Today. Lunch meeting. You, her, and me making sure you don't ruin this before it even begins."

Nathaniel groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "Remind me why I agreed to this?"

"Because if you don't, your father is going to bench you from Hollywood and throw you into corporate purgatory," Olivia reminded him cheerfully. "Now, shower, suit up, and act like a man who can hold down a relationship for three months."

Nathaniel sighed dramatically but finally swung his legs out of bed. "Fine, but if I suffer, you suffer."

Olivia patted his shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart, I've been suffering since the day I started working for you."

Nathaniel smirked. "You love me."

Olivia pointed toward the bathroom. "Shower. Now."

Nathaniel chuckled, heading toward the bathroom, already dreading what the rest of the day had in store.