120

120
Chapter 120

Maya locked her front door as soon as she stepped inside, her heels clattering on the floor as she hurried to her room. The house was quiet, too quiet, and it made her uneasy. She tossed her clutch on the bed and pulled out her phone to check for messages.

Then she froze.

Her heart stopped as she saw the notification — 1 new video received.

Frowning, she clicked on it, and her stomach dropped.

It was her.

Her and Bennett. In bed. Together.

The camera angle was perfect, as though someone had hidden a recording device inside her bedroom. Maya’s breath came fast, panic gripping her chest. She staggered backward, nearly falling, and slammed the window shut before pulling the curtains closed.

“No, no, no…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Her hands shook as she replayed the clip to be sure her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her. No — it was real—her worst fear.

Her phone nearly slipped from her sweaty palms as she called Bennett.

He picked up on the first ring. “Maya? What’s wrong?”

“Bennett…” Her voice cracked. “I just got sent something — something horrible. I’m sending it to you now.”

She forwarded the video before he could say another word. Silence stretched for a long moment until Bennett cursed under his breath.

“This means someone’s watching us,” he said, his tone dark. “Someone knows everything.”

Maya swallowed hard, pacing her room as tears pricked her eyes. “This can’t be happening. If this gets out, we’re finished. You know what this will do to me, to my reputation—”

“I know,” Bennett said sharply, then softened his tone. “Listen to me, Maya. We can’t panic. Whoever sent this wants us scared. They want to control us. But I’ll find out who’s behind it. I promise you.”

Maya stopped pacing and gripped the edge of the dresser until her knuckles turned white. “We can’t be seen together for a while,” she said. “Not until we know who’s doing this. If they’re spying on me, they’re probably spying on you too.”

There was a pause, then Bennett sighed. “You’re right. We’ll have to meet discreetly from now on.”

“Not even that,” Maya said firmly, wiping her face with the back of her hand. “For now, we stay apart. At least until you figure out who sent this, I can’t risk it, Bennett. I can’t.”

“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly. “But you need to keep calm. Act normal. Whoever’s behind this will strike again if they think they’ve rattled you.”

Maya let out a shaky laugh that was closer to a sob. “They’ve already rattled me. I feel like someone’s watching me even now.”

“Then lock your doors, keep the curtains drawn. Don’t go anywhere alone if you can help it.”

She nodded, even though he couldn’t see her. “Okay.”

There was a beat of silence before Bennett added, “We’ll get through this, Maya. Together.”

“Goodnight, Bennett.” Her voice was barely a whisper as she ended the call.

For a long moment, she just stood there in the center of her room, phone still in hand, the silence loud in her ears. Then she slowly sank onto the edge of her bed, her mind racing.

Who would do this? Who would go to such lengths to hurt her?

Was it someone from the banquet tonight? Someone from Federico’s side? Or perhaps someone working with Leandro and Thomas?

She didn’t know, and not knowing was the worst part.

Maya curled up on the bed, hugging her knees to her chest. Fear crept into every corner of her thoughts. If they had this video, what else did they have? What else did they know?

Her pulse quickened as she realized this wasn’t just blackmail — this was a threat.

Someone wanted her scared.

And they had succeeded.

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Would you like me to write the next morning’s aftermath (where Maya meets Bennett secretly despite her fears) and build tension by hinting at who might have sent the video? This could deepen the suspense and link it with Leandro/Thomas or Ophelia’s schemes.

Here’s a 500-word continuation following your new request:

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Bennett was still in his car when the video came through. His dashboard lit up with the notification, and his stomach knotted the second he saw the thumbnail.

He parked on the side of the road and opened it.

It was him.

He and Maya.

His jaw clenched as the explicit clip played out in perfect clarity, clearly recorded from somewhere hidden in Maya’s bedroom.

Then his phone buzzed again. This time it was a message.

I’m watching you.

Bennett cursed under his breath and slammed a fist against the steering wheel. The cryptic message sent a chill down his spine — not just because of what it said, but because it was true. Someone had been watching them this whole time.

He glanced around the street, scanning the dark corners, the parked cars, the shadows cast by streetlamps. It felt like eyes were on him even now.

Who would do this?

Leandro? Thomas? They had a motive but how would they have gotten a camera into Maya’s bedroom?

Ophelia? Possible. She’d always been a snake in the grass.

Or was it someone he hadn’t even considered yet?

Before he could think further, his phone rang.

An unknown number.

Bennett hesitated before answering, his knuckles tight around the phone.

“Who is this?” he demanded.

Nothing.

Just silence.

He listened hard, but all he could make out was faint breathing on the other end. His pulse pounded in his ears.

“Whoever you are, this ends tonight,” he growled. “Do you hear me? You’re playing with fire—”

The line went dead.

Bennett stared at the screen, frustration bubbling under his skin. Whoever it was, they were toying with him, enjoying his confusion and anger.

He shoved the phone into his pocket and started the car again, driving aimlessly while his mind raced.

He needed to be careful.

Whoever had sent that message clearly wanted him paranoid — but they also wanted him scared enough to make a mistake. If they had this video, they could send it to anyone. The entire pack. Federico. Azalea.

He couldn’t let that happen.

Bennett exhaled sharply, forcing himself to think logically. If they wanted leverage, they wouldn’t reveal themselves yet. They’d keep stringing him along. Which meant he had time — time to find out who was behind this and shut them down before they destroyed everything.

But one thing was clear: this wasn’t just blackmail.

This was war.