Whispers of a Hidden Love

Chapter 22

The evening was quiet, with the soft hum of the city faintly drifting up from below. Sky sat in the corner of his place, his attention divided between a book and his phone.

But then his phone buzzed. First once, then twice—soon, notifications flooded his screen. Sky's fingers paused mid-scroll as the headline caught his eye: "Actor Sky Wongravee Caught in Scandalous Photo with Mystery Man!" His heart dropped as he opened the article.

The photo was blurry, taken from a distance. But even with the poor quality, Sky could easily tell it was him and Nani. This moment it was from  walking down the quiet street after dinner with his parents.

The comments started flooding in immediately—speculations, harsh judgments, whispers about his personal life. Some said it was a misunderstanding, but others were already certain about what it meant. As an actor, his reputation was everything, and he knew this could spiral into something uncontrollable.

Sky's hands shook slightly as he scrolled through the messages, his mind racing. He felt overwhelmed, but he tried to steady himself. He needed to handle this.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly typed out a message to Divika, explaining the situation. He was still unsure how to handle the growing storm around him.

Just as he hit send, his phone rang. It was Groya. Sky had already seen her name pop up on the screen, and he knew she must've seen the news.

"Sky, what's going on? We saw the news. Are you okay? Please tell me everything's fine," Groya asked, her voice filled with concern.

Sky rubbed his forehead, trying to stay calm. He didn't want to drag Nani's friends into this mess, but he knew they cared about him.

"I'm fine. It's just rumors. Nothing to worry about. I just need you to keep this quiet for now. Nani doesn't know yet. I'm handling it," Sky replied, his voice steady but strained.

Groya's voice faltered. "Sky, what do you mean by hiding it from Nani?"

Before Sky could explain, another call came in. He asked Groya to hang up and answered Divika's call.

Divika wasted no time. "Sky, we need to talk. It's better if you make a public statement. You don't have to go into details, just confirm you're in a relationship."

Sky's chest tightened. He wasn't sure if he was ready for that, but he knew it might be the only way to stop the rumors from spreading. The photo was blurry, but it was enough for people to confirm it was him.

Divika pressed him. "Sky, you have to confirm the other person in the photo,too . People are already guessing."

Sky's heart sank. He knew that revealing Nani's identity would bring big trouble. Nani was the heir to one of powerful family. If people found out h

Nani is in a relationship with a man, not only Nani but the whole family reputation will be involved in this mess.

"No, I can't," Sky said softly, his voice filled with uncertainty. "I can't say it's Nani. And I won't do that."

Divika's voice hardened. "Why would you care about Nani's reputation more than your own, Sky? You need to think about yourself too."

Sky stayed quiet. He didn't know how to explain that it wasn't just about his own reputation—it was about protecting Nani, the person he cared for most.

"I'll make a statement," Sky said quietly, "but I won't confirm who the other person is. I need to protect Nani. Please understand, P."

Divika paused, frustration and confusion in her voice. "Sky, you can't keep things like this. . You can't keep taking all the blame."

Sky's heart ached as he thought of Nani, who was far away, probably unaware of everything happening. "I know. I don't want to him to get involved in this mess. Not like this."

Divika's voice softened, sensing his hesitation. "Sky... I understand you're trying to protect him. But at some point, you'll have to stop carrying everything alone."

The public wasn't kind to anyone in the spotlight, and he knew that the damage could be severe if the truth wasn't addressed soon.

"I just... I just need a little more time," Sky whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'll handle it the best I can."

"I'll support whatever decision you make, but please think about what you really want. You can't keep hiding forever."

His chest tightened as he realized there was no easy way out. He couldn't undo what had happened, but maybe, just maybe, he could control how things moved forward.

The next morning, Sky found himself at Nadao Bangkok, seated in a meeting room with several familiar faces, other actor that he treat as close friends. The atmosphere was tense, the air thick with unspoken concerns.

"I'm starting to wonder who leaked that photo," Song muttered, her brows furrowed in thought. "Why would they bring spread the picture now, especially since it happened so long ago?"

