Page 189 of Going Viral for Christmas
Ava stares at me. “What kind of situation?”
“Honestly?” I sigh. “I have no idea.”
BANG BANG.“NOW, please!”
Groaning, I shove off the chair, adjusting my robe and cursing whoever decided the hotel didn’t need deadbolts strong enough to keep our PR team out.
Ava’s scrambling to tie her sash tighter while I reach the door and crack it to peek out.
Standing there as the weirdest version of the Four Horsemen I’ve ever seen are Camille, Renata, Fisher…and Matthew. Matthew raises his brows at my half-dressed state. He can sense what was about to happen.
“I was promised breakfast,” Matthew says dryly.
Camille ignores him. “Are you going to let us in, or are we holding this intervention in the hallway?”
“Intervention?” Ava echoes, appearing behind me and peeking out from under my arm. Her cheeks are still flushed, her hair a mess of post-coital curls, and yeah—if four extremely annoyed adults weren’t currently staring me down, I’d be dragging her back to bed.
Instead, I step back. “Fine. But know—whatever this is—we’ve been alittle busy.”
Fisher walks in first, already unlocking his phone. “Oh, weknow.”
Ava freezes. “Wait. What do you mean,you know?”
Renata shuts the door behind her, like she’s locking us in for questioning. “Have either of you checked ShelfSpace today?”
“No,” Ava says, gnawing on her nails. “We told you. We were… distracted.”
Camille gives us both a look that could cancel Christmas. “Well, congratulations. You’re trending. Again.”
Fisher flips his phone around and hits play on a video.
The sound plays:
“Ava—this whole fake dating publicity stunt has beengoldfor you. Enemies with benefits! You’re trending daily. Your numbers are off the charts. But tell me the truth… is that all it still is?”
“It hasn’t stopped being fake.” Her voice isn’t her voice, but it still sounds sure. “Just because we started fucking for real.”
The video cuts off.
Ava pales. “That’snotwhat I said. That’snothow either of us said it?—”
“Somehow Lena recorded it,” Matthew says grimly, arms crossed. “Then she edited it using A.I.”
“But she wasn’t there with us,” Ava counters.
“That we know of,” Matthew replies.
The video continues:
“When authors fake date for publicity, what lines are they willing to cross? Bell and The Blade’s story isn’t romance—it’s a scam. I didn’t want to believe it, but this audio says it all. Their ‘relationship’ was nothing more than a launch strategy. For the views, the sales, the algorithm.
And if you needed more proof? I’m about to show a clip of what went down—at a professional venue, mind you—where the ‘Queen of Steam’ got on her knees for her co-star because, apparently, for Ava Bell, the only thing hotter than fake love is fucking in public.
Guess sex sells, even if you have to crawl for it.
To anyone who ever believed in this pairing—don’t worry. So did I. And that’s what makes this so disturbing. So manipulative. They have deeply mocked every one of us who thought their story meant something.”
Lena’s face transitions into a shot of the photo booth, Ava clearly onher knees inside. There’s a big enough slice in the curtain to show her between my legs, head bobbing, leaving no doubt what’s happening.
