Naomi’s words felt like a bucket of cold water being poured over Tessa’s head, jolting her awake.

She opened TikTok, and the top trending topic was glaring at her. “President of Jacobson Corporation and Nancy Lloyd’s Relationship Exposed.”

Tessa stared at the headline but hesitated to click on it.

Nancy Lloyd was a top-tier A-list actress in the entertainment industry. Tessa had even watched some of her dramas before.

Why would Stephen be involved in a scandal with her? He had never mentioned knowing Nancy before.

“Hello? Tessa, are you still there?” Naomi’s voice came through the phone, furious. “I can’t believe Stephen is this kind of person! Yesterday you said you two were just fighting, and today he’s photographed entering a hotel with some actress. Ugh, what a scumbag! I’m so mad!”

They entered a hotel together? Tessa’s heart clenched. Her body felt cold, like she had been plunged into an icy abyss.

Finally, she clicked on the trending topic. Her screen was instantly flooded with gossip.

“Recently, popular actress Nancy Lloyd was photographed entering a hotel with a mysterious man. The two appeared intimate, sparking rumors of a romantic relationship. Sources claim the man is the president of the Jacobson Corporation, Rivertown’s golden boy, Stephen. So far, Nancy’s company has not issued a statement to clarify the rumors.”

Below the caption was a paparazzi photo of Nancy and a man. In the photo, Nancy was caught glancing back, her face fully visible, while the mysterious man only showed his side profile.

The moment Tessa saw the photo, her blood ran cold. Others might not recognize the man, but she knew instantly it was Stephen.

In the photo, Stephen was wearing a black coat and walking beside Nancy. The pair looked stunning together, and netizens in the comments were gushing about how perfect they looked.

“Nancy to join the wealthy elite? Insiders reveal that the mysterious man seen entering the hotel with Nancy is the president of Jacobson Corporation. The two are reportedly in a relationship, and Nancy may soon marry into the Jacobson family.”

The accompanying photo was similar to the previous one.

As Tessa scrolled down, her hands began to tremble with anger. Her heart ached with every beat, and it became hard to breathe.

Tears fell onto her phone screen, blurring the images.

Tessa ended Naomi’s call and immediately dialed Stephen’s number. The phone rang for a long time, but no one answered.

After it automatically disconnected, Tessa called again. Still, no one picked up.

Her heart grew colder with each unanswered call. On the fifth attempt, the call finally went through.

Tessa asked with a trembling voice, “The trending news is fake, right? That person in the photo isn’t you, right? Stephen, I’ll believe you if you say it’s not true.”

There was a brief silence on the other end, followed by a pleasant female voice. “Who is this? This is Nancy. Stephen is in the shower right now and can’t answer the phone. Is there something you need? I can pass it along for you.”

Tessa’s heart shattered. She couldn’t breathe.

Hearing the lack of response, Nancy asked again, “Hello? Can you hear me?”

“She hung up.” Nancy shrugged, looking up at Stephen. “Not to be harsh, but this is really cruel. If I were Tessa, I’d hate you for the rest of my life.”

She tossed the phone back to Stephen. “I don’t mind being your shield, but you need to think carefully. If you hurt her too deeply, you might never be able to win her back.”

Nancy had another identity; she was the second daughter of the Lloyd family in Torford, a genuine socialite.

Stephen’s maternal grandmother, Irene Lloyd, was born into the Lloyd family. Nancy’s grandfather and Stephen’s grandmother were siblings, making Nancy and Stephen distant relatives, though the connection was somewhat remote.

As a top actress, Nancy’s schedule was always packed, either filming or appearing on variety shows, leaving little time for herself. When Tessa returned to Rivertown, Nancy hadn’t found time to meet her properly.

She hadn’t even been able to attend Stephen and Tessa’s engagement ceremony because she was abroad at an important film festival.

Stephen had sought out his distant cousin to help him stage this act, all to make Tessa give up on him.

When Nancy first heard that Stephen wanted her to act in a “play”, she thought he was investing in some big-budget movie.

She smiled brightly and said, “If you’re investing, it must be a major production. Don’t worry. I’m an award-winning actress. You’ve come to the right person. If I’m in it, your movie is guaranteed to be a hit!”