Kai’s POV
“KAI ALESSANDRO SPOTTED WITH HIS ALLEGED GIRLFRIEND AT A LOCAL RESTAURANT IN NYC” i read nonchalantly. I glanced at the picture of Amelia and I and scoffed. I need to find the bastard who took these photos and ask whoever it was to upload a better photo of me. how could they take ugly pictures of me and post them online? What would it cost them to hire a professional photographer? This was bad, not for me, but for amelia, my rivals might think we are really dating and might want to use her to get to me. but atleast, every man would stay clear from her since everyone thinks we’re dating. I wonder if she has seen the news though, if she has, she should be on her way to my office by now. A knock came on my door, disrupting my thoughts.
“come in” i said, expecting amelia, but a wave of disappointment washed over me when i saw Anastacia walk in. why was she here and who let her in?
“hey, kai! Can i sit? You look like you’re very busy today” she said with a smile while standing in front of me
“you are already in now, you can as well have your seat” i said with a sigh. She walked past the visitor’s chair which was opposite me and sat on my desk, facing me.
“i never said you could sit on my table” i said while she gave me an annoying smile that made me want to kick her out, but i wouldn’t, for the sake of the alliance between our family and the fact that her family has been really helpful to me.
“i saw the news online, so, i decided to come check on you” she started, completely ignoring what i had just told her “i know it must be really hard for you, and i know it is definitely a rumor. You don’t have to worry because my father already contacted the media house and asked them to take it down” she said, probably feeling proud of herself.
“why did you get involve? Do you have a problem minding your own business?” i asked, finally glancing at her for the first time since she entered the office. I didn’t remember asking her for help, and i definitely do not know why she took it down, is she expecting me get on my knees and appreciate her?
“because i know it isn’t true, kai. Most of these journalist and media houses are very desperate and would go to any extent to make money even if it involves publishing fake news” she said getting too close for my liking
“what makes you think it isn’t true” i asked
“well, i know you too well, kai. You wouldn’t want to commit to just one person for the rest of your life” she said leaning in closer, her voice dropping in a seductive tone
"well, the allegation is in fact true" I said, my tone flat as I looked her squarely in the eye.
To my surprise, instead of recoiling in shock or disbelief, Anastacia burst into laughter, her laughter filling the room. "Oh, Kai, you always know how to make me laugh," she said between giggles, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“even though you two are really dating, i’ll want to believe you are only using her to kill time, it’s okay. I totally understand” she said as her hands went for her button and she slowly began taking of her shirt
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked with irritation in my voice as I pushed back from my desk, putting some distance between us.
Anastacia simply laughed, her movements deliberate as she continued to unbutton her shirt. "come on, Kai. We both know you're not the type to turn down a good time," she purred, her tone dripping with seduction as her right hand reached out to me, but i grabbed it halfway before it could touch me
"put your shirt back on and leave when you’re done or i’ll have to call the guards to escort you outside," I ordered, smacking her hands away and leaving my chair, i was about heading towards the door to leave when the door went open and amelia walked it. Her eyes glistened in shock as she stared at Anastacia who was still sitting on my desk with her shirt off
Shit! Why does she have to show up now? And how to i make her believe that it wasn’t what she thinks it is?
My brain went numb as i stared at her in shock, i really wanted to say something, but i just couldn’t find the right words. She blinked severally as she stared at Anastacia and back to me.
“Don’t you think you should give your boss the courtesy of knocking before entering?” Anastacia said with a smile, snapping Amelia out of her thoughts
“uhmm…. I’m sorry, i’ll just excuse you two” Amelia stuttered, disappointment evident in her voice as she turned around to leave
“Amelia…..” i said, but she quickly walked out, ignoring me. i turned around only to see Anastacia who was grinning ear to ear as she puts her shirt back on. It’ll only take one shot for me to end her fucking life, but it comes at a cost that i cannot afford. My hands folded in a fist as i watched her grin get wider.
“what? It wasn’t my fault that you failed to teach your staff proper etiquette of knocking before entering. I’ll see you at the event” she said with a wink as she picked up her purse and was about walking past me when i grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
“if you still value your life, stay away from Amelia and don’t ever bother her?” i warned, but then again, she smiled, as though, all of these was a joke to her
 “what if i do, what will you…..
“get out and shut the door” i interrupted before she could complete whatever bullshit statement she was about making.
 
Amelia’s POV
As I hurriedly made my way back to my room, my mind kept on replaying the scene I had just witnessed over and over again. The image of Anastacia sitting on Kai's desk with her shirt off. I wasn’t mad that he was busy fucking other women, i was just mad that he wouldn’t even let me talk to other men, yet, he does whatever he wants and still acts like a saint. It was just so unfair, if he was free to have a relationship with other women, then why can’t I?
