Chapter 74

**Summer's POV**

I slipped quietly into the gleaming kitchen, pausing at the threshold to take in the unexpected sight. Brandon stood at the stove, his movements precise and efficient as he tossed ingredients into a sizzling pan.

He sensed my presence without turning, his hands never stopping their work. After a moment, he glanced over his shoulder, dark eyes finding mine with unerring accuracy. "Why aren't you sitting with your friends?"

"We're all just sitting there while you're doing all the work," I replied,stepping further into the kitchen. My eyes tracked his movements, noticing how methodical he was even with something as mundane as cooking.Each motion was deliberate, nothing wasted. "Need any help?"

His hands paused briefly over the pan, and I caught the slight lift of his eyebrow before he nodded. "Check the soup. I had it on high heat earlier.Turn it down to low now."

"Sure." I moved to the stove, lifting the lid of a large pot. An incredible aroma wafted up, making my stomach rumble appreciatively. "Wow, that smells amazing. What kind of soup is this?"

"Bone broth," Brandon replied, his attention back on the vegetables he was sautéing. "You were drugged yesterday. There's likely still some residue in your system. The soup will help flush it out." I returned to the living room to find Ruby and Dr. Sean setting up what looked like an intense card game, with Scarlett observing from the sidelines. "Full house!" Ruby declared triumphantly, laying down her cards. Dr. Sean's smile widened as he revealed his own hand. "Four of a kind.I believe that's another win for me." on's face for clues.

Brandon raised an eyebrow, looking almost amused by my question. "You're awfully slow on the uptake. Only now you're asking?"

"Well, you did say I was drugged," I reminded him, biting my lip. "My brain's still a bit foggy."

After adjusting the heat under the soup, I leaned against the counter,watching Brandon work. There was something hypnotic about his movements - the careful precision, the fluid grace. Even doing something as ordinary as cooking, he commanded attention.

I tapped my fingers against the countertop, mimicking his characteristic gesture. "You said you rescued me yesterday. But what about Victoria?With her personality, if she didn't get what she wanted, she'd definitely come after me again. But it's been a whole day with no news from her."

Brandon's lips curved slightly, a dangerous half-smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Isn't that a good thing? Or do you actually enjoy being tormented by her?"

"That's not what I meant!" I protested, feeling heat creep into my cheeks.

"You should go rest," he said smoothly, effectively changing the subject. "I can handle this. And stop worrying about them. They can't hurt you anymore." Ruby's jaw dropped in disbelief. "How? That's, like,the fifth time in a row!"

Scarlett sat nearby, watching their competition with barely concealed amusement. Her own face was suspiciously free of the paper strips that covered Ruby's forehead and cheeks -remnants of our college drinking game that Ruby had apparently revived for this occasion.

"That's it!" Ruby finaly exclaimed, throwing her cards down in frustration."You're cheating! There's no way you could win every single round!"

Dr. Sean raised an eyebrow, looking comically innocent. "Miss Scott, I'm playing completely fair. It's hardly my fault if your poker skills aren't quite up to par."

"You..." Ruby bristled, then ripped the paper strips from her face with a dramatic flourish. "I'm done. I quit!"

Dr. Sean spread his hands in a placating gesture. "A true gentleman never pushes a lady too far." But the twinkle in his eyes betrayed his enjoyment of her frustration.

Ruby huffed,grabbing the remote control and switching on the television,clearly looking for a distraction from her defeat. She flipped through several channels before coming to an abrupt stop, her expression shifting from annoyance to shock.

"Holy shit!" she exclaimed, turning up the volume. "Summer, isn't that your sister?" On screen, Victoria's usually perfect composure was nowhere to be seen.Her face was twisted with panic as she fled from a crowd of reporters,their questions overlapping in an unintelligible cacophony. The headline at the bottom of the screen read: "Rising Star Victoria Taylor's Career Built on Casting Couch Scandals?"7% "What the hell?" Ruby breathed, already pulling out her phone to search for more information. "Talk about karma!"

Scarlett leaned forward, eyes wide with disbelief as she read over Ruby's shoulder. "Oh my god, it's everywhere. Every entertainment site has this as their lead story."

Dr. Sean watched their reactions with keen interest, his eyes narrowing slightly as they flicked toward the kitchen. Something in his expression suggested he wasn't entirely surprised by this turn of events.

Ruby scrolled through her phone, reading aloud: "Victoria Taylor,recently engaged to Alexander Stark, has been exposed for systematically sleeping her way to the top... Multiple sources confirm... Photos show her leaving director Jonathan Miller's hotel room at 3 AM..." She looked up,incredulous. "There are pictures! Actual pictures!"

"No wonder Summer could never win against her," Scarlett said quietly."Victoria's been playing a completely different game all along."

My eyes widened, and I had to reread them to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. "When did this happen?"

Ruby's expression turned triumphant. "Just today! The entertainment industry can be brutal - one minute you're on top, the next you're being destroyed on every platform. Look, it's been what, a few hours? And Victoria's already trending on Twitter, Instagram, everywhere!"

"I had no idea Victoria was this... calculating," Scarlett added, her normally gentle voice hardened with disapproval. "Who broke the story?" I asked, scrolling through article after article. Each one seemed more damning than the last, with quotes from "inside sources"detailing Victoria's manipulative climb through Hollywood. Ruby shrugged,""No idea. Twitter's full of people claiming they always knew she was fake, Apparently, she's made a lot of enemies along the way- sabotaging other actresses, spreading rumors. Maybe one of her victims finally decided to get even."

"Are you crazy?" Ruby snatched the phone from my hands before I could dial. "What are you thinking? Victoria brought this on herself! If you call the Taylors now, what do you think they'll assume? That youI're gloating?That you're behind this somehow?"

"Miss Scott is absolutely right," Dr. Sean chimed in, his expression uncharacteristically serious. "The entertainment industry is a complex ecosystem. As outsiders, it's best if we stay clear of the fallout."

"Exactly!" Ruby nodded vigorously. "Victoria's been playing dirty for years.There must be dozens of people who'd love to see her fall. Consider this cosmic justice - she's finally getting what she deserves for how she's treated you."

Brandon appeared in the doorway, carrying a large serving platter. "Dinner's ready.Come eat."

"Great!" I smiled gratefully, tucking my phone away and letting the subject drop.As we headed to the dining room, I couldn't help wondering what Brandon thought about Victoria's sudden public downfa11. His face had revealed nothing, but something in the calculating depth of his eyes made me wonder if he knew more than he was letting on. After all, nothing in Brandon Stark's world happened by coincidence - especially not when it involved someone who had harmed me.