"It doesn't matter why," Divika cut in sharply, her voice firm. "What matters now is how Sky addresses this mess. That's the only way to control the damage."

Sky sat silently, his face unreadable as he listened to their words. His manager entered the room moments later, holding a piece of paper. "Sky, this is the draft statement. It's short and neutral—something to calm the public without giving too much away. Once you post it on your social media, we'll monitor the response."

Sky took the paper in his hands but didn't look at it immediately. Instead, he raised his eyes to his manager.

The manager gave him a reassuring nod. "Don't worry, Sky. Just like you asked—there's no information about the person in the picture. The statement focuses on you."

He didn't want anyone to get dragged into this mess, especially not Nani. His fingers trembled slightly as he unfolded the paper and read through the carefully crafted words. It was simple, factual, and avoided any unnecessary details.

"To my fans and the public,

I would like to confirm that the person in the photo circulating is indeed me. The image captured a private moment of my personal life. While I deeply value my privacy, I also understand the responsibility I have to address concerns.

I am currently in a relationship, and while I will not disclose the identity of the person for their protection, I ask for your understanding and respect for our privacy.

Thank you to those who have supported me. Your kindness means the world to me during this time."

Sky read over the statement several times, his heart pounding as he hovered over the "Post" button. Within seconds, notifications started pouring in.

He leaned back in his chair, It was done. Now, all he could do was wait for the world to react.

-----

The F4 gang gathered in Groya's living room, tension thick in the air. Groya paced back and forth, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. "I swear, Sky, this is the first time I'm really angry at you." she muttered, frustration etched across her face as she tried to call him again. But, as before, it went straight to voicemail.

Win, who had just rushed in after seeing Sky's post, stood next to Prim, their faces filled with concern. "Sky already confirmed it's him." Win said, his voice heavy. "But he didn't say a word about Nani."

Prim bit her lip, glancing at Groya. "Why would he do that? He's practically throwing himself into the fire to protect Nani."

Dew, seated in the corner with his arms crossed, let out a frustrated sigh. "Don't tell me... Sky's trying to hide the fact that the other person in the picture is Nani."

Groya froze mid-step, her frustration boiling over. "When I get my hands on that puppy, I swear I'll kill him! How can he be so reckless?"

Suddenly, Dew's phone buzzed on the table, the screen lighting up with a name that made everyone's breath catch: Nani.

As Dew answer the call the room felt heavier with every passing second. Just by looking at Dew's face, they all can sense Nani's angry.

After a while, Dew dropped his phone onto the table.

"What did Nani say?" Win asked, breaking the tense silence.

Dew let out a deep sigh, leaning back against the couch. "He's coming back. Sky doesn't pick up his phone either."

Groya's eyes widened. Dew nodded grimly. "He said he can't let this slide. But... I'm sure the person who leaked the news is going to regret it."

Win ran a hand through his hair, his voice laced with concern. "You think Nani will go that far?"

"Do you blame him?" Dew shot back, his tone sharper than usual. "Someone crossed a line—messing with his private life and Sky's career. He's not going to sit back and let it happen."

Prim bit her lip nervously, her soft voice breaking through the tension. "What about Sky? How do you think he's going to react when Nani shows up?"

Groya crossed her arms, her frustration still simmering. "Knowing Sky? He'll probably try to push Nani away even more. That puppy always thinks he can handle everything by himself."

Dew nodded, his expression troubled. "That's what I'm worried about too. Nani's angry, but it's not just about the news, he's upset that Sky is taking the fall alone. When those two finally meet..." He trailed off, shaking his head. "It's going to be messy."

"Well, we better be ready for it. Nani's temper and Sky's stubbornness? That's a recipe for disaster." Win

Groya groaned, grabbing a cushion and hugging it to her chest. "Why can't they just communicate like normal people for once?"

Win gave a faint smirk, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Because they're Nani and Sky. Nothing about them is normal.''

Sky after ignored everyone's calls.