My steps faltered as I reached my room, my hand instinctively reaching up to my face, but as my fingers brushed against my cheek, I realized with a start that I was already crying. Why the fuck was i crying? There was no way i was crying over jerk like him.
I sank down onto the edge of my bed, anger brewing within me when i heard a soft knock on the door.
“go away” i said aloud, automatically assuming that it was kai.
To my surprise, the door creaked open slowly, revealing Natasha standing in the doorway, her expression concerned as she looked at me. I quickly wiped away the tears that still lingered on my cheeks as i got on my feet.
"Amelia, Are you okay?" Natasha asked softly, her voice filled with genuine concern as she stepped into the room.
I forced a small smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a long day at work, you know?" I replied, my voice sounding hollow even to my own ears.
Natasha walked up to me and pulled me in a warm hug, patting my back slowly.
“it’s okay, i understand how hard it is for you right now. I also saw the news this morning and rushed to come check on you” she said patting my back gently
"Thank you, Natasha," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper
“you shouldn’t worry about what people say about you, i know this might be difficult, but ignore the negative comments. For now, i and kai are working on finding who shared the photos online” she said pulling back slightly and holding my hands
I nodded, forcing a smile as i answered, “i am fine, Natasha. I know this is just a phase. It’ll only be a matter of time before people completely forget about it” i said, although, that was only a lie that i told myself to put my mind at ease. Natasha nodded with a tight smile as she let go of me and sat on the bed. The silence stretched for a while before she finally spoke.
“i saw what happened at the ball, i apologize for kai’s attitude. He was only jealous” she said while my brow arched in confusion
“and why would he be jealous? We aren’t even dating” i asked. Kai has no reason to be jealous of whoever i hang out with, if anything, i think he is only being possessive of me for no reason or just trying to provoke me.
Natasha gave me a small smile before answering, “he likes you, isn’t it obvious?” she said, sending a wave of shock through me. My brain went blank as i struggled to make sense of the situation.
How is that even possible?
 There was no way kai actually likes me.
“then, who is the blonde who is always with him?” i asked finally finding my voice. They looked like they were pretty close at the ball, and with all that has happened lately, i can’t help but conclude that they might actually be dating. i don’t like her but i would be lying to myself if i say i don’t find her pretty. Natasha stared at me in confusion as she tried to figure out who i was talking about, kai mentioned her name once to me but i couldn’t remember
“are you talking about Anastacia?” she asked, finally realizing who i was talking about
“yes, i think that’s her name” i answered quickly, desperately waiting for her response
“oh…” Natasha said as she blinked severally, realization washing over her “well, there is nothing between Anastacia and kai. She’s like an annoying fly that kai can’t get rid of because of the alliance between her father and our father. But you shouldn’t worry about her” Natasha said, while i let out a breath that i never thought i had been holding.
“i don’t know why i felt relieved hearing that” i said with a smile
Natasha returned my smile with a reassuring one of her own. "i know this probably sounds selfish of me, but i think you should really give kai a chance. He might seem cold and distant, but i promise, he’s not as cold as you think” Natasha said, her voice filled with sincerity.
I stared at Natasha, processing her words carefully. The idea of giving Kai a chance seemed absurd to me, considering everything that had transpired between us. I’ll be an idiot to even consider that, but i nodded anyways, playing it off nicely.
********
It was already 7:00pm, and i and kai were on our way to a hotel for a business meeting, Carlos was driving while i and kai were both seated at the passenger’s seat. The car was awkwardly silent as kai stared out the window while i was busy scrolling through my phone and feeding myself with the hate comments I’ve been getting since the start of the day. My face was all over the internet and was already getting dragged for allegedly dating kai, it was just so unfair because no one was talking about kai, i was the only one getting dragged. There were even claims that i was the desperate one trying so hard to be seen with kai for the sake of clouts. This is absurd, because what woman in her right state of mind will be proud of being seen with a man like kai in public.
“me? a gold digger? …..bunch of idiots!” i half whispered with a scoff as i went through all of the comments which was 98% about me
Kai glanced at me in silence, although, he hadn’t said a word since we got into the car, i had a feeling that he wanted to say something. The silence stretched on for a while before kai finally spoke.
“you need to get off the internet for a while” he said after a while
I turned to look at him upon hearing him speak, he looked so unbothered, probably because he doesn’t have anything to worry about.
"this is just so unfair, we were seen together at a local restaurant, so we should definitely be dragged together. I don’t get why i’m the only one getting all the hate" I muttered, my voice laced with frustration as I glanced at Kai, hoping for some form of acknowledgment. But he remained silent, his gaze fixed on the passing scenery.
