Chapter 25
Anthony and Marcelo ignored Melissa, saying simultaneously, "Let's split up and search on each side." They had no idea where Emelie could be, so they urgently contacted their networks to begin an investigation. But before they could act, Emelie updated her Instagram with a video. The caption simply read: "Honeymoon trip."
The sight nearly made them crush their phones. Neither dared tap play immediately. After a long, tense silence, they finally yielded and opened the video. In the clip, Emelie smiled radiantly as she strolled hand-in-hand with Tyler along a pristine beach, the sea breeze playing in their hair. The scene was idyllically romantic. While there were no overt displays of affection, the intimacy between them felt palpable.
Anthony hurled his phone to the ground in a rage, shattering it instantly, yet his fury remained unchecked. Marcelo was equally unmoved, his fists clenched, his gaze darkening as it fell upon Melissa.
"If you can't apologize to Emelie in person," he said, "you'll do it before the entire world. We'll make sure it goes viral."
Without waiting for a response, he began a live stream. Viewers flooded in; Marcelo's live streams were rare, and his fans were stunned.
"Go on," Marcelo demanded. "Apologize to Emelie." Anthony stood silently beside him, echoing the demand.
On the ground, Melissa was utterly devastated, her face streaked with tears. "If I apologize," she choked out, "will you let me go? I swear, I won't bother you again. I'll disappear from your lives."
Marcelo's gaze grew colder. "Don't worry. Once you've paid your dues, there will be a place for you."
At this, Melissa hesitated no longer. Clinging to what she perceived as a lifeline, she confessed everything. The torment was unbearable; she simply wanted to survive.
Initially, viewers felt pity for her disheveled, miserable state. They recognized her as the woman Marcelo had thanked on stage at the Auroras Awards. Few knew that within days, her circumstances had plummeted from heaven to hell.
After hearing her confession, however, the online community turned against her, unleashing a torrent of condemnation. News of Melissa swiftly topped the trending lists.
Meanwhile, Emelie encountered the news on her feed. She frowned as she watched the videos unfold.
"What's wrong?" Tyler asked, placing two coconuts with straws on the table beside them. He noticed the headlines on her phone, and his heart momentarily tightened. "Are you going to forgive them?" he asked hesitantly.
Emelie turned to him, slipping her hand into his and intertwining their fingers. "Relax. I'll never forgive them for what they did to me. But I think the Horton brothers owe me an apology more than Melissa does. They enabled her ambition, letting it spiral out of control. Their attitude is what truly hurt me."
She paused. "But none of that matters now. I just don't want to be the subject of online discussions." Public opinion was volatile and unpredictable. Emelie had no desire to be the target of online chatter.