Chapter Twenty-Six — Headlines & Heartlines
(Sienna's pov)
The morning light shouldn't have felt so heavy. My phone buzzed like it had a vendetta against me, screen lighting up with notifications I didn't even want to read.
It started slow: one tweet, then ten, then a thousand. Then Instagram, TikTok, YouTube… every app was a warzone. Axel. Anna. Me. Headlines screaming: "Pretty Girl Problems: Sienna Steals Axel From Anna?" "Cheating Scandal Rocks The Last Page Set!"
My fingers trembled as I scrolled. There it was. The picture. Axel, laughing, arm around a woman I barely recognized — a stylist, probably comforting him after some minor wardrobe mishap — yet the photo, cropped and angled, made it look… intimate. My stomach churned.
#AxelCheated
#PrettyGirlHeartbreak
#SiennaVsAnna
I threw myself onto the couch, ice cream tub practically forgotten. Ember was already in hyperdrive, pacing like a caffeinated tornado.
"SIS! They're calling it a scandal of the century! Everyone's choosing sides. Anna's fans are gloating. Axel's fans are panicking. And you… you're trending as the jealous 'pretty girl'! THIS IS EPIC!"
I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "It's not epic. It's… it's…" My voice broke. "It's everything I hate about this life."
"Everything? You've survived paparazzi, fans, viral edits… and now a staged scandal? Pretty girl, you're basically a superhero."
I gave her a look that could have frozen oceans. "I'm not a superhero. I'm a mess."
"Exactly why you need me to hype you up," Ember said firmly, plopping down beside me.
I didn't answer. My eyes were glued to the screen. More photos emerged: Axel's shoulder brushing against the stylist's, him laughing like nothing mattered. Comments spiraled: "Cheating confirmed!" "Anna wins!" "Pretty girl, cry harder!"
Somewhere deep inside, a little voice whispered: What if it's true?
I shoved the phone away, but the images burned themselves onto my retina.
Later, the producer called, voice calm but serious. "Sienna… everything is trending. We need to know how you want to handle it. The fans are… volatile. Axel's PR is holding back comments. You need to… brace yourself."
"Bracing myself doesn't fix anything," I muttered, staring at the ceiling.
I stepped outside for a breath of air, only to be greeted by flashing cameras and shouting voices. Paparazzi corners my apartment, microphones waving like weapons.
"Miss Everglow! Pretty girl! Axel's cheating!"
"Do you plan to confront him?"
"Is Anna really the reason for this scandal?"
I ducked my head, trying to escape, but the chaos followed me like a swarm. Fans streamed by, some yelling support, others clutching phones to document my every move.
Back inside, I collapsed on the couch again, hands trembling. The ice cream I'd been leaning on all morning now smeared on my lap. I stared at my phone. No missed calls. No texts. Axel hadn't reached out.
Pretty girl… don't panic. I'll explain.
A notification pinged. Another. None from him. My chest ached. My mind spun. Everything I'd just started to build — the concert, our date, our private moments — felt like a dream dissolving under the harsh light of cameras, headlines, and public opinion.
I curled into myself, pulling the blanket over my shoulders. Ember's voice tried to pierce through my fog.
"SIS! He's Axel! He's not cheating! He's…"
I held up a hand. "I don't care right now. I just… I need… space."
Her face fell, but she sat beside me, quiet. Even Ember knew when to let me sulk.
By nightfall, the city outside had dimmed, the neon glow of billboards painting my room in pink and blue. I scrolled one last time. There it was: thousands of reposts, edits, fan debates, and comments all spinning the story further out of control.
I sat in silence. Ice cream tub empty, spoon abandoned. Phone buzzing incessantly. Axel's number flashing… unanswered.
My heart ached. The world had built its story faster than I could catch my breath.
And all I could do was wait.
Wait for him. Wait for the truth.
Wait to see if our private world — the one stolen kisses, whispered pretty girls, and quiet moments of real connection — could survive the firestorm outside.
Because right now… it felt like the headlines might swallow everything.