Alexander's POV:
The headlines glare back at me like an open wound.
> Alexander Hale publicly confesses he's bisexual—shares an intimate photo with a man!
My breath catches. The screen flickers, showing my name again and again, my face blurred beside a stranger's body.
I snatch my phone from the floor, heart pounding. The post is still there—my own account, my own words, my own shame. A photo I never took. I delete it instantly, but the damage is already done. Screenshots, headlines, whispers— all spreading like wildfire.
My reflection glares back from the black screen, pale and furious. "You clever little devil…" I whisper. My hand clenches around the phone until it creaks.
Last night rushes back—his voice, his eyes, that damned glass of wine. I'd thought I was the one in control. Turns out, I was the prey.
I pace the room like a caged animal, yanking on my shirt, my tie, anything to feel composed again. The phone rings—Serena's voice cuts like a blade.
