Page 77 of Falling for Them

Well, folks, buckle up! The glittering streets of Manhattan are buzzing with news of Leonardo Caponetti entangled in a messy love triangle. That’s right, it’s debauchery at its finest!

Sources spotted the dashing Caponetti canoodling not with one, but two gorgeous companions during a wild weekend in the Hamptons. Reports are flying in about who the man and woman are, and we are here for the tea!

Friends are shaking their heads, wondering how he’ll explain this latest escapade to mommy and daddy dearest. Rumor has it that dear Leo’s claim to the Bella Grand Hotel empire has been in jeopardy for a while now.

With scandalous photos already spreading like wildfire on social media, the big question is—can our charming billionaire come back from this, or is he about to watch his empire crumble in the wake of his roguish romance? Seems like the city can’t get enough of this drama! Stay tuned for more on this developing story.

I rolled my eyes because it was the same ridiculousness they always tended to write. “I’ll have my PR team take care of this.”

“My sister’s face is plastered all over the fucking internet!” Ryker’s demeanor finally cracked, and he pointed an accusatory finger at me. “I trusted you and you’ve been fucking her!”

I cringed. “It’s not like that at all. We-”

“We?”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. This was not how I wanted Ryker to find out about us. Hell, this wasn’t how I wanted anyone to find out about us.

“It’s complicated.” I knew how weak it sounded even as the words left my mouth.

Ryker’s jaw clenched. “Complicated? That’s my sister, Leo. And her best friend. What the hell are you playing at?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “We’re not playing at anything. We’re in a relationship. All three of us.”

Ryker’s eyes widened slightly. “A relationship. All three of you.” His tone was flat, and that scared me more than him yelling or punching me in the face.

I nodded, bracing myself for whatever came next. “Yes. We’ve been trying to figure out how to tell you, but-”

“But you thought it would be better for me to find out from some sleazy gossip story?” Ryker’s voice was sharp now, anger breaking through again.

“Of course not,” I said quickly. “We had no idea anyone was watching us and taking photos.”

This was a disaster, and not just for us. It could affect the foundation and the community center. People were barely accepting as it was.

“What are you going to do?” I hated how uncertain my voice sounded.

Ryker’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something that might have been sympathy, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. “I don’t know, but you better figure out how you’re going to fix this. And fast.”

With that, he turned and walked out, leaving me alone with the damning article and a sinking feeling that the perfect weekend had become the beginning of a nightmare.

Was I going to have to step down from my position because of this? If things had spread too far already, there would be no choice.

I turned back to my laptop, my heart beating so hard I thought it might escape. Damage control was what I needed to focus on. I had to get ahead of this before it spiraled even further out of control.

A meeting invitation notification popped up in the corner of my screen from my father, marked as urgent. For a moment, I hesitated, my cursor hovering over the invite.

Was this about the article, or something else entirely? Either way, I knew I couldn’t ignore it. With a resigned sigh, I accepted the meeting invite.

Thirty minutes. That was all the time I had to try and get a handle on this mess.

Grabbing my phone, I dialed my PR team, my fingers drumming impatiently on the desk as I waited for someone to pick up. When they finally did, I didn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Why the hell is there an article about my personal life plastered all over the internet?” I snapped, not bothering to hide my anger. “I want it and any other photos gone. Now. And I want to know why it was up long enough for someone to print it out and bring it to my office. I expect a full report on my desk within the hour.”

I hung up without waiting for a response, knowing they’d get the message. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to calm my racing thoughts. This was bad. Really bad.

Glancing at my watch, I realized I needed to head out if I was going to make it to my father’s office on time. It was in the same business park of buildings, but with elevators and people going to work, it might take a while.

I grabbed my phone and headed for the door, my mind already running through potential explanations and damage control strategies.

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