Chapter 8

"If they wanted to play dirty, I’d teach them how the game is really played."

Arielle – POV

There was a photo of me, half-dressed in Xavier’s hoodie, pasted to my locker.

And the caption?

"Wifey warming the bed already? Poor girls move fast."

I froze.

The hallway buzzed with whispers. Phones out. Flashing cameras. Judging eyes.

But I didn’t cry this time.

I stared at the photo, pulled it down slowly… folded it neatly… and tucked it into my bag.

Then I turned to face them all.

Every voice. Every stare.

“If anyone else wants a copy,” I said loudly, “I’ll be signing autographs after class.”

Mira gasped beside me. Half the hallway fell silent.

And then I walked off.

Head high. Spine straight. Heart pounding like a war drum.

---

Bianca’s Puppet – Cassie – Journalism Room

“Did you do it?” Cassie asked Bianca.

Bianca smirked. “Of course I did. Took the photo myself. Just zoomed and cropped.”

Cassie giggled. “She looked good though. Too good.”

Bianca’s eyes narrowed.

“She won’t for long.”

---

Arielle – Later That Day

I stormed into the journalism room during lunch. Cassie was still editing on her school laptop.

“Take the photo down,” I snapped.

She blinked. “What photo?”

I slammed my bag on the desk. “You know which one. Take. It. Down.”

“I didn’t—”

“You posted it. You shared it. Your name is on the upload.”

Cassie gulped.

I leaned in closer.

“Delete it before I delete your entire archive and get your position handed to the janitor.”

She stammered. “I-I’ll… I’ll talk to Ms. Greene…”

“You have one hour.”

Then I turned, walked out, and slammed the door behind me.

---

Xavier – POV

I found out about the locker photo in the worst way.

Not through gossip.

But because a sophomore girl asked if we were “already doing it in the janitor’s closet.”

I nearly broke a desk in homeroom.

And then I saw Arielle — walking down the hallway like a queen made of ice. She didn’t even flinch when people whispered.

God, she was stronger than I was.

But she was also burning inside.

I could see it in her eyes.

She was hurt.

And I was going to kill whoever did it.

---

That Night – Knight Mansion

A black car pulled up in front of Aunt May’s house.

No driver visible.

Just a text on my phone:

> "Come. Let me explain. – X"

I didn’t know what I expected when I got to his room.

Definitely not candles.

And him sitting on the edge of the bed, shirt loose, hair slightly wet — like he’d showered just for me.

He didn’t speak.

Neither did I.

We just… looked.

And the silence between us was louder than any argument we’d ever had.

---

🔥 Adult Content Scene – Arielle’s POV

He walked to me slowly.

Lifted my chin with one finger.

“I didn’t leak that photo,” he said.

“I know.”

Silence again.

His hands slid up my arms, gripping my waist.

“You shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, breath shaky.

“I know.”

Then his lips crashed into mine — hotter, deeper than ever.

We stumbled back onto the bed.

Clothes tugged. Skin bared.

The hoodie came off. So did my top.

His lips traced every inch of my collarbone.

When his fingers dipped below my waistband, I gasped.

“Xavier…”

“Tell me to stop,” he murmured.

I didn’t.

And he didn’t.

It wasn’t sex. Not fully.

But it was fire.

Hot. Desperate. Messy.

By the time we pulled apart, I was half in his arms, breathless, heartbeat pounding in my ears.

“I hate you,” I whispered.

He smiled. “Liar.”

---

Aunt May – POV

I heard her come in past midnight.

Quiet. Too quiet.

She didn’t sneak.

Arielle never snuck.

She just walked into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water… and leaned against the counter like the world had broken her.

“Arielle?” I asked softly.

She blinked. “Yeah?”

“You okay?”

Her voice cracked. “I think I’m in trouble.”

I didn’t ask what kind.

Because I could already tell it was the kind that came from kissing boys you’re not supposed to fall for.

---

Next Morning – Xavier’s POV

I knew something was wrong the moment I checked my phone.

Dozens of new messages.

But one made my heart stop:

> “Saw the video. She looked hot though.” – Blake

Video?

I opened the link.

It was grainy.

Shaky.

But clear enough.

Me. Shirtless. On top of Arielle. Her bra showing. Her head thrown back.

I cursed loudly, threw my phone across the room.

Who the hell filmed us?

Who the hell uploaded it?

And more importantly…

How was I going to protect her from this?

---

Mr. Knight – POV

“The leak worked,” I said over the phone.

“She’ll be a scandal magnet by next week. No brand will want her name tied to their boy.”

My assistant hesitated. “But sir… what if he finds out you arranged it?”

“He won’t.”

But deep down, I knew… if Xavier ever discovered I was the one who exposed her privacy…

I wouldn’t just lose a son.

I’d lose control.

---

Arielle – POV

By the time I arrived at school, it was already viral.

Everyone had seen it.

The video.

The moaning. The touching. The heat.

My body. His body.

Too much. Too raw.

I wanted to disappear.

But I couldn’t.

I had to walk through those halls like I didn’t feel stripped and shattered.

Mira held my

hand.

“I can go to the office for you,” she whispered.

I shook my head.

“No. I’m not hiding.”

But I wasn’t okay.

And when Xavier met my eyes from across the hallway, his jaw clenched so tight I thought it might crack.

We were both drowning.

And I didn’t know if we could survive this.