Act

Gina’s POV

I pressed accept.

“Gina,” his voice came sharp, low, and full of fury. “What the hell have you done?”

I stayed quiet, gripping the phone tightly.

“You’ve ruined me,” he hissed. “Do you have any idea what kind of damage this has caused? Prime Entertainment’s PR team is breathing down my neck. Reporters are calling nonstop. You need to fix this—now.”

“Why?” I asked in an indifferent voice. Ethan didn’t dare deny the transfer because he was afraid I’d release the evidence proving it.

“Don’t push your luck. We had an agreement. You’ll go online and clarify,” he warned, his voice cold.

“I didn’t post anything,” I said quietly. “It was an accident someone noticed the alert during the livestream.”

“I don’t care!” he snapped. “You’ll go online, you’ll say it wasn’t me, and you’ll apologize for dragging my name into this mess.”

My chest tightened. “And if I don’t?”

Ethan’s tone dropped, colder now. “Then I’ll ruin you. Completely. You think you’ve seen hate? Wait until I show the world what you really are. You’ll never get a job again. Your mother won’t even be able to stay in that hospital once I’m done.”

My hand trembled, but I forced my voice to stay steady. “She just came out of surgery. Don’t you dare involve her in this.”

“Then fix it, Gina,” he said, his voice turning dangerously calm. “You have one hour.”

I burst into a fit of laughter after he ended the call. I almost felt sorry for myself—for ever loving a man like him but I wasn’t stupid. Ethan never planned to give me a way out. And now, he even dared to threaten my mother. Fortunately I have clicked the record button as soon as I answered the call.

I logged into my account and posted the phone call recording. Although he hadn’t admitted to being the one who sent the money, our conversation was enough to raise more speculation.

“Please, leave my mother out of this. She just had surgery.” I captioned the recording.

As expected, within minutes the post exploded. The speculation was everywhere, and people started calling Ethan out to give an official response.

Even though I hadn’t mentioned his name directly, anyone could recognize his voice.

 “What agreement does Ethan have with Gina?”

“No matter what, he shouldn’t threaten her sick mother.”

“Could Ethan really be this cold-blooded?”

“Why does she have to fix it? I smell a hidden story.”

“My love Ethan, I’ll never believe anything this liar says. Come out and deny it—we’ll believe you!”

A lot of people still defended him, calling me manipulative and desperate, but I didn’t care. That recording was my shield. With it, my mother could stay in the hospital safely—at least for now.

Seeing that I had achieved what I needed, I turned on Do Not Disturb, dropped my phone on the bedside table, and finally let myself drift off to sleep.

A soft knock woke me the next morning.

I rubbed my eyes, still groggy, and called out, “Come in.”

I expected a nurse or the doctor making rounds, but when the door opened, my breath caught.

Roland Williams.

The same man who had knocked me down two nights ago.

Just like yesterday when he came to visit, he was sharply dressed in a tailored black suit—calm, composed, and authoritative. But this time, there was something different about him. Yesterday, he had seemed kind and approachable; today, he looked calm and calculated.

“Miss Gina,” he greeted, his tone smooth and professional. “Good morning.”

I blinked, trying to make sense of why he was here again. He’d already paid my hospital bill and left his card, asking me to call if I needed anything. So, his sudden visit was strange.

He stepped Inside, closing the door behind him. “I didn’t introduce myself properly when we met yesterday. I’m Roland Williams, the new Public Relations Manager for Prime Entertainment.”

The words hit harder than I expected. I sat up straighter, my voice cooling. “So, you were sent by Ethan.”

I didn’t know why that revelation made me uncomfortable.

He gave a polite nod. “I came on behalf of Prime Entertainment to resolve the current… misunderstanding before it escalates further.”

“Too late for that,” I muttered. Ethan had used me for three years and ruined my reputation. Even if I knew I might not win, I was unwilling to surrender.

Roland approached the table beside my bed and neatly set down a folder. “We’re prepared to offer a settlement. In exchange, you’ll make a public clarification that the money transfer had nothing to do with Ethan Cole; that it was a private transaction misunderstood by the public. As for the recording, he’ll admit calling you, but only because he was angry. You’ll say your mother is safe and that it was all a misunderstanding. Once that’s done, the company will ensure your name is cleared from trending topics.”

I let out a soft, humorless laugh. “How generous.”

“The amount offered,” he continued evenly, “matches the sum you received—five hundred and twenty thousand dollars. Make your statement, and this entire situation will be buried. I understand your career is under pressure. This money is an opportunity for a fresh start.”

I stared at him, then at the folder. “So Ethan gets to walk away spotless, and I get branded as the liar who started it all. Is that the deal?”

I wanted to laugh. He was the one who lied and cheated, yet I was the one left with nothing—my career, my degree, my reputation, all in ruins.

Roland’s eyes softened slightly. “It’s not personal, Miss Gina. It’s business. We both know how ruthless the internet can be.”

I held his gaze, refusing to back down. “No, Mr. Williams. I’m not interested in your money.”

That made him pause. “Then what do you want?” it seems he really wanted to negotiate.

I took a deep breath, steadying my voice. I wanted to say nothing. That I didn’t want anything from any of them.

If Ethan was miserable for one day, I’d be happy for a year. But then I remembered my mother—how she wanted to meet my boyfriend.

The man standing before me didn’t seem bad. I had no idea what I was thinking, but I pointed at him. “You.”

His brow lifted. “Pardon?”

“You heard me,” I said quietly. “You’ll pretend to be my boyfriend for three months. Until my mother recovers.”

He blinked, clearly taken aback. “You’re serious.”

“As serious as the man who came here to buy my silence,” I said. Then, pressing my advantage, I added, “There’s already speculation online that someone wants to hurt me. What do you think will happen if the internet finds out that the person who ran me over two nights ago was none other than Prime Entertainment’s Public Relations Manager? Do you think they’ll believe it’s a coincidence?”

Roland’s composure cracked just slightly. “That’s… unconventional. Ask for something else. If you want, I can arrange someone to act as your boyfriend.” He offered.

“You, or no one else,” I said flatly, picking up my phone. I saw him frown, but I didn’t care. Somehow, he felt like the perfect person to fool my mum.

“Anyway,” I added, “you don’t have to announce anything publicly. Just act for her. You want to protect your client’s image; I want to protect my mother’s peace. This arrangement gives us both what we need.”

I paused, meeting his eyes.

“So, which will it be, Mr. PR