His Private Chef (by Amycee) novel Chapter 68

Is this what going viral felt like? I wasn’t even trying.

I texted Sophia:

Emily: Tell me again why I shouldn’t burn the internet down. My socials are a mess. What do I do?

Sophia: LOL. You trending, babe! Welcome to the circus.

Emily: Sophia, seriously.

Sophia: Okay, okay. Lock your comments. Don’t scroll. Let them talk. In two days, someone else will flash a nipple or fake a breakup, and boom–new headline.

Emily: Great. I signed up for a music tour and got a PR disaster.

Sophia: “Ignore everyone and just have fun. Go private on all socials if you have to.”

Easier said than done.

I dragged myself out of bed and got ready. Just as I finished pulling on a white tee and jeans, another message came in.

Mason: Breakfast? Me, Joe, and Olivia are downstairs.

A part of me wanted to stay in bed and hide. But another part, the one that hadn’t completely unraveled, told me to face it head–on.

Downstairs, Olivia already looked like a perfume commercial. Sleek hair, glossed lips, and a perfectly calculated scowl. Joe smiled warmly when he saw me.

“Good morning, star of the tabloids,” he teased.

Mason stood and pulled out a chair. “You okay?”

“Define okay,” I said, sitting.

He chuckled. “Eat something. You’ll feel better.”

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Chapter 68

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Olivia gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Fame looks good on some people. Even when it’s… unintentional.”

I ignored her.

Joe leaned in. “About the trending thing, our PR team is already managing it. These things blow up, but they settle. Sometimes, though… they can be useful.”

Mason turned to me, his voice soft. “If it gets too much, just say the word. You can dip. No pressure.”

“And miss all this fun?” I said with a weak smile. “Not a chance.”

Olivia snorted. “Not everyone can handle the pressure.”

I looked her square in the eye. “And not everyone needs to be passive–aggressive before coffee.”

Joe nearly spit out his juice. Mason’s mouth twitched, fighting a smile.

“Actually,” Joe said, clearing his throat, “we could lean into this a bit. Nothing staged, just… let the public see more of you naturally. You’re trending, and ticket interest just doubled. Think of it as… exposure.”

Mason shook his head. “She’s a friend, not a marketing prop. Let her breathe.”

“It’s fine,” I said, laughing to ease the tension. “If my accidental stardom helps ticket sales, you owe me fries. I also want royalties.”

“Done,” Mason said with a wink.

Breakfast continued with lighter banter, until Mason and Joe had to leave to prep for the evening’s tour launch. Olivia and I were to join them later. The moment they left, silence returned.

She didn’t waste it.

“You should enjoy your fifteen minutes,” Olivia said, tapping her nails on her glass. “Some people never even get that.”

“You think I want this?” I shot back. “Trust me, I didn’t. And you? You’re not worth the stress.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

17:35

Chapter 68

288 Vouchers

You heard me. You can keep glaring and dropping snide remarks, but I didn’t come here for Mason. I came here for peace. And you’re not about to ruin that for me.‘

I didn’t wait for her reply. I got up and left.

n

Back in my room, I slumped onto the bed and sighed. Maybe I’d been too blunt. Maybe not enough.

Then, my phone buzzed.

I picked it up, half–expecting a message from Lisa.

Instead, it was from Liam.

A single photo. From the blog. Mason’s fingers in my hair, my face tilted in laughter. Too intimate. Too easy to misread.

His message:

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