As lunch drew closer, the tension in the air felt thick enough to cut. At every meal before this, Ivory Murphy had made a beeline for the seat directly across from Braxton Reynolds—much to his irritation. Today, though, Braxton had decided he’d be the last one to sit down, or hell, he’d just stand and eat if it meant not facing Ivory again. He savored the thought of her reaction when she realized he was dodging their usual little arrangement on purpose.

But when Braxton looked over at Ivory, he was startled to find her already seated and completely lost in the spread on the table. Her eyes lit up like the food was the center of her universe. She didn’t seem to care where he sat. Hell, she didn’t even glance his way. That unexpected move caught him off guard—and left him weirdly annoyed, like all his plotting had been for nothing.

“Hmph.” He picked a seat as far from Ivory as possible—at the very end of the long dining table.

The other contestants watched it all unfold, thrown by the sudden shift in dynamics. Had Ivory actually changed?

The livestream chat exploded with confusion:

“Hey, where’s the usual pre-meal drama? Did they cut it from today’s episode?”

“Director! Director! Did we lose a scene?!”

Some viewers were disappointed—they’d tuned in specifically for the daily spectacle. Braxton’s fans, though, were relieved, hoping this meant he could finally eat in peace.

As everyone hesitated, unsure where to sit, Ivory’s patience wore thin. She’d been raised to wait until everyone was seated before eating, but even she had her limits. “The food’s going to get cold. Are you all going to sit down, or what?” she snapped.

The group snapped out of it and took their seats. Without Ivory’s usual chaos, the seating arrangement went smoothly; everyone settled wherever they wanted. Still, the chair directly across from Ivory sat conspicuously empty.

Braxton took the far right end of the table, putting as much distance between himself and Ivory as possible. Oscar Alvarez grabbed the next seat over, making sure he was the second farthest away. Keith Morris, after a beat of hesitation, took the chair beside Oscar, steering clear of the spot directly across from Ivory.

Finally, only one seat was left—directly facing Ivory. Jaylani Cunningham eyed it with a mix of envy and regret. She’d hoped to sit across from Ellis Murphy, like she usually did. But today, taking that seat would put her face-to-face with Ivory instead. No way in hell was she doing that.

Feigning a little chill, Jaylani said, “I’m feeling a bit cold. Would it be okay if I moved to the other side, where there’s more sun?”

She tacked on a couple of soft coughs, her pale face practically begging for sympathy. The men’s side of the table was by the window, and with the sunlight streaming in, it was definitely warmer. No one wanted to look unsympathetic on camera, so they quietly agreed.

Relieved, Jaylani started to move—until Ivory suddenly stood up, clearly fed up. She wasn’t about to wait for Jaylani to play musical chairs, and more than that, she wasn’t letting Jaylani ruin her meal by sitting across from her.

“Wait a second!” Ivory called, hurrying upstairs and leaving everyone bewildered.

“What’s her problem?” the livestream chat buzzed.

“Did Jaylani do something to her? Ivory’s reaction makes zero sense.”

“Honestly? Even if Jaylani didn’t provoke her, Ivory’s probably jealous because Braxton likes Jaylani,” someone else commented with a snicker.

Arguments broke out online, and viewers took Jaylani’s side, painting her as the victim.

Oscar rolled his eyes. “Is she seriously that unstable? I actually thought today’s lunch might be peaceful for once.”

Braxton stayed quiet, but a strange sense of relief settled over him—like his earlier doubts about Ivory had been misplaced. Her sudden outburst felt like the same old jealous fit over him. Clearly, she was still as smitten as ever.

“Let’s just eat,” Millie Reed suggested, breaking the awkward silence. Knowing Ivory, she’d probably be upstairs for a while.

Jaylani hesitated, then quietly offered, “Should I go check on her? She’s upset because of me. It’s my fault...”

Mikaela Jackson grabbed Jaylani’s hand, scowling. “What do you have to apologize for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ivory’s antics had been a thorn in Mikaela’s side since day one on the show. Mikaela had planned to steal the spotlight with a dramatic persona, but Ivory’s unpredictable behavior kept overshadowing her.

As the group tried to move past the scene, Jaylani secretly fumed. Ivory’s stunt had thrown off her plans, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that her grip on the show was slipping.

As long as the show’s ratings kept climbing, PR would find a way to spin public opinion and clear her name. Once that happened, she could turn her haters into fans and rise through the ranks. But she hadn’t counted on all the attention shifting to Ivory Murphy, who had everyone eating out of the palm of her hand with her antics. Ivory’s on-screen persona was eerily close to the one she’d planned for herself, so her manager told her to scrap her original strategy. Instead, she pivoted to the sweet, bubbly girl-next-door, relying on charm to win viewers over. Her fans ate it up, but the buzz stayed lukewarm.

Mikaela Jackson was not having it.

“Jaylani, you’re too soft. People walk all over you, and you still apologize for it. I can’t take it anymore—watch me set them straight for you!” she declared with the fierce conviction of a loyal friend.

Viewers loved how fiercely Mikaela had Jaylani’s back, comparing her to a protective little sister:

“Mikaela is just too cute; she’s like the little sister next door.”

