“Relax, I’ve got it under control. It’s just a few harmless rumors,” Aaron said confidently.

“Good. Then I’ll leave it entirely to you,” Tessa replied with a smile. “I’ll be waiting for good news.”

She leaned in and brushed a light kiss against the corner of his lips, and for a moment, they looked every bit like a doting couple.

The gesture made his heart race. He felt completely smitten, wanting nothing more than to stay glued to her side.

But Tessa pushed him back, keeping about a meter of space between them. She knew better than to let her pet off the leash completely; even a dog needed balance – rewards and restraint in equal measure.

“Don’t be so eager. There’ll be plenty of chances later,” she teased, giving him a sultry wink. “Finish this job well, and you’ll get your reward.”

Aaron perked up immediately, his curiosity piqued. “What kind of reward?”

Tessa leaned in close and whispered a few words in his ear. His eyes lit up in an instant.

“You said it. You’d better keep your word.”

“Of course. You have my word,” Tessa said with calm confidence.

When it came to handling her men, she knew exactly what she was doing. A little reward kept them loyal and eager to please. After all, every creature worked better under a system of incentives, and men were no different. Tessa had always been good at training hers.

Buoyed by her promise, Aaron was more motivated than ever. That night, out of Tessa’s sight, he sent quiet orders to his network, instructing them to flood social media with rumors.

Aurora usually didn’t pay much attention to online chatter, but this time, the situation had blown up so much that even someone like her, who rarely went online, couldn’t ignore it. At first, she hadn’t realized the gossip was about her, until Megan sent her a message.

[Aurora, have you seen what’s going around online?]

[What’s going on?] Aurora asked, confused. She had been so busy with the upcoming show that she hadn’t even touched her phone. She’d occasionally come across a few trending tags with her name in them but never clicked to read more. She assumed they were simply about the show’s promotional poster. People were probably just curious about who she was.

But when Megan heard her say that, she immediately grew anxious. “If you haven’t seen what’s online, then don’t. Just… don’t look.”

“What’s going on?”

That warning only made Aurora more curious. What could have happened to make Megan sound this nervous? Normally, Megan could be loud and dramatic, but she was never disorganized. Her tone now, however, was filled with panic, which made Aurora suspect something was seriously wrong.

“I can’t really explain it properly yet,” Megan stammered. “I’m still trying to figure out the details. But honestly, I think it’s better if you don’t read any of it.”

“And why exactly are you telling me not to?” Aurora asked, puzzled. Did Megan really think she was that fragile?

Megan froze, momentarily at a loss for words. After a long pause, she finally said, stumbling a little, “It’s just… most of the posts are targeting you. It’s nothing pleasant, and I didn’t want it to ruin your mood.”