The rumors online were spiraling out of control, and my face was burning so red it felt like it could catch fire.

Meanwhile, the one responsible for this mess, Silas, was still on set, doing wirework, completely unaware of the chaos brewing online.

With no other option, I unlocked his phone and posted a picture of his sinusitis diagnosis in the comments.

[The dry climate is really tough on those with sinus issues.]

I’d been managing Silas’s social media for a while, so this wasn’t anything new.

As soon as I posted that, the furious online chatter came to a screeching halt, the silence almost deafening.

It took a moment for people to process, and then a fresh wave of comments flooded in.

[Silas, have you considered working for a clickbait site? Because if you do, I’m calling the cops.]

[I need to stop overthinking everything. My heart can’t take it.]

[Anyone else suddenly feels a little defeated?]

[So ‘dry’ was just describing the weather, not… anything else?]

[Am I the only one who’s been sweating buckets in Orlando?]

[Whoever posted that, you’ve earned yourself a job writing headlines with Silas!]

And on it went, but at least the conversation had returned to something resembling normalcy.

Seeing things settle down, I finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But when I turned around, I ran right into Silas, who had just finished his scene.

He was wearing a white shirt, slightly damp with sweat, which clung just enough to highlight his strong chest, giving him a sort of understated allure.

His damp hair fell over his forehead, partly hiding those intense eyes.

I was momentarily stunned.

It wasn’t until he called my name that I snapped out of it, quickly swallowing and managing a response.

Noticing my flustered reaction, a small, knowing smile curved on Silas’s lips. His voice was soft and teasing.

“Today’s shoot is done. How about I take you out for a walk this afternoon?”

“Uh… sure,” I mumbled, still a bit dazed. Then I remembered the whole Instagram fiasco and hurried to explain as I followed him, sticking close behind.

I told him I’d used his phone to clarify things, conveniently leaving out the more… interesting comments from the fans.

“You’re pretty sharp, aren’t you?”

Silas’s narrow eyes twinkled with amusement as he listened to me. He just nodded and didn’t ask any more questions, his expression giving nothing away.

Was he upset? It didn’t seem like it.

Was he complimenting me? That didn’t seem right either.

I was completely confused. Just as I was about to catch up and ask him more, Silas gently held me back with his long fingers.

He pointed to a sign near the door, his smile turning into a playful grin.

I looked in the direction he was pointing and saw four big letters.

[Men’s Bathhouse]

My face flushed bright red, and I scrambled away in the opposite direction, mortified.

Behind me, Silas’s smile was both charming and gently teasing.

…

The filming location had shifted to a more remote spot.

Neither Silas nor I made any effort to disguise ourselves, and there weren’t many people around who recognized us.

It felt great, like we were just a regular couple on a casual date.

He held my hand as we wandered through a series of quirky little shops.

Everything was filled with fascinating, unusual items that caught my interest.

We came across a fruit stand, and I noticed some large, round pears. I asked the vendor, “Are these sweet?”

I expected him to give a standard sales pitch, but instead, he confidently picked out a pear, sliced a piece with a fruit knife, and handed it to me, then gave a piece to Silas.

“Try it. If it’s not sweet, it’s free!”

I’d never seen a sales approach like that before. Surprised but polite, I took the pear and thanked him before taking a bite.

I chewed thoughtfully and exchanged a knowing look with Silas.

Before I could figure out how to politely give feedback, Silas took the knife from the vendor, sliced another piece, and handed it back with a smile.

The vendor tried the pear, then suggested, “Maybe you should try some apples instead…”

Silas glanced at me, his eyebrows raised in a playful, questioning manner.

In the end, he bought both apples and pears.

On the way back, I couldn’t help but laugh. When I met Silas’s gaze, I genuinely complimented him, “You’re quite the clever one.”

“The pears are okay. We can use them to make juice for the crew. They’re low in sugar, so even those on a diet can have some,” Silas said.

I nodded, agreeing with him.

Silas had a striking appearance, his eyes slightly upturned, his lips a vivid red. He could easily charm anyone. Yet, his eyes often had a warm, gentle smile.

There were times I nearly got lost in his captivating gaze, but I’d remind myself to stay focused.

Think of the billion. Think of the billion!

Men are like clothes, but money is family!

…

The filming wrapped up in just two weeks, and during his downtime, Silas received an invitation to join an escape room reality show.

To my surprise, my name was on the invite as well.

I wasn’t part of the industry and didn’t have any filming commitments, so the sudden invite caught me off guard.

But then it clicked. I realized it made sense.

Shows like these needed someone who wasn’t a big name but could still stir up buzz and conversation.

As Silas’s stand-in for his first love, I was the perfect candidate.

“Do you want to go?” Silas asked, noticing my hesitation. “If you’re not into it, I can turn it down for you.”

“No, no, I’ll go!” I replied quickly.

Silas was always so considerate of my feelings. If I showed even a hint of reluctance, he’d have definitely turned it down without a second thought.

Honestly, I’d thought that if Silas and I ended up together, he’d be the perfect boyfriend. top-notch in every way.

But I wasn’t about to miss any chance to boost my standing with him.

After all, the allure of a billion dollars was hard to resist.

Besides, I was pretty fearless when it came to escape rooms.

Who knew, maybe the show would set up a hero-damsel scenario, and if Silas’s heart was moved, my system might just get fixed.

I was actually looking forward to the show.

Before seeing the other guests: I was ready to shine.

After seeing the guest list: I was ready to bury myself.

What I didn’t see coming was that the two women who’d been the center of heated online debates over Silas were also on the guest list.

One was Bella Kelly, a rising star who shared the same agency as Silas. She had a habit of posting pictures with him at various events, always just enough to fuel the endless speculation online.

The other was Kayla Heath, an actress who had recently finished filming a drama with Silas. Despite not promoting much together or pushing any romantic angles, their fans had taken it upon themselves to ship them, creating all sorts of rumors.

Both Bella and Kayla had fiercely loyal fan bases constantly at war, fighting over who deserved to be Silas’s leading lady.

I was honestly a bit shocked.

The producers clearly knew what they were doing.

This wasn’t just an escape room show anymore. With two rumored love interests, me, the stand-in for his first love, and Silas himself, it felt more like we were setting up for some reality TV showdown. I could practically name the episode: Escape Room: Battlefield.

The tension, the drama, the chaotic energy, this show was guaranteed to be a hit.

And, of course, as soon as the guest list was made public, the hashtag [Escape Room Show Guests] shot straight to the top of the trending list.

Seeing our four names lined up together, netizens went into a frenzy, sensing the drama about to unfold.

One comment in particular stood out.

[They really picked these three women with a common thread. They’re all Silas’s backup options, the E choice, the Plan B, the extras.]

That one hit me right in the pride.

I couldn’t help but think to myself.

You better sleep with one eye open tonight, internet trolls.