All Chapters of Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Cole’s POVStatistics were almost never wrong. In less than twenty-four hours since the video of the kiss went viral, it had already gathered over a hundred reposts. The narrative about me being Histon’s golden boy who manipulated his subordinate was beginning to lose traction, exactly like I predicted.The new narrations were far more dramatic, but at least they didn’t damage my reputation.Now there were two viral videos, over a hundred notifications, and one email that actually mattered.I woke up to a message from AetherCore Technologies. They had decided to place my application under a three-month observation period while they evaluated my “conduct, public image and moral standing.”Totally inconvenient.“Dude, you’re trending.” Tyler barged into my room without knocking. “And not just as the cold genius or golden boy this time. You’re trending as the cold genius dating a celebrity star student and secret heiress. This is top-tier scandal. How do you somehow have more drama than a

Riley’s POVThis was one of those moments where I regretted making decisions on impulse.The entire day, I hadn’t been able to focus on class. Or anything at all, really. My thoughts kept circling back to one thing, our official fake dates started today, and I had to go see Cole at the computer lab soon.What was I even thinking when I came up with this idea?We could have easily slipped into one popular café together, let people spot us, maybe hold hands once or twice, and call it a day. That should have been enough. Instead, I had somehow negotiated myself into sharing space with him almost every day.Should I just call the whole thing off? Maybe I could say I was hyperventilating and not in my right state of mind when I suggested it. Or claim I was merely rehearsing lines for a role. Ugh. God help me.“Well, aren’t you two getting cozy.”June’s voice yanked me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her blankly.“Uh…?”Without saying another word, she shoved her phone into my face. And

Riley’s POVCold Cole is actually cold and annoying. He spoke about my pain and feelings like they were mere data he needed me to register. At this point, it was safe to call him a robot.When we got to the practice hall, I went over to Stacy, trying my best to forget the harshness in his tone moments ago.“Cole Donovan, huh…” Stacy said in a low voice meant for only me to hear.I shrugged, pretending not to care.“A week ago, you were frantically trying to find out his name and department, and now you’re dating?”Stacy annoyingly had good instincts, and more than ever, I wished she wouldn’t pry into this matter. It would be too easy for her to discover the truth.“I did not frantically search for him,” I defended, stealing a glance at him before quickly looking away. “Let’s just say… after one kiss with him, I knew I didn’t want it to be the last.”Stacy chuckled. “And let’s just say I believe you. But I must admit, you two make a beautiful couple.”Of course we do. The fakest things

Riley’s POVMy life was beginning to gain more traction than the last best show the theatre performed. I couldn’t completely shake off the incident from yesterday, not entirely at least. I wasn’t even concerned about Alexa anymore, I had convinced myself enough that it was simply Alexa being Alexa.The part that stayed stuck in my mind was Cole. The way he stepped up for me. And how convincing he sounded while doing it. A genius indeed, because his impromptu acting was beginning to feel more real than my rehearsed performances.I also couldn’t shake off the flutter in my stomach when his hand rested on my waist. But no. I wasn’t going there, neither would I dwell on it. That was dangerous territory.“Riles.” June called from the kitchen. She had slept over at my place last night. “You’re good with pasta and meatballs for breakfast, right?”My ears perked up immediately at the realization that June was cooking. I practically scurried toward the kitchen still dressed in my bunny pajamas.

Cole's POVIf Mom gets even the slightest idea that this relationship is fake, it’s over.She wouldn’t just question me once and move on. No. She’d start watching everything. Every glance. Every pause. Every inconsistency. And if suspicion truly settled into her mind, she’d probably assign another private investigator to me. One that wasn’t Tyler. And in no time, it'll be obvious to the public, we were a fake. I couldn't risk my internship over this.“Why Red?” Riley asked after a moment of silence, and I pretended not to notice how her cheeks warmed faintly at the mention of the nickname. “It literally could’ve been anything better. Red doesn’t even sound endearing.”“It’s the perfect name,” I answered calmly.My eyes drifted briefly toward her auburn hair before meeting her gaze again. Under the apartment lights, the color looked deeper, richer. Almost impossible to ignore.“You bring chaos with you,” I continued lightly. “And red fits that perfectly. Like a warning sign. Danger ahea