Chapter 6
He saw Carissa's face beaded with sweat from the pain.
"Blood? Why is there blood?" Kelvin exclaimed, his voice trembling with panic.
He stared at the bloodstained sheets, and then, in a frenzy, scooped Carissa into his arms.
Ten minutes later, after the wound was treated again and the hemostatic medicine applied, Kelvin finally let out a shaky breath.
Kelvin cradled Carissa in his arms, his voice choked with emotion.
"I'm so sorry, Carissa. I thought that hater was targeting celebrities. I never imagined he'd go after you," he whispered, his voice trembling.
"This is all on me. I didn't even realize you were hurt, and I stupidly thought you were just tired of me, didn't want me getting close..." he said.
Kelvin was overwhelmed with guilt, his heart aching for her.
He didn't sleep a wink that night, keeping a constant vigil at Carissa's side.
Even if Carissa just furrowed her brows in her sleep, Kelvin would anxiously lift the covers to make sure she was okay.
The next morning, Kelvin did something totally unheard of—he hit the kitchen and made a giant pot of healing chicken soup simmered with red dates and goji berries.
He even pushed back his recording schedule, suited up, and escorted Carissa to the jewelry store, spoiling her with enough gold and silver to make anyone jealous.
Carissa felt a complicated mix of emotions swirling inside her.
The concern and tenderness in Kelvin's eyes couldn't have been faked.
But even a man who seemed so devoted, with his heart and soul wrapped around her, could somehow divide his love, giving half to another woman.
Just when Carissa thought she could get through her last few days riding on Kelvin's guilt, disaster struck.
"Rumor Alert: The superstar Kelvin's assistant is hopelessly in love, allegedly paid a hitman to hurt someone."
The second that hashtag hit the internet, it shot straight to number one on the trending topics.
They'd just finished shopping at the mall.
While waiting at a red light, Carissa scrolled through her phone and stumbled upon the trending topic.
Right after, Kelvin's phone started ringing.
It was his manager. "What the hell is going on? You and Linda were just getting traction as a publicity couple, and now the company finally noticed your popularity—they were ready to hand you the theme songs for two major franchises next year! And then this mess? Are you seriously trying to get yourself canceled?"
His manager really let him have it, leaving Kelvin dazed and scrambling to process the barrage.
He tapped the link his manager had sent. The more he scrolled, the stormier his mood got.
[I've been saying forever that Kelvin's assistant has that look in her eyes, you just know she's crazy for him. She totally lost it when her crush got close to a hotshot actress, so she snapped and actually hired someone to hurt her.]
[No way it wasn't an inside job! The Starlight Awards were packed with celebs and security was insane—like, even a fly would need an ID. An ordinary hater couldn't get close. Only someone on the inside could've made this happen.]
[Disgusting! That obsessed stalker couldn't get Kelvin, went nuts, and tried to take out Linda. Thinking about how twisted and evil she is gives me goosebumps. If she keeps hanging around Kelvin, who knows, she might force her creepy love on him next. Seriously, just imagining it makes my skin crawl. Kick her out now.]
[Agree 100%! Carissa needs to be kicked to the curb for good.]
[My poor Linda's so freaked out that she hasn't eaten in two days; she's all skin and bones now. That delusional fangirl should pay up for Linda's trauma and go straight to jail.]
*****
People online were already posting photos, saying that as Kelvin's live-in assistant, Carissa basically crashed at his place all the time.
[This is freaky! She's basically a live-in ticking time bomb.]
[Ugly bitch, hurry up and die already.]
[I know where Kelvin lives. Tonight, I'm gonna bag that crazy chick and scratch up her face so she finally knows her place.]
[On my way, count me in.]
Kelvin cursed under his breath, "What kind of crap is this?" His anger was almost palpable.
With a furious scowl, Kelvin smashed his fist down on the steering wheel, practically shaking with rage.
"We can't go back home—I'm taking you to a hotel, right now," Kelvin said, his voice taut with concern.
Kelvin turned the car in the opposite direction and, not wanting to risk her safety, got Carissa checked into the Garden Hotel himself.
Once inside, Kelvin wasted no time ringing up his manager.
"That incident from two days ago only hit the internet today—someone's definitely pulling the strings behind all this. Carissa's the victim, so it's not her!" Kelvin insisted, voice taut with frustration.
But his manager was angry.
He replied coldly, "The hater already confessed. Carissa masterminded the whole thing. Still think she's innocent? I told you to ditch her, but you refused to listen. You're a top star now, and she's just a regular civilian—pure dead weight, dragging you down..."
Carissa couldn't hold back any longer. She hurriedly grabbed Kelvin's sleeve, sounding almost desperate.
"I swear, I had nothing to do with it! I don't even know that person!" she blurted out, panic in her voice.
"It's alright. I trust you," Kelvin said gently, his tone full of reassurance.
He hung up the phone and gave Carissa's back a comforting pat.
"This has to be my rivals stirring the pot, but what are they after?" Kelvin murmured to himself, frowning. "If their goal was to bring me down, wouldn't it make more sense to just expose our relationship? Why bother setting up this whole mess?"
Kelvin and Carissa exchanged helpless looks, neither of them able to make sense of it all.
Once everything was settled, Kelvin got a call from his manager, telling him to hurry over to the company so they could work out how to handle this mess.
Carissa just sat there on the hotel bed, staring blankly, those words echoing in her mind. 'She's nothing but dead weight.' Carissa couldn't shake it.
Carissa had lost all sense of time, completely zoned out, until her stomach started rumbling for real—so loud it dragged her back from her spiraling thoughts.
Snapping out of it, she unlocked her phone and lazily ordered some delivery, barely caring what it was.
But when Carissa popped open the takeout box, she was instantly blindsided. There, nestled among the packaging, was a dead rat, completely skinned and grotesquely exposed.
The blood-soaked body and the sickening stench hit Carissa so hard that she bent over immediately, dry heaving on the spot.
Carissa staggered to the window, hoping some fresh air might settle her nerves, her hands fumbling to push it open as she tried to breathe.
But when she glanced down, her breath caught—outside below, a mob of people was suddenly pouring in all at once, sending a chill down her spine.
Carissa's gut screamed danger. She hurriedly threw on her mask and hat, heart pounding, and bolted out of the room, heading straight for the emergency exit.
But just as she made it to the hotel entrance, she was instantly spotted by a pack of crazed stalker fans who'd been hiding out, waiting to ambush her.
"There she is! That crazy bitch!" someone screamed.
All at once, the entire mob turned as one and lunged at her like wild animals.