Mason glanced at Sarah briefly, then turned to his grandmother. "Grandma, come with me. Let's talk outside. I'll explain everything."
Grandmother raised an eyebrow. "You better," she huffed, grabbing her cane and smiling at Sarah.
Sarah watched as Mason gently placed a hand on his grandmother's back and guided her down the hallway. He didn't look back at her once, and that somehow made her chest tighten. She was still confused. Everything felt like a dream, no, more like a movie she didn't audition for.
As Mason and his grandmother disappeared around the corner, Sarah stood still in the middle of the hall. It was only when one of the housekeepers passed by with a towel in hand and bowed politely that Sarah realized she was in someone's home. A very, very big home.
She blinked and slowly walked back to the guest room she had come out from earlier. Her legs felt weak, and her head was spinning. The soft carpet under her feet didn't help ground her either. Everything looked so luxurious—the walls, the chandelier, the furniture. Even the doorknob sparkled.
She gently pushed open the door and stepped inside the room again. The place was huge, decorated in soft white and cream colors. She sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor, trying to piece her thoughts together.
Suddenly, there was a knock.
"Come in," she said softly.
A young maid stepped inside with a tray in hand. She smiled politely and bowed. "Good morning, Miss. Would you like some tea?"
Sarah shook her head, then looked up. "Wait. Can you tell me… where am I?"
The maid blinked, surprised. "You're in Mr. Mason Liu's residence, Miss."
Sarah's mouth opened in shock. She must have misheard right?
She knew who Mason Liu was. "What? Mason Liu? The richest man in the country?"
The maid nodded. "Yes, Miss. This is his main mansion. You were brought here late last night."
Sarah's mind went blank. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. "But… why? I don't understand. How did I get here?"
"I'm not sure, Miss," the maid replied with a nervous smile. "I only heard from the housekeeper that the driver brought you along with Mr. Mason."
Sarah placed a hand on her chest. "I remember going to the cemetery… I was with my mother." Her voice trailed off. "I must've passed out."
She lowered her head, her fingers trembling as they clutched the blanket beside her.
This doesn't make sense. How did she go from heartbreak at a grave to waking up in the house of the most powerful man in the country?
Just then, her phone buzzed.
Sarah gasped and grabbed the phone beside her on the nightstand. She didn't even notice it was there before. Mason must've brought it back from the cemetery, she thought. Was Mason the same man she saw in the hallway? He was really good-looking.
When she unlocked the screen, her eyes widened. Over twenty missed calls. Antonio. Her agency. And dozens of texts.
She gasped when she saw the news notifications.
—"Pop Star Sarah Chen Caught in a Cheating Scandal!"
—"Sarah Chen Exposed: She bribed her way to the top!"
—"Public Turns on Sarah Chen After Shocking Betrayal Revealed!"
"No… no…" she whispered, her heart sinking. Her hand shook as she scrolled through the notifications. Her picture was everywhere. And not the glamorous ones from red carpets—no, these were candid, embarrassing, and clearly edited to paint her in the worst light possible.
Just then, her phone rang again.
"Antonio," she whispered in relief, then quickly picked it up. "Antonio?"
"Sarah!" her manager's panicked voice yelled through the speaker. "What the hell is going on?! Why haven't you been answering your phone?!"
"I—I passed out. I was at the cemetery. I—"
"Do you have any idea what's happening? The agency—Diamond Sound Entertainment—they're threatening to drop you! They said your image is ruined! That you're a shameless cheat!"
"What?" she cried, standing up in panic. "I didn't do anything wrong! Daniel cheated on me with my step sister! I'm the victim."
"The media doesn't care, Sarah," Antonio snapped, clearly stressed. "They've twisted everything. Your stepfather gave a statement claiming you were planning to leave Daniel after getting fame from his family. And your step sister? She's playing the innocent card."
Sarah felt dizzy. The room spun around her.
"No…" she whispered. "This isn't happening. This can't be happening…"
"I've been trying to do damage control, but your silence made everything worse," Antonio added. "You should've made a statement. Now it looks like you're hiding."
"I wasn't hiding!" she shouted, tears welling in her eyes. "I didn't even know! I was with my mother. At her grave. I— I was heartbroken."
Antonio sighed on the other end. "Listen to me, Sarah. We don't have time for tears. You're not just some girl anymore. You're a public figure. A celebrity. Everything you do matters. If you want to save your career, you need to get up. Now."
Sarah bit her lip hard. She wanted to scream, to cry, to just disappear. Everything was crumbling. Her father didn't believe her. Her fiancé cheated on her. Her stepsister betrayed her. Now her career—everything she worked hard for—was slipping away.
"I'm scared," she whispered.
Antonio softened a bit. "I know. But I'm here. We'll figure it out. Just don't disappear again. Please. The press is already calling you unstable."
Sarah wiped her tears. "What do I do now?"
"First," Antonio said, "you stay where you are. Send me your location. I'll handle the agency. And Sarah?"
"Yes?"
"Whatever happened between you and Daniel… it doesn't define you. But you need to fight. Do you hear me? You're Sarah Chen. You didn't come this far to let a betrayal take you down."
Sarah nodded, even though he couldn't see her. Her chest still ached, but a spark of fire lit up somewhere deep inside her.
"I'll fight," she whispered.
"Good, wait for my call. You're Sarah Chen."