Jayden hadn't left his apartment in days.
The curtains stayed closed. His guitar lay untouched in the corner. His phone buzzed nonstop with hate messages, but he didn't dare look.
Coward.
Failure.
Abandoned his own blood.
Every word sliced deeper.
Max tried to cheer him up, bringing food and jokes, but even he grew worried. "Bro, this isn't you. You're letting them win."
Jayden's voice was hollow. "Maybe they should win. Maybe I was never supposed to make it this far anyway."
Meanwhile, Luna was fighting a war of her own.
Star Entertainment had cut her from several projects. Fans boycotted her new single. Tabloids called her "The Star Who Fell for Trash."
Her manager pleaded again: "Luna, it's not too late. Cut ties. Say you were manipulated. Save yourself."
But Luna's reply was ice-cold. "The only thing I regret is not finding him sooner."
That night, Luna marched to Jayden's apartment. She banged on the door until he opened it, pale and exhausted.
"Jayden, look at me." Her voice shook with fury. "You think hiding in the dark will fix anything? You think Ethan wanted this? That your mother wants this? That I want this?"
He flinched. "Luna—"
"No!" Tears filled her eyes. "I don't care how much the world hates you. I don't care about your past. You are not allowed to give up on yourself. Not while I'm here."
Her hand cupped his cheek, forcing him to meet her gaze. "I'm not leaving. So either stand up and fight with me… or watch me fight alone."
Something cracked inside him.
For years, he carried guilt like chains. But here she was—willing to burn her entire career for him, refusing to let go.
Slowly, his hand rose to cover hers.
"I don't deserve you," he whispered.
"Too bad," she said fiercely. "You've got me anyway."
Across the city, Crystal watched the live broadcast of Luna's latest fan meeting, where Luna openly defended him again.
Crystal's teeth clenched. "Why won't she break? Why won't he disappear?"
Her assistant hesitated. "Ma'am… maybe it's time to let this go. People are starting to sympathize with them. The more you push…"
Crystal's glare could cut glass. "No. If they want a fight—then I'll give them one they'll never forget."
She pulled up her phone. A final card left to play.
A secret… not about Jayden.
But about Luna.
End of Episode Eight part one
The Secret of the Star
For weeks, Crystal's plan had been to destroy Jayden.
But Luna refused to let him fall.
So Crystal turned her aim at the girl herself.
One morning, the headlines exploded with a new scandal.
"LUNA PARK LIED ABOUT HER PAST."
"THE STAR'S FAMILY SECRET EXPOSED!"
On every screen, a leaked document appeared—Luna's trainee records.
It revealed what no one had known: Luna hadn't come from a glamorous family. She had been the daughter of a struggling single mother, working multiple jobs just to afford her singing lessons.
And worse… footage leaked of Luna, years ago, cleaning tables at a small diner while secretly humming into a mop handle.
The captions were merciless:
"She faked her rich-girl image."
"She lied to climb the ladder."
"Is she even worthy of being a star?"
At Star Entertainment, chaos erupted. Sponsors demanded explanations. Her manager nearly fainted.
"You're finished, Luna! They'll never forgive you for this lie!"
But Luna stood still, trembling—but not breaking. "It wasn't a lie. It was survival."
Jayden, seeing the news, felt rage like fire in his chest. For once, it wasn't his shame on trial—it was hers. And yet… she faced it with the same courage she'd shown for him.
He clenched his fists. "She defended me. Now it's my turn."
That night, Luna was dragged onstage for a press conference, flashes blinding her as reporters shouted questions.
"Luna! Did you hide your past to look perfect?"
"Are you ashamed of where you came from?"
"Do you admit you lied to your fans?"
Luna opened her mouth—then froze.
But suddenly, a voice rang out from the back of the hall.
"No. She never lied. She survived."
Every head turned. It was Jayden—walking forward, guitar in hand, eyes blazing.
He climbed onstage, took the mic, and faced the storm.
"You all want the truth? Fine. Luna Park isn't perfect. She's better. She came from nothing, and still fought to shine. She didn't climb over people—she climbed over pain. And if that's a crime, then punish me too, because I love her for it."
Gasps exploded. The word love echoed through the hall like a bomb.
Luna's eyes widened, tears spilling as Jayden's hand found hers.
The press conference had just turned into a confession.
Back in her penthouse, Crystal smashed her glass of wine against the floor.
"No, no, no!" she hissed. "They were supposed to break. Not grow stronger!"
But her assistant whispered, almost afraid: "Ma'am… maybe love is the one scandal they can't kill."
Crystal's face hardened, her fury cold as ice. "Then I'll just have to destroy their love itself."
End of Episode Eight