Chapter 7: A Tabloid Frenzy

Chapter 7: A Tabloid Frenzy

The paparazzi were relentless. Sophie’s morning routine had turned into a daily obstacle course, dodging flashing cameras, invasive questions, and the occasional too-bold journalist trying to get a direct quote from her. The headlines were everywhere—speculation about her mystery man, theories about a secret romance, and whispers of a scandal brewing. Every time she scrolled through social media, her name was trending, and every magazine stand displayed covers with blurry, hastily snapped photos of her and Jake together, accompanied by sensationalized captions: Sophie Carter’s Secret Romance! Mystery Man Caught Leaving Her Apartment! Hollywood’s Golden Girl, Tarnished?

She couldn't go anywhere without hearing about it. Even at the café she frequented, the barista handed her coffee with a knowing smile. "On the house today, Ms. Carter. Looks like you're having a rough week."

Every interaction felt loaded. Her makeup artist subtly raised an eyebrow as she powdered Sophie’s face before a photoshoot. Her director made an offhand joke about needing Jake as her next co-star. The whispers followed her onto set, into meetings, onto social media, and even into her private life, leaving her with no space to breathe.

Her manager, Ava, had called her five times before noon, each conversation more frantic than the last. “Sophie, we need to get ahead of this. You need to either deny it outright or spin it into something marketable. Maybe a fake relationship angle? The studio would love that—gives you buzz before your next film.”

Sophie pinched the bridge of her nose, already exhausted from the constant media circus. “I’m not faking a relationship for publicity, Ava.”

Ava groaned. “Then at least get him to lay low. The press is going to start digging into his life, and if there’s anything scandalous, it’s going to reflect on you.”

That was what worried her most. She barely knew Jake outside of their brief encounters, and yet now, he was being dragged into her world, his privacy compromised because of a single night that should never have become public knowledge. She imagined journalists tracking him down, asking questions, throwing his name into online searches to unearth his past. He hadn’t signed up for any of this.

She sighed and hung up, staring at her phone for a long moment before making the inevitable call. It rang twice before Jake answered, his voice as easygoing as ever. “Didn’t know I was dating a celebrity,” he teased before she could even get a word in.

Sophie exhaled sharply, pacing across her apartment. “Jake, this isn’t funny.”

“It’s a little funny.”

“This could ruin everything for me.”

There was a beat of silence. When he spoke again, his voice was softer, more serious. “Then maybe we should stop this before it gets worse.”

Sophie stopped pacing, her grip tightening on the phone. The logical thing would be to agree, to cut ties, let the media cycle run its course and move on. But the words sat on her tongue, unspoken. The thought of walking away from him, from whatever this connection was, made her chest ache in a way she didn’t quite understand.

And that terrified her.

She heard Jake sigh on the other end. “Look, I don’t want to mess up your life, Sophie. But I also don’t regret meeting you. So if you need me to disappear, say the word.”

Her heart clenched at the thought. “No,” she said, surprising even herself. “That’s not what I want.”

Another pause. Then, a quiet chuckle. “Guess we’re in this mess together, then.”

Sophie swallowed, staring at the headlines flashing on her phone screen. “Yeah,” she murmured. “I guess we are.”

As soon as she hung up, another call came in—Ava again. Sophie hesitated before answering.

“I hope you didn’t just do anything reckless,” Ava said without preamble.

Sophie rubbed her temple. “Define reckless.”

“You didn’t tell him to disappear, did you?”

“No.”

Ava groaned. “Sophie! I’m trying to fix this for you.”

“I know,” she said, voice softer. “But I don’t want to just throw him away like he’s a mistake. He’s not.”

Ava sighed. “Then let’s at least be smart about this. If you’re not going to deny it, we need to control the story. How do you feel about a strategic public sighting?”

Sophie closed her eyes. The thought of orchestrating her personal life for public consumption made her skin crawl. But at this point, was there even another option?

She glanced at her phone again, at Jake’s contact name on the screen. If they were in this together, she had to figure out how to protect them both.

Ava’s voice softened slightly. “Listen, Sophie. The truth doesn’t matter to the public. The only thing that matters is the story we tell them. We can either let them write it for us or take control of it ourselves.”

Sophie knew Ava was right. If she didn’t take control, the tabloids would twist the narrative into something far worse. A fabricated scandal, a betrayal, a reputation-destroying drama. She took a deep breath and sighed. “Fine. What’s the plan?”

Ava exhaled in relief. “Good. We’ll set up a dinner. Somewhere discreet but visible enough that the press gets what they want. You two have a quiet, friendly conversation, and we let them think whatever they want to think.”

Sophie hesitated. “You really think that’ll work?”

“It’s worked for every other Hollywood couple in history,” Ava said dryly. “We just need to make it look casual and controlled.”

As much as she hated it, Sophie knew there was no way out of this. She tapped her fingers against her desk, her anxiety growing. “I’ll talk to Jake.”

Ava’s voice was firm. “Do more than talk, Sophie. Convince him.”

Sophie hung up and stared at her phone screen. Could she really drag Jake deeper into this world? He had already been thrown into chaos just by association with her. How much more could he take before he decided she wasn’t worth the trouble?

She didn’t know. And that uncertainty was the scariest part of all.