The Reclusive Top Star Has A Crush On Me

Playing the sweet, gracious girl to climb the social ladder had always been Jaylani Cunningham’s specialty. She’d just never meant for things to spiral this far.

Jaylani sucked in a breath, shoving down the panic. She gave Braxton Reynolds’s sleeve a gentle tug, forcing a brittle smile.

“Braxton, let’s not drag the police into this. We can just chalk it up to a misunderstanding. We’re all friends here—there’s no need to make things ugly…”

Braxton hesitated, visibly torn. “Jaylani, you don’t always have to put everyone else first…”

[Sure, Jaylani’s kind-hearted, but telling Braxton to back off when she’s the one who got wronged? That’s a little too saintly.]

[Why would she let it slide? Someone as messy as Ivory Murphy probably deserves a lesson. If not, she’ll just keep pushing her luck!]

[Don’t be so hard on Jaylani for being soft-hearted. She’s just naturally sweet. It’s bullies like Ivory who take advantage of that. So frustrating!]

[And why does Ivory look so relaxed about all this?]

Logically, if Ivory really had wronged Jaylani, she’d be nervous and apologizing the second Braxton mentioned calling the police. But Ivory stayed calm, even wearing a faint, almost mocking smile as she watched Jaylani and Braxton—like she thought they were overreacting.

Meanwhile, in Braxton and Jaylani’s livestream, a few strange comments started popping up:

[Just came over from Ivory’s stream—try looking at this from a different angle. That’s all I’m gonna say.]

[Mixed feelings—I used to admire Jaylani, but now she just seems… manipulative.]

[What’s going on? Wasn’t Ivory supposed to have pushed Jaylani? And wait—Ivory actually went live today? How did I miss that notification?]

[There’s no shortage of fools this year. Braxton, maybe get your eyes checked?]

The sudden shift in tone sent a ripple of shock through the audience. Was there more to this than they’d realized? Before long, a wave of viewers jumped over to Ivory’s stream. What they found there was laughter—and comments like ‘fool,’ ‘cringe,’ and ‘clown.’ Luckily, one helpful viewer told them to watch the replay if they wanted the full picture, so they waited eagerly, already suspecting part of the truth.

Could Jaylani’s fall have been not Ivory’s doing at all—but something Jaylani staged herself? Still, plenty of skeptics chose to wait for the replay before jumping to conclusions.

While Braxton was busy handling the situation, brushing off Jaylani’s attempts to stop him, he went ahead and dialed the police. Jaylani’s face twisted in irritation for a split second. Did Braxton not understand plain English? She’d told him—explicitly—not to call them!

Grinding her teeth, Jaylani quickly pulled herself together. It would be fine—as long as she stuck to the story that this was all a misunderstanding. Besides, she’d made sure ahead of time that no one but her and Ivory had seen what happened. So if Ivory told the police Jaylani tripped on purpose, why would anyone believe someone with a reputation for being jealous and spiteful?

With that reassurance, Jaylani steeled herself and kept up her fragile-victim act, avoiding eye contact. Once Braxton finished the call, the police said they’d be there soon and told everyone not to leave, so they all stayed put.

Braxton, still seething and trying not to look at Ivory, crouched beside Jaylani. His heart ached for her, and she gave him a soft smile, assuring him she was fine.

Ivory, completely over the melodrama, turned to Ellis Murphy. “Thanks for having my back just now.”

She hadn’t expected Ellis to step in for her. She could’ve handled Braxton herself. Thanks to her unusual background, she’d been trained in self-defense since she was little; dealing with Braxton was like going after a slow-moving target.

Ellis studied Ivory thoughtfully. She was twenty-one, yet today she seemed younger, brimming with bright, carefree energy. She tilted her head slightly, giving him a genuine smile, as if the whole mess had already rolled right off her.

Ellis found himself momentarily speechless. “You’re not scared?”

Understanding his concern, Ivory lifted her chin. “Why should I be? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

She knew exactly who should be afraid, but she left that part unsaid. Seeing her confidence, Ellis decided not to interfere any further. If she could handle it, he’d stay out of her way.

The photographer behind them looked hesitant. Ellis shot him a subtle glance, silencing him with nothing but quiet authority. The photographer thought maybe they should’ve helped Ivory, but under Ellis’s gaze, he didn’t dare move.

Ivory, unaware of any of that, caught the photographer’s apologetic look—but quickly turned back to Ellis. “Since you helped me today, how about I treat you to dinner sometime?”

Ellis politely declined. “No need. I didn’t do much. It was nothing.”

“Nonsense!” Ivory insisted, more determined now, like it had turned into a challenge. “You helped me, so I owe you. My dad always says debts should be repaid.”

Ellis blinked, thrown by her quirky belief, but her earnestness amused him rather than annoyed him.

In the end, almost charmed by her enthusiasm, he nodded. “Alright.”

“That’s more like it.” Ivory beamed, satisfied. Her grin made it clear she was glad he’d seen reason.

On their side, the atmosphere had turned almost friendly. But Jaylani, even while talking to Braxton, couldn’t keep her eyes off them. Watching Ivory chat so warmly with the usually aloof Ellis only fed her jealousy, envy curling through her chest like creeping vines.

Why? Despite Ivory’s shaky reputation, Ellis was willing to talk to her! Their exchange was perfectly civil, yet Jaylani’s dissatisfaction only grew. In both her past life and this one, she’d never managed to draw the attention of someone as untouchable as Ellis—the pinnacle of the entertainment world.

Ellis! How could he even talk to Ivory?

“Did you call the police?” The officers’ arrival cut through Jaylani’s thoughts, snapping her back to reality.

She quickly collected herself and stood with Braxton’s help, practically radiating vulnerability. The officers, noticing her condition, were about to ask about her injuries when Braxton cut in, voice tight with frustration.

“Officer, Jaylani’s the victim—Ivory Murphy pushed her. She fell and almost ended up in the water!”

Braxton’s urgent tone made the officers inspect Jaylani’s legs, expecting to find visible harm. But instead of bruises or swelling, there was nothing there.