Chapter 496

What an utterly ordinary yet strangely eventful morning! Before Evelyn Sinclair could even open her eyes, her phone was already buzzing with Isabella Montgomery's relentless calls.

Only one person would dare disturb her at this ungodly hour.

She answered with a sleep-roughened voice. "Hello?"

Isabella's words came in a frantic rush. "Eve, you're trending again!"

Evelyn's eyes snapped open, all traces of sleep vanishing instantly.

"Didn't everyone leave last night? Why was Xavier still there? People thought he was Nathan Blackwood and that you'd reconciled, but then Tristan posted photos proving Nathan was elsewhere."

"Now they've identified Xavier." A cold weight settled in Evelyn's stomach. She knew exactly what this meant.

Her past would be dredged up again. Xavier's face would be plastered everywhere. Was he a rebound? A new lover? The tabloid headlines practically wrote themselves.

"I swear Xavier staged this whole thing. What do we do? If I'd known, I never would've let Natalie bring him back to Montecito!" Isabella's voice trembled with regret.

"Don't blame yourself. I'll call Dominic Kingsley to handle damage control." Evelyn kept her tone measured. "Tell Natalie to keep everyone from last night quiet. She should actually produce that talent show now."

Even if it flopped, they needed the pretense.

"Got it." Isabella understood immediately and hung up.

Evelyn scrolled through the news, assessing the damage:

[Is this Nathan Blackwood's doppelgänger? Evelyn found herself a replacement! How pathetic!]

[When Nathan begged for reconciliation, Evelyn preferred finding a lookalike over forgiving him. Who's really at fault here?]

[Stanton heiress gets whatever she wants with a snap of her fingers. Your faves could never!]

[Evelyn's love life is such a mess. Rich girl privilege at its finest. Poor Nathan!]

[Team Evelyn forever! Only queens get celebrity lookalikes!]

[Team Julian!] [Team Ethan!] [Team Adrian!]

The absurd comments made Evelyn groan. She dialed Dominic Kingsley.

He answered on the first ring, sounding equally exasperated. "Ms. Sinclair, I'm already suppressing the story. But be warned - using influence to manipulate news always backfires."

"If we pull it now, it'll look suspicious. This would've blown over in days if Tristan hadn't posted those damn photos. Did you and Nathan have another fight?"

Evelyn ignored the question. "Don't suppress it. Sign Xavier instead."

Not every opportunist deserved to ride her coattails.

"If he wants fame so badly, let's monetize it ourselves." Dominic chuckled darkly. He'd wanted to suggest this but hadn't dared.

"Excellent! I'll contact his agent immediately."

"Don't go easy on him, Dominic. Give him every endorsement, every appearance - let him get addicted to the spotlight."

Dominic understood perfectly. This was temporary. When the hype died, Xavier would be left with nothing.

Not everyone could handle Evelyn Sinclair's level of fame.

"Consider it done. I'll squeeze every last drop of value from him." Dominic's voice turned predatory.

Evelyn smiled. Let Xavier enjoy his fifteen minutes.

The fall would be that much harder.