Scarlett's phone vibrated violently, a warning she couldn't ignore. Her stomach churned as she unlocked it.
Jackson was already beside her, eyes scanning the screen. "It's her," he said, voice low, tense. "Madison's back… and she's gone further."
Scarlett felt her heart sink. "How?"
He swiped, revealing a new video. Scarlett froze. Her pulse raced.
It wasn't just cropped footage this time. Madison had edited a compilation—clips stitched together to make it look like Scarlett had been manipulating Jackson for her own pleasure. The captions were cruel:
"Who really controls him? Who seduced him first? You decide."
Comments poured in like wildfire:
I can't believe this!
Jackson… are you serious?
Scarlett… how could you?
This is scandalous!
Scarlett's hands shook. "They'll believe it… they'll hate me."
Jackson took her hand, his grip fierce. "Not if we act now. We control the story, or she will."
Madison's game was no longer subtle. She had gone full exposure.
Scarlett turned to Jackson. "But how do we fight this? Public opinion is already against me."
Jackson's jaw tightened. "We fight fire with fire. But first… we need the truth."
Scarlett blinked. "What do you mean?"
"There's someone feeding her information about us," Jackson said grimly. "Someone you trust."
Scarlett's stomach sank. "What? Who?"
He shook his head. "We don't know yet. But whoever it is… they're going to regret it."
Hours passed as they tried to identify Madison's mole. Messages were intercepted, accounts traced, but the trail was cleverly hidden. Every step they took, Madison anticipated, twisting each move into fuel for her narrative.
Scarlett felt trapped, humiliated, and furious. But she also felt… something else. Desire. The heat of adrenaline mingled with Jackson's proximity, his hand brushing hers as they strategized.
"Stop," she whispered, stepping closer. "I can't… this tension is killing me."
Jackson's lips were inches from hers. "Good. You shouldn't be able to resist me. Not now. Not ever."
Their lips met briefly, stolen, heated, and full of promise. Scarlett's pulse spiked. Every nerve was alive. Every thought of Madison faded—except for the thrill of danger.
Then Madison struck again.
A live alert popped up.
"Going live now. Watch carefully. Secrets exposed, hearts broken."
Scarlett's stomach dropped. Jackson pulled her close, whispering in her ear. "We knew this would happen. But we control the next move. Trust me."
She nodded, biting her lip. Her pulse raced. Fear, desire, and adrenaline collided.
The live feed began. Madison was laughing, triumphant, showing manipulated clips, carefully cropped to create tension and mislead viewers. Comments exploded instantly.
Scarlett felt naked, every private glance, every stolen touch, every moment between her and Jackson laid bare for strangers to judge.
Jackson leaned close, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Ignore them. Focus on me. Focus on us."
She obeyed, feeling heat and longing she couldn't control. Her body pressed against his subtly, the contact intimate but not explicit—SE tension at its peak.
Halfway through the broadcast, the twist dropped. Madison revealed a leaked private conversation—Scarlett talking to her best friend about her feelings for Jackson.
Scarlett's stomach plummeted. Betrayal stung. Her eyes met Jackson's, wide with panic.
"I… I didn't think she'd—" Scarlett started.
Jackson silenced her with a finger to her lips. "It's okay. We knew it could happen. Now we turn it around. Together."
Madison's grin faltered slightly as Jackson stood tall, calm, commanding attention. He addressed the feed with calculated charm, redirecting the narrative subtly, making them look like confident, passionate, unstoppable.
Scarlett watched, heart hammering, pulse alive with excitement, fear, and lust. Every subtle touch, every lingering glance between them amplified tension.
By the end of the broadcast, Madison's plan had partially failed. Viewers were intrigued, not angry, and comments shifted to fascination and desire rather than judgment.
Jackson pulled Scarlett close in the quiet aftermath, brushing his lips across her temple. "We survived this. But it's not over."
Scarlett's chest heaved. "She won't stop."
Jackson's eyes glinted with danger and desire. "No. But we'll make her regret ever trying. And we'll do it together."
The final moment of the chapter: Scarlett's phone vibrates again. A text from Madison:
"You think you've won? The next move will destroy everything… and I'm watching. Live."
Scarlett froze, pulse racing.
Jackson wrapped his arms around her, lips grazing her neck. "You feel that? That's danger, Scarlett. And excitement. We're alive. And we're unstoppable. Are you ready?"
Scarlett shivered, the heat and fear mingling. "I… I'm ready."
The city outside glittered, innocent and unaware, but Scarlett knew—Madison's game was far from over.
And this time… the stakes were higher than ever.