“Exactly—nobody else has that kind of fierce loyalty!”

“I used to think she was too naïve and childish, but now I see she stands up for what’s right and isn’t afraid to love or hate. I’m a fan now!”

“Jaylani and Mikaela are such a great pair—one’s the gentle big sister, the other’s the sweet little sister.”

Mikaela couldn’t see the live comments, but across the room, her manager—standing beside the director—gave her a pleased nod. Mikaela’s heart leapt. She knew that look: the internet was eating it up.

Mikaela felt she’d finally found the right path to fame—step over Ivory and climb higher. Just as she turned to put her plan into motion, Ivory came down the stairs with a light jacket in hand.

Mikaela froze mid-step, ready to put on a show, but Ivory walked right past her and headed straight for Jaylani. In front of everyone, she casually draped the jacket over Jaylani’s shoulders.

Jaylani stared at the jacket, speechless.

The others looked equally baffled.

The livestream filled with question marks.

Ivory dusted off her hands, took her seat, and let out an exaggerated sigh of relief, her face practically screaming, Finally, problem solved—can we eat now? It was a familiar expression.

“Is she secretly a foodie?” one viewer joked.

“Watching Ivory finally get to eat is literally me after solving one work problem.”

“So when Ivory said ‘wait,’ she literally just went to get Jaylani a jacket?”

“Is this Ivory being nice? Her longtime rival gets a jacket? What’s her angle?”

“Okay, but some of Jaylani’s fans were way too harsh. Turns out Ivory wasn’t threatening Jaylani—she was getting her a jacket. Maybe she’s not so bad after all.”

Critics who’d just been dragging Ivory were suddenly speechless, like her unexpected kindness had stolen the words right out of their mouths. What could they even say? Nobody saw that move coming.

Even Jaylani was thrown. Why was Ivory being so nice? Her earlier attempt to paint Ivory as the villain was backfiring hard—now people were calling for her to apologize.

“Okay, this time I’m on Ivory’s side. Sure, she’s been annoying before, but she meant no harm today. Shouldn’t Jaylani apologize?”

“This is hilarious—Jaylani’s still against Ivory even when Ivory’s sticking up for her. Farmer and the snake much?”

“People make mistakes. An apology isn’t the end of the world.”

“And Mikaela, weren’t you about to stand up for Jaylani? This twist is too ironic.”

Jaylani and Mikaela’s faces soured, while Ivory just looked at them, innocent and confused.

“Why aren’t you sitting?” she asked Jaylani. “You’re not still cold, are you? Should I get you another jacket?”

Her fair face held a flicker of annoyance, as if to say, This is such a hassle, but if they don’t sit down, I can’t eat. Somehow, it made her even more endearing to viewers.

Some viewers even gushed about how cute Ivory was, though those comments were quickly buried by the rest.

Jaylani stood frozen, the jacket warming her shoulders—and stoking the rage inside her. Ivory had outplayed her.

Then a deep, melodic voice cut through the tension.

“Sorry I’m late,” Ellis Murphy said, completely misreading the room. He assumed they’d been waiting on him after he’d stayed in the bathroom answering work emails.

He hurried to the last open seat on the men’s side—directly across from Ivory. The second Jaylani saw Ellis sitting opposite Ivory, frustration surged through her. Every attempt to keep them apart had backfired, and now her reputation was in tatters.

The room spun. Jaylani felt a dizzy spell hit—and then she fainted.

“Jaylani!” Braxton Reynolds was the first to move, rushing to her side.

The other guests sprang into action—one shouted for a medic, another dialed 911.

Ivory, who had just picked up her fork, paused, at a loss for words.

Ellis looked mildly baffled by the sudden drama.

Luckily, the show’s medical team checked Jaylani right away.

“Nothing serious. She’s just overheated,” the doctor concluded.

The guests’ expressions turned awkward as they realized her layers—including the jacket Ivory had fetched—had probably caused her to faint from the heat.

So was she really cold earlier, or was it just an excuse?

Despite the false alarm, the mood around the table turned weirdly tense. Even Braxton, worried about Jaylani, couldn’t figure out how someone who claimed to be cold could end up with heatstroke.

The only one who seemed completely unfazed—and was still enjoying the meal—was Ivory, savoring every bite of her spiced honey cake.

“Wow, this is delicious!”

“Who knew shrimp could be this tender and flavorful?”

“Oh my God, is that calamari? It’s so tender!”

Ivory Murphy was totally absorbed in her meal, savoring every bite like it was the best thing she’d ever tasted. To anyone watching, she looked like she was eating a five-star chef’s tasting menu—not Keith Morris’s home cooking. Keith didn’t exactly have a soft spot for Ivory, but hearing her rave about his food still puffed him up a little.

He glanced her way, a flicker of warmth softening his eyes.

[How does she make it look that good? Seriously unfair.]

[Watching her eat makes me want shrimp linguine, and I didn’t even think it looked that special before.]

[These almonds in my hand suddenly taste like cardboard. I want shrimp linguine too.]

[I almost ordered the same thing while watching the livestream—forgot this wasn’t a mukbang.]

