Chapter 66 Breaking the Internet

Chapter 66 Breaking the Internet
I watch him cook, and surprisingly, it relaxes me.
Lawrence lays the first fillet in the pan, and the kitchen fills with a satisfying sizzle.
The aroma is so mouth-watering; it makes my stomach rumble.
“So…” I begin, to fill the silence. “Where'd you learn to cook this good?”
“YouTube.” He drawls.
“No way.” I scoff in disbelief.
“Yes way," he replies. “I didn't have time to attend cooking classes in college, so I'd watch videos during my leisure. And then practise later.”

“I'm envious.” I mutter.
He chuckles, removing the last nicely fried fillet and setting it in a clean bowl he covers.
“You envy everything about me.”
I roll my eyes and leave the stool, walking back to the living room so I can check my phone.
“Holy shit," I curse.
The notifications are overwhelming.
Thousands of them flood my phone.
I open the actual Instagram app to see the post already has hundreds of thousands of likes, comments, and shares.

“What?” Lawrence asks from the kitchen. “Bring it over; let me see.”
I take my phone to him and show the post.
Then I scroll over to his account.
The post with the video of him kissing me is sitting at over a million views already.
“Fucking hell!”
Some of the comments are sweet.

Finally! They look so good together.
He kisses her like he's starving.
Power couple vibes.
This is giving dark romance.
That kiss was everything. Crying emoji

But many are vicious.

Oh, please. He could do so much better.
How long until he dumps her? Bet it’s under six months.
Office whore. Probably slept her way to the top.

The smile on my face drops, but I keep scrolling. Every vicious comment I come across hurts.
Why are people so mean?
“Put the phone away, please.” He says firmly. “This is the last time I'll warn you. Or it'll get flushed down the toilet.”
I obediently lock it. “It’s hard not to. They’re saying such awful things about me and you.”
He turns towards me, rinsing his hands under the tap before wiping them dry on a clean napkin.

“They’re just jealous and bitter.” His green eyes are intense, but soft at the same time.
I shrug. “Yeah, and it still hurts. I feel like I’m some kind of villain.”
“For doing nothing? Come on, babe.” He smiles gently at me. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And I’m not ashamed of that. Not even a little.”
Lawrence sighs. “I hate that you’re going through this because of me,” he murmurs.
“It’s not your fault,” I whisper.

“Maybe not,” he murmurs, kissing my forehead. “The noise will die down eventually. People will move on to the next scandal.”
“What if they don’t?” I squeak, my voice small.
“We’re not that interesting, trust me." He guffaws. "They will."
A short laugh escapes me, and Lawrence kisses my forehead again, before placing both hands on my shoulders and gently steering me out of the kitchen.

“Now please go do something else besides reading gossip sites until the food is ready,” he says.
“Fine. Fine. I will.”

†††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††

Beverly stops by after work later in the evening.
She pulls me into a long, warm, sisterly hug, and I cherish it with everything in me.
It’s the first time I’ve seen her since the scandal broke.
When her arms wrap around me, the tears I’d been holding back all day threaten to spill over.
“Hey, how are you feeling?” she asks softly as we settle onto the couch together.
I shrug, biting the inside of my cheek hard. “I’ve been better.”

“Oh, come here, babe.” She pulls me into another tight hug. This time, a tear slips free. I let myself cry quietly against her shoulder for a few seconds before pulling back, sniffing and wiping my face.
“Please don’t get too worried about it,” she says encouragingly, rubbing my arm. “It’ll blow over. These things always do.”
Then her expression shifts into a playful grin. “But I have to admit… that was so smooth of you.”
“What?”

“That post earlier today!” She laughs. “Talk about hard-launching your billionaire boyfriend. You hadn’t posted anything on your IG for months, and then suddenly there’s a couple picture of you and Lawrence, almost at the exact same time he dropped those pictures and that very hot video of you two kissing.”
I find myself smiling.
It's a small, shy smile.
“You both broke the internet.”

“It was Lawrence’s idea,” I reply, glancing toward the study where he’s been locked away since after lunch, still hunting down whoever leaked the photos.
It feels like Kieran all over again — the security breach, the hunting.
“How are people at the office taking it?” I ask quietly.
“Babe, you worry too much about what people think.”
“I know. I just don’t want anyone thinking I’m sleeping with him to keep my job or get special treatment or something.”

Beverly shakes her head. “I'm pretty sure nobody at the office thinks that about you. You’ve worked there for five years, long before Lawrence ever showed up. People know you’re where you are because you're good at your job.”
I hesitate, then lower my voice so Lawrence doesn’t overhear from the study. “What about Jay?”
Beverly sighs. “He’s heartbroken, obviously. But shit happens, Scar. He’ll move on. You were never his to begin with.”

“Yeah,” I mutter, my chest aching a little.
“So,” Beverly continues, shifting the subject with a gentle smile, “do you have plans of returning to the office? Or what’s the next step here?”
I let out a long breath and lean back against the couch cushions. “I want to come back, but Lawrence keeps saying I should wait until things calm down.”
Beverly nods understandingly. “Can you blame him? After everything that happened with Kieran, and now this… he’s probably scared someone else might try to hurt you.”

“I know,” I whisper. “And I love him for it. But hiding in this penthouse forever isn’t living. I worked so hard to get where I am. I don’t want to lose that part of myself just because the world decided to lose its mind over who I’m dating.”
I sigh again. "It's just that those damn photographers could be hiding anywhere."
"Maybe by next week they'll give up. Hold on for just a few days and let the worst of the storm pass." Beverly advises. "Then you can go back. Even if people stare."
She takes my hand in hers. “You’ve got this, babe," she says firmly. “And if anyone gives you shit, I’ve got your back. Always.”

The sound of footsteps makes us both look up. Lawrence emerges from the study.
“Hey,” he says warmly. “Beverly. Good to see you.”
“Hey, boss,” she teases lightly, but there’s respect in her tone. “I was just checking on our girl.”
“You’re a good friend,” Lawrence says respectfully, looking at her. “Thank you.”
“Wow.” Beverly lets out a surprised laugh. “I can’t believe I’m getting thanked by a whole Lawrence Moore. Pin this moment, someone.”

Lawrence scoffs, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. He turns to me. “Hey, I have to head out soon. Work stuff. Will you be fine?”
“Sure,” I reply, even though part of me wants him to stay.
“Don’t worry,” Beverly says, waving him off. “I’ll take care of her.”
He nods. “I trust you will.”
Lawrence leans down and presses a quick kiss to my lips before disappearing into the bedroom to get changed.

The second his door clicks shut, Beverly turns to me with a wicked grin, scooting closer on the couch.
“I know you’ve been having mind-blowing sex, so tell me all about it.”
I laugh, feeling my cheeks burn. “Beverly!”
“What? Don’t ‘Beverly’ me! You’re dating the hottest, most intense man in New York. And you've both been trapped in his massive penthouse for days now.” She whispers. “I need all the juice. And I need it now.”

Covering my face with both hands, I laugh harder as fresh warmth spreads through my chest.
I feel a little bit like myself again after having felt like shit for days.
And it's all thanks to the wonderful woman sitting opposite me.
Beverly Prince.