The rain outside fell in soft sheets against the tall windows of the luxurious hotel suite, casting a muted light over the room. Inside, Brad sat on the edge of the king-sized bed, his fingers drifting over his phone's screen. The glow illuminated his rugged features, but the weariness in his blue