Destined Across Time | LadaEarn

Chapter 17

Earn woke to the relentless glow of her phone screen illuminating the dim room, the flood of notifications pulling her from the fragile threads of sleep. Her brows furrowed as she reached for it, squinting against the brightness. Messages, tags, and alerts piled up in an unrelenting stream. She unlocked her phone, her sleepy confusion morphing into dread as she opened the first post.  

The image staring back at her was from last week's dinner party. There she was, seated beside Tate, his charming smile aimed at her, a bouquet of roses in hand. The scene was harmless enough—except it wasn't. Every entertainment page had pounced on the story, weaving their own versions of reality: "Earn and Tate: The Entertainment Industry's Next Power Couple?"

Earn groaned, her stomach knotting as she scrolled through more photos. There was Tate raising his glass in a toast, the director grinning between them, and Earn, caught mid-laugh in a moment she barely remembered. It was all so mundane, yet now plastered across social media, it took on an entirely different meaning.  

The comments ranged from enthusiastic fans shipping them together to cynical speculations about PR stunts. Some fans expressed disappointment, while others joked about their potential wedding. Earn set the phone down, her appetite for the day already evaporating.  

Just as she was reaching for her coffee, her phone buzzed with a call. She sighed and answered without checking the ID, knowing exactly who it was.  

"Earn!" Suzie's voice burst through the receiver, giddy and teasing. "You're the talk of the town! Have you seen the posts? You and Tate are trending everywhere!"  

Earn let out a long breath, rubbing her temples. "Yes, P'Suzie, I've seen them. And it's a complete disaster. People actually think we're dating now!"  

"Aw, don't be such a killjoy," Suzie teased. "You two look cute together! Imagine the headlines if you guys became a real thing. Fans would love it!"  

"Not happening," Earn snapped, her tone sharper than intended. "I've told you how I feel about him. He's a nice guy, but I'm not interested. And now this? It's just... it's a mess, P'Suzie."  

The teasing tone in Suzie's voice vanished, replaced by concern. "Okay, okay. I get it. Don't worry, Earn, I'll call the PR team and have them issue a statement to clear things up. We'll squash these rumors before they get out of hand."  

"Good," Earn replied curtly. "I don't have the energy to deal with this right now. Just handle it, please."  

Suzie sighed, her voice softening. "I will. But Earn... you've got to loosen up a little. You're wound tighter than a spring lately. You're always working, always on edge. When was the last time you had some fun, huh?"  

Earn didn't answer. What could she say? Her packed schedule didn't allow much room for leisure, and truthfully, she preferred it that way. Staying busy meant less time to dwell on the memories, the longing, the unanswered questions that haunted her every quiet moment.  

After hanging up, she forced herself to get ready for the day. The morning dragged by in a blur of photoshoots and back-to-back rehearsals, each task a welcome distraction from the chaos on social media.  

By mid-afternoon, she found herself back in her dressing room, taking a brief moment to breathe. Her team had just sent over the final details for tomorrow's hospital campaign meeting, and Earn skimmed through them while sipping her tea.  

A knock on the door broke her concentration. Suzie popped her head in, her expression lit with excitement. "Earn! I've got news about tomorrow."  

Earn arched an eyebrow. "What now?"