Chapter 26 Leaked to media
Veronica's POV:
I was in the deepest sleep of my life that night... a sleep I needed after the emotional circus Max and Theo had dragged me through at the dinner table.
So when my phone rang at 12… then 2… then 4 in the morning, I didn't heat any of it, and slept right through it like a dead woman.
By the time I finally woke up at 7, the sunlight pouring through the curtains hit my eyes, and I felt surprisingly refreshed, which was unusual for me... right until I picked up my phone.
52 missed calls.
All from Penny!
“Penny?” I said the moment she answered. “What’s going on? Why this much—”
“V,” she cut me off, breathing hard. “Check the links I sent you. Right now.”
I didn’t even question it. I opened our chat, clicked on the first link—
And my heart stopped.
“Manhattan Elite Society Scandals Again: The Whitmore Heiress Caught in a Secret Romance with Two Billionaire Brothers on the Malibu Coast.”
“What the actual fuck—?” The gasp tore out of me.
For a second, I genuinely wondered if I was still half-asleep, hallucinating that. But as I read it again… and again… my blood ran cold.
The article was just too brutal:
“Veronica Whitmore, the only daughter of Manhattan investment banking tycoon Vincent Whitmore, was spotted slipping into a scandalous weekend entanglement with the infamous Ashford brothers. Paparazzi claim she was seen ‘romantically involved’ with BOTH Maximilian and Theodore Ashford within the span of a single week.”
My hand flew to my forehead.
Oh. My. God.
This wasn’t just a rumor. This wasn’t gossip. This was a scandalous bomb detonated right over my life.
And worse — this wasn’t just Manhattan gossip. This was national media.
With tags like 'High-profile', it was going 'Viral' on social media. No wonder why Penny kept calling me throughout the night.
I felt my entire body begin to tremble.
My father… He already hated that I left home. Already was probably searching for me everywhere like a bloodhound, and he was planning to drag me back to Chase. Already thought I was incapable of being a female.
And now… this?
This wasn’t just a hit to my reputation. This was a direct attack on my father’s pride.
This would push him over the edge.
Then I scrolled down the page—and my blood turned to ice.
There were videos too?! Not blurry, or distant, it was crystal clear.
The first video: Me kissing Max on the shoreline… his hands gripping my waist as the waves crashed behind us.
It was the night that the stranger attacked me.
But that night I was so terrified and shaken. Max had only kissed me out of sheer adrenaline and emotion... to comfort me.
But the video didn’t show any of that context.
It just looked… intimate. Scandalous. Wrong.
My throat tightened.
And then—
The second video: A full HD clip of Theo and me on the beach yesterday, sunset glowing behind us as we leaned in,
Soft and slow, which was like a romantic musical video.
But two of them were completely different moments, very different situations.
The paps made it like some sort of scandal out of this!
My breath hitched painfully.
Anyone watching these would think I was playing both brothers. That I was cheating, manipulating, and sleeping around.
And the worst part?
No one would ever believe the truth... not when the lies looked this perfect on camera.
I covered my face with my hands, mortified, humiliated, terrified, already picturing in my mind on how my father would be yelling at my mother right now for raising me in a irresponsible way. That I was immoral enough to date two brothers at the same time.
“I’m so done,” I whispered to myself, voice cracking. “I’m completely, absolutely done.”
I didn’t even know how I was going to face the brothers at breakfast. This scandal must’ve hit their family too… and their father was just as brutal as mine, if not worse.
I shuddered, remembering how Max had quietly told me about his mother... how she’d been pushed to the edge because Mr. Ashford was just too strict, too cold, too cruel... how he had mentally harassed her into killing herself.
Guilt stabbed me all over again. I had dragged them into my mess.
But was it really my fault?!
Who would’ve thought there were paparazzi hiding on a private beach?
When I finally sat in front of the brothers, I kept my eyes glued to the table. They both looked grim.
“I’m really sorry,” I blurted. “I should’ve known better than to… kiss both of you…”
The confession felt like pulling a heavy stone off my chest.
“Veronica,” Theo said softly, that calm voice of seemed to be soothing the pounding headache forming behind my eyes. “Relax. Don’t stress over this incident. The paps make scandals out of anything. It keeps happening in our high society.”
“Yes, just stop worrying, Isla darling,” Max added, sliding into the seat beside me... very close. “Don’t mess up your head over those assholes. They’ll talk about it for a week and then forget all about it. After that, only you will be the one still remembering this happened.”
“That’s true…” Theo agreed, pulling his own chair even closer to mine... close enough that I suddenly realized I was physically sandwiched between the two brothers. Their presence was warm, overwhelming, protective… and incredibly confusing at the same time.
“Scandals mean nothing in our elite world,” Theo continued with a gentle smile. “It’s like drinking lemon water in the morning... sadly, way too common.”
I actually felt myself calming just by looking at Theo, his pretty green eyes... the sweet reassurance he gave me by holding my hand.
But something still twisted inside me. “But… what about our fathers?” I whispered, looking from Max to Theo. “Our fathers are tyrants. How are we going to convince them?”
That wiped the casualness off both their faces instantly.
They stiffened, exchanged a tense glance... the kind that said everything without a word.