"It's just words," Kai finally spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "Ignore them."
I sighed, feeling a pang of disappointment, “"Ignore them?" I echoed, my tone raising. "Easy for you to say. You're not the one being torn apart by the media and the public."
Kai turned to look at me, his eyes unreadable. "You knew what you were getting yourself into when you decided to eat at a one-dollar public restaurant." he said bluntly.
I went silent at his words, feeling a surge of anger rising within me. maybe he was right, maybe i really did sign up for this after all. What was i thinking when i decided to dine in at a public restaurant with someone like kai? Rumours about him are being posted every day on the internet by bloggers, and journalists are always all up in his business, looking for rumours to spread about him.
“You still have the chance to go back, you don’t have to come with me if you don’t want you. it’ll save you from having to explain yourself to anyone, this is just a phase, everyone will get over it soon” kai stated, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. After a long ride, we finally arrived at an hotel, it was a bit too, crowded, at first i was hesitant to step out, but after seeing kai and Carlos step out, i also follow suit.
As soon as we stepped out of the car, a swarm of journalists crowded around us, their cameras flashing and microphones thrusting towards us. I felt a wave of discomfort wash over me as the reporters bombarded us with intrusive and personal questions, particularly me. i don’t know if i was just overthinking the event or i really was their main target.
Kai's guards who had already arrived earlier before us, attempted to keep the journalists at bay, but they struggled to hold them back as the crowd pressed closer. Kai, ahead of me, walked away without a backward glance, seemingly indifferent to the chaos unfolding behind him. He seemed to have accustomed his self with situations like this.
Feeling overwhelmed, I tried to follow Kai's lead, but I found myself lagging behind as the journalists closed in around me. Before I knew it, I was surrounded, with cameras and microphones thrust in my face.
“ma’am, people claimed that you tried to seduce your boss to make him date you, just to get out of poverty, is that true?” one of the journalist asked, putting her mic in my face. Her question threw me off. These people knew nothing about me, so how did they even know about my financial situation and what makes them think they can call me ‘poor’. My eyes wandered around in search of kai but i figured out that i was all on my own when i could no longer find him.
“uhmmm…” i started, in an attempt to answer them “ no, it is not…..
But before i could finish, another journalist asked another question that completely threw me o
ff, “people claimed that you are only with kai because you plan on making him pay for your +mother’s surgery, how true is that?” he asked, and my brain and entire body froze immediately. how did they know about my mother? Did they dig into my personal life?
I could take every backlash they throw at me, but not one that involves my mother. I thought i was strong enough to handle this alone, but i was wrong, i found myself completely lost of words and vulnerable in front of all the journalist. I stared down at the floor, not knowing what else to do or say. I was at the brink of crying, but i tried to hold back my tears, because what can be more embarrassing than crying on a national TV?
“ma’am, is it true that your mother has been admitted at a mental institution for the past 5 years?”
“is it true that you worked as a sex worker to raise money for your mother’s medication?”
“is kai really your new victim?”
Embarrassing questions after embarrassing questions, that was all i could hear. The questions were beginning to echo in my head. I felt the tears threatening to drop. Just when I least expected it, I felt a gentle hand grab mine. Startled, I looked up to see Kai standing beside me, his expression serious.
"Why did you stop moving? Keep moving and ignore them," Kai said firmly, his voice breaking into my thoughts as his warm hands gripped mine.
“As long as you hold unto me, nobody will bother you” he said as his left arm curled around my waist, pulling me closer as he led me through the crowd. His grip on my waist was reassuring, grounding me amidst the chaos.
With Kai by my side, I summoned the strength to continue moving forward, pushing through the throng of journalists. As we made our way towards the hotel entrance, a reporter managed to slip in one final question: "were you aware of her intentions when she approached you?"
Kai sighed as he stopped walking, the journalist somehow managed to strike a nerve with his last quetion . But instead of letting the reporter's question linger, he responded with a sharp retort. "she never approached me, i approached her first. I’d like everyone to stay out of our business if that’s not too much to ask for" he stated firmly, his voice leaving no room for argument.
“what?” i said in shock, my voice barely above a whisper. What does he mean by ‘our business’? was it so difficult to just tell them that the rumours about us dating is not true?
My mind went blank as he led me into the hotel lobby, his response to the journalist left me gobsmacked. I was so lost in thoughts that i didn’t realize when we reached the lobby.
“amelia” he called out, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts. I slowly turned to look at him, still in shock
“why did you make them believe we were dating? What if they found out that it was all a lie” i asked worriedly
Kai went silent for a while, as if rethinking his statement, but the next thing he said gave me the shock of my life
“well, it wouldn’t be a lie if we decide to make it a reality” he said