4. All Destroyed

***

"What? All the commercial deals are cancelled and I have to pay compensation? What's the reason?" Anastasia asked in shock.

Lyra sighed heavily. "I don't know the exact reason either. They said you broke the rules and got involved in a big scandal."

"A scandal? What? You know as well as I do that I've never been involved in anything like that in my entire career!"

Lyra remained silent, biting her lip. It was hard for her to reveal the nature of the scandal that had derailed Anastasia's career.

What should have been a major project for Anastasia had suddenly fallen through. Clients who had been eager to work with her disappeared without explanation, and demands for compensation came out of nowhere. It was a strange and deeply suspicious situation.

"Lyra, I'm talking to you. Look at me!" Anastasia's voice was sharp and direct.

Lyra looked up, her eyes flashing with panic before she quickly composed herself. "What is it?"

"Something's wrong. Deals are being cancelled and now I have to pay compensation. I know you're keeping something from me. So tell me, what is really going on?"

Lyra hesitated, her eyes avoiding Anastasia's piercing gaze. She fidgeted with a pen in her hand - a clear sign that she was trying to find the right words.

"Lyra," Anastasia's voice was firmer now, "I know you're hiding something from me. I need to know, right now. Even if it's bad, you have to tell me."

Lyra exhaled deeply, finally putting down the pen and meeting Anastasia's gaze with guilty eyes. "I didn't want you to find out this way, but... you need to know."

She reached for her tablet on the table and handed it to Anastasia. "Look at this, Ana. This is the reason why all the deals have been cancelled."

Anastasia took the tablet with shaking hands and stared at the screen. The headline instantly froze her: "Scandal Alert: Singer Anastasia Noire accused of sabotaging stepsister Elora Viviana and becoming a wealthy man's mistress!"

"This... this can't be true," Anastasia whispered, almost in disbelief. She read on, each sentence more shocking than the last.

The article painted her as a villain, accusing her of being jealous of her stepsister Elora for years, and of using underhanded tactics to ruin Elora's career. It even claimed that Anastasia's success was due to being the mistress of a powerful industry mogul.

"I... I never did any of this," Anastasia stammered, her voice shaking as she looked at Lyra with tear-filled eyes. "This is all lies!"

Lyra lowered her head, unable to meet Anastasia's gaze. "I know, Ana. I know it's not true. But the public... they're quick to believe such things, especially when someone supports the narrative. And now Leon... he's taking her side and slandering you too."

Anastasia pressed a button on the tablet to scroll through the comments. Her heart sank further as she read thousands of hateful remarks. They condemned her with cruel labels while praising Elora as an innocent victim.

"How did this happen? Why is everyone defending Elora?" Anastasia asked, her voice full of pain.

Lyra took a deep breath before answering quietly. "Elora... she knows how to manipulate public opinion. And with your reputation as an independent and somewhat private artist, it's easier for people to believe you're the villain. You've always refused to attend elite parties and galas, which makes your image a little more... isolated."

Anastasia gritted her teeth, her anger growing. "So this is all part of Elora's plan? She set me up to make everyone hate me? She even sabotaged the release of my album!"

Lyra looked at Anastasia sympathetically. "I can't say for sure, Ana, but it's very likely. Elora knows how to use a situation to her advantage, and she's definitely not doing it alone. Someone influential is helping her to spread these lies."

Anastasia slammed the tablet down in frustration. "This isn't fair, Lyra! Why am I always the target of such terrible lies? I've worked so hard to get here and now everyone thinks I'm just... just some cheap woman!"

Lyra rose from her chair and walked around the desk to stand beside Anastasia. She put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I know this is hard, Ana. But you can't let them win. We have to find a way to fight back, to clear your name."

Anastasia shook her head, her eyes still fixed on the tablet. "But how? You've gone too far, and now people believe those lies more than the truth."

Lyra took another deep breath, as if formulating a plan. "We need a strategy, Ana. We need to find out who's behind all this. If we can prove that this is all fake, the public might start to question the lies."

Anastasia looked up at Lyra, her eyes burning with determination. "I'm not going to let them destroy my life like this. If it's war they want, it's war they'll get."

Lyra smiled faintly, though her expression remained one of concern. "That's the spirit I was hoping for. We have to be careful, Ana, because they won't play fair. But I'll be by your side through it all. I won't leave you."

Anastasia nodded, her voice calm despite the storm brewing inside her. "I know... You're the only one I can trust. I'll see to it that my name is restored."

***

"That girl, does she always stay out all day?" Maximilian muttered to himself.

The tightly closed apartment door slowly opened and a well-dressed man entered, bowing respectfully before coming closer. "Mr Kingsley," Bryan, his personal assistant, began in a calm but respectful tone. "I have done as you requested."

Maximilian turned his eyes from the window to Bryan. "Good. Have the CCTV cameras in Anastasia's apartment been disabled?"

Bryan nodded, though hesitation flickered across his expression. "Yes, sir. I've seen to it that all recordings are erased and now there's no trace of you there."

Maximilian's lips curled into a faint smile, a sign of satisfaction. "Good. I don't want her to suspect anything. Every step has to be meticulously planned."

Bryan stood straight in front of his employer, trying to read the man's cold, unreadable expression. But there was something nagging at him - something he felt compelled to say, despite his doubts. "Sir," Bryan began carefully, "you asked me to investigate everything about Miss Anastasia Noire. But... may I ask, what is it about her that so intrigues you? Wouldn't it be better to return home and meet Mr and Mrs Kingsley first? It's been ten years since you last visited New York."

Maximilian listened in silence, though a cold glint flashed in his eyes at the mention of his parents. He let out a long sigh before replying, "Bryan, time with my parents can wait. There's something more important right now."

Bryan was taken aback by his employer's response. As Maximilian's personal assistant for years, he knew how much the man valued family, despite their occasionally strained relationship. For Maximilian to put off seeing his parents because of a woman he barely knew was highly uncharacteristic.

Maximilian was silent for a moment. Deep down, he didn't quite understand why Anastasia was different.

"Bryan," Maximilian finally said, his tone serious, "in my whole life I've never been able to touch a woman without having an allergic reaction. Every woman who's ever approached me, touched me... it's always caused my body to react negatively. But Anastasia is different. She's the only woman who can touch me without causing me pain.

Bryan listened intently, his eyes widening in shock. "What do you mean, sir? Miss Noire didn't cause any reaction at all?"

Maximilian nodded, his face still sombre. "Yes, and that's what makes me curious. Why is she different? There's something about her I don't understand yet, and I won't leave until I find the answer."

Bryan was perplexed. The situation was getting stranger and stranger. "Do you think this could be connected to something deeper, sir? I mean, do you suspect there's a specific reason why she's not causing your allergies?"

Maximilian sighed again, glanced briefly out of the window before meeting Bryan's gaze. "I don't know, Bryan. But one thing is clear - this isn't a coincidence. And to find out why, I'm going to stay with Anastasia for a while."

Bryan, usually so composed, looked genuinely startled by this decision. "Stay with Miss Noire, sir? But that... that will raise a lot of questions. Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"

Maximilian's sharp gaze silenced any lingering doubts. "I am certain of my decision, Bryan. Besides, I don't owe anyone an explanation. While I'm here, I'll use a different identity. No one must know that I've returned to the country, and under no circumstances must my parents find out about my actions."

Bryan nodded, though there was still unease in his heart. "Understood, sir. I'll make sure everything goes smoothly."

"Let no one approach me or Anastasia. And help me create a new identity - Anastasia is no fool," Maximilian added.

Bryan could only nod again, dutifully following his employer's orders despite his growing unease. He knew something significant was unfolding, something he didn't yet understand. But as Maximilian's assistant, his first duty was to carry out orders without question.

Maximilian turned back to the window, his expression enigmatic. On the one hand, he enjoyed this new sensation - the ability to touch a woman without discomfort. But on the other hand, he knew that there was a deep mystery surrounding Anastasia Noire, one that could potentially change his life forever.

"Bryan," Maximilian said suddenly, breaking the silence, "I want you to start researching everything about Anastasia. Who she is, her past, what she's hiding. Leave no detail unexplored."

Bryan nodded firmly. "I'll take care of it, sir. I'll make sure you get all the information you need as soon as possible."

Maximilian's faint smile returned, satisfied with the answer. "Good."

Bryan bowed respectfully before leaving the room, leaving Maximilian alone with his thoughts. As the door closed behind Bryan, Maximilian let out a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment.

"Why is there such a fascinating woman?" the man murmured to himself.

***