Chapter 5 - Chapter Five:The unexpected threat

Victoria sat near the window, the bright city lights a sharp contrast to the weight in the pit of her stomach. In the last several days, she had hardly any time to herself; every new headline appeared to pull her deeper into a web she had not signed up for. Without thinking, she grabbed her phone when it buzzed on the coffee table. It was a text from her agency friend: "Victoria, check the news. Your "relationship" just hit the fan. Opening the news app, a sinking sensation seized her chest. The headline shouted at her: "Billionaire Andrew Sinclair's Fiancée Caught in Cheating Scandal!" Her heart ceased beating. The photograph that went with the piece was a manipulated one of her and a guy, someone she didn't even know, standing far too close at an event she somewhat recalled. A shiver ran up her back. This couldn't possibly be real. This was a scheme. The door to the penthouse opened with a quick click, catching her off guard. Andrew entered, his gaze sweeping the space before settling on her. He didn't even have to look at her phone to know what had occurred. He could sense the change in the surroundings. "This was no accident," Andrew continued, his voice harsher than she had ever heard it. He approached her, close enough for her to sense the tension emanating from his body. Someone is tugging the strings behind this. Victoria's thoughts raced. Caught in a storm, the eye of the storm was a guy she couldn't understand. "What now?" she questioned, almost inaudibly. She wanted quick solutions as she was in need of them. Andrew's eyes widened and his jaw clenched. We learn who is behind this and ensure they regret it. A growing feeling of dread mixed with frenetic meetings and phone calls filled the following few hours. Staring out at the skyline, Andrew walked the apartment, hands clutching the back of a chair. Victoria couldn't help but see how tightly wrapped he was; every muscle in his body coiled with a tension she could sense throughout the room. You don't believe this is only a random assault, do you? Victoria enquired, shattering the stillness. "No," Andrew said tersely. Turning to face her, he focused his gaze sharply. Someone close to us is engaged. Someone with access to all, our every action, every utterance. Her throat parched, Victoria swallowed. "But who?" It might be anyone. It might be anyone around you. Your business. Your sibling… Langston's name evoked a deeper flare in Andrew's eyes, one Victoria had not witnessed. "I don't trust my brother," he said under his breath, more to himself than to her. Though this has nothing to do with him. This is more significant. Whoever is behind this knows precisely how to harm me. You and you. Victoria's heart ached. She wished to believe in this, to trust him. But everything was happening too quickly and she was being pulled along lacking any genuine knowledge of what was going on. What shall we do? Andrew's stare toughened; for a short while, she witnessed his frigid determination. "We're being played," he continued softly, his words tinged with resentment. I mean to discover who controls the strings. Victoria shivered. She didn't want to participate in whatever game this was. But she already was; the more she resisted, the more she was pulled in. In the days after the scandal, the media frenzy had only grown. Reporters swarmed outside Andrew's penthouse, pursuing them at every turn, taking pictures, and yelling questions. Victoria couldn't even stroll down the corridor without being pursued by flashing cameras. The world had abruptly turned into a prison of their own design. Sitting in the living room, she fingered tremblingly over her phone's most recent news. Though the pieces differed, the narrative remained: Victoria Harrington, the fallen journalist turned fiancée, caught in a scandal with a mystery man. The media's murmurs, the public's inquisitive gaze, all grew intolerable. Andrew entered the room dressed in well fitted suit but with stormy eyes, the burden of all things bearing down on him. "We have to steer the story," he remarked tersely standing in front of her. I'm announcing a news conference. Victoria gazed up at him, the force of his words striking her like a bodily blow. You believe that will end this? You believe a news conference will make any difference? Andrew's face remained unchanged. "It will let us control some things. They seek a narrative. We provide them one. We reclaim what belongs to us. The doorbell rang before she could answer. Turning to face her, Andrew's expression tightened. "Remain here." Allow me to take care of this. Victoria, however, was not going to sit back. Her phone rang once more as Andrew departed to get ready for the press conference. A fresh note. Reading the words made her stomach plummet. Someone wishes us to fail. The message's weight, more than anything before, descended upon her. Staring at the bright screen, she came to the bone-chilling realisation that there was no way out of this. Victoria stood on the balcony's edge, wind pulling at her hair as she gazed out over the cityscape. Its size staggering, the metropolis lay before her like a labyrinth of lights. Trying to make sense of all that had occurred, she found nothing logical. The phoney engagement, the media circus, and now the growing conflict between her and Andrew; it was all getting rather real. The door behind her opened; she didn't have to turn to know who it was. His quick strides slicing the quiet, Andrew's presence filled the room like a hurricane. "We have to do this correctly," he stated quietly yet forcefully. He ordered, not asked or requested. Victoria felt his stare searing into her from across the room rather than turning to face him. What do you mean? You believe this still a game? His voice had the same frigid edge she had become accustomed to, but now there was something more. More pressing. "I never thought it was a game," she said, her voice strained from trying to keep it together. "But everything's getting out of hand." Andrew moved closer; his presence was overwhelming. We can only now turn this become reality. The media is keeping an eye on us. And I will be damned if they destroy us before we have even begun. Moving to stand next to her, he brushed his shoulder against hers. Though faint, the touch let her feel it flow through her. "We'll make them believe this or they'll wipe us both out." Victoria's heart raced. She had no idea what he meant by demolish, but the horror in his eyes made it obvious he wasn't joking any more. This was no longer merely a transaction. It was existence. She started to speak in protest, but the words stuck in her throat. What could she speak? She was already far too deep in this. Too deep into this with him. The press conference was approaching, and Victoria felt its weight on her shoulders like a vice. Andrew stood beside her, his hand resting lightly on her lower back, a motion that seemed all too natural. The cameras flashed; the reporters' voices were silenced in her brain. Every word she spoke seemed rehearsed, every action she took deliberate. This was about playing a part in Andrew's universe, not about seeking justice. The atmosphere was too hot, the lights too bright, and she could not breathe beneath the pressure of the public's stare. His eyes roving the throng, Andrew's face a mask of control, she looked at him. He was in his element; nothing bothered him. But what about her? She felt as though she were waiting for the earth under her to collapse, teetering on the verge of a cliff. Whispering to him, her voice nearly drowned in the surrounding commotion, she said, "What happens when the six months are up?" She found herself enquiring. Andrew's eyes darted to hers; for a brief moment, the mask fell off. There she saw something, perhaps vulnerability? He said, his voice low and firm, "We'll work it out when the time comes." But his eyes held something that contradicted his words. The falsehood hung between them, thick and oppressive. He was attempting to control everything, not only his reputation. And she was slipping directly into his control. A new text appeared on her phone before she could think on it any further. "The game is far from over and you're being watched." Her stomach sank. Before Andrew's fingers tightened on her back, drawing her closer, she hardly had time to respond. He whispered in her ear. We are in this together. Remember not to forget that. Victoria could only nod, her pulse pounding with understanding as she saw she was stuck and the only way out was to continue acting the part.