[LOL, Ivory should just switch to mukbang hosting. I’m starving just watching her.]

Ellis Murphy, sitting closest to Ivory, had a front-row seat to her food euphoria. If he’d seen those comments, he would’ve agreed with every single one.

A few years back, when his career was just taking off, Ellis had been forced onto a strict diet for a role. It wrecked his stomach. Even after he recovered, his appetite stayed finicky, and he turned into a ridiculously picky eater.

Normally, whenever Keith or anyone else cooked, Ellis would take a polite bite or two—mostly because he knew his manager or assistant had already lined up food from his personal chef. But today hit different.

The food was as bland and ordinary as ever. But watching Ivory enjoy it made Ellis think it tasted better than it had any right to.

He only realized it when he looked down and saw he’d cleared half his plate—nearly double what he normally ate.

Ellis raised a brow and huffed a quiet laugh at himself.

[!!! Ellis ate more than half his plate today?]

[Yay! Ellis actually ate. Maybe he’ll finally put on some weight.]

[Is today’s food really that good? First Ivory, now Ellis... I’m drooling over here.]

[But the other guests are reacting like normal. So the food probably didn’t change. The only difference is...]

[Don’t tell me Ellis is eating more just because Ivory’s sitting across from him?]

[Okay, hesitant hand raise—I’m not Ivory’s biggest fan, but watching her eat definitely makes me hungry.]

[Same. I usually have zero appetite, but watching Ivory actually helped. My mom thought she was a mukbang host and started praising her—it was hilarious.]

Meanwhile, the chat was mostly lighthearted and friendly. Upstairs, though, Jaylani Cunningham was wide awake and green with envy.

The unfamiliar jacket draped across her bed caught her eye. She snapped, snatched it up, and threw it to the floor with a scream.

“Damn you, Ivory!” she spat. She couldn’t believe how sneaky Ivory had been—using a stupid jacket to humiliate her. The memory of fainting in front of everyone, with thousands of viewers watching, twisted her face with rage.

She’d spent days carefully crafting her image, building up her ‘academic influencer’ persona online since her rebirth, only to become a punchline.

Ivory. It was always Ivory.

Jaylani’s eyes burned with fury.

Then her phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID and smiled coldly—but when she answered, her voice dripped honey.

“Hello, Professor Stern? Did you reach out to Mr. Murphy about the project? Great! I’ll add him on WhatsApp right now!”

After hanging up, Jaylani’s hands trembled with excitement.

She opened the contact card her mentor had sent and quickly added ‘Huxley Murphy.’

Huxley Murphy was a top lawyer—brilliant, gorgeous, and followed by over ten million people online. His fans had dubbed him the internet’s ‘Dream Lawyer.’ Plenty of female celebrities had tried to ride his coattails, but Huxley always stayed cool and untouchable.

His social media almost never featured young women.

But soon, Jaylani’s name would have a place in his circle.

She didn’t even wait for Huxley to accept her friend request. She took a screenshot of his contact card and their empty WhatsApp chat, carefully blurred a few details, and posted it to Twitter.

Since her rebirth, Jaylani had been working her social media like a full-time job, prepping for the fame she knew would come after the dating show. It paid off. Between study-inspiration posts, motivational quotes, and her ‘academic achievements,’ she’d racked up nearly a million followers and a reputation as an academic influencer.

The second her post went live, the comments flooded in.

[OMG, y’all, I zoomed in and squinted—is that really my Dream Lawyer’s contact?]

[Aaaahhh, Huxley Murphy! There might be a million guys with that name, but this hot lawyer is the internet’s ultimate dream man!]

[Wait, Jaylani actually knows the superstar lawyer Huxley Murphy?]

[Wow. She’s connected to someone like Huxley? I’m floored.]

Everyone was so stunned by Jaylani’s reveal that no one brought up her fainting incident from earlier that day.

Reading the flood of admiration and envy, Jaylani let out a breath and felt a rush of triumphant pride.

This time, she would be the one soaking up the spotlight until the very end. Not even Ivory’s meddling could ruin that.

After lunch, the show rolled on schedule. No break—just tasks handed out to the participants.

Ivory rubbed her sleepy eyes.

“Ivory!” Mikaela Jackson’s voice snapped her out of it. Ivory’s eyes flew open.

She blinked around the room, looking like a drowsy kitten.

“What?”

She shot Mikaela an annoyed look.

Mikaela bristled at Ivory’s soft, innocent voice. To her, this girl’s act was even more annoying than her own. Surely the audience would drag Ivory in the comments, right?

The thought comforted her. Her tone softened.

“The director wants us out for our tasks. You looked like you were about to fall asleep, so I woke you,” she said with an innocent shrug.

Ivory looked out at the blazing sun. Her chest tightened.

They were really supposed to go out in this heat? For tasks?

Her silent protest went unheard. The director ruthlessly herded everyone outside.

Only once they were outside did Ivory finally glance at the task card.

The afternoon assignment was simple: each participant had to capture the island’s most beautiful scenery, then explain on camera why they found it so captivating—something that would reveal their personality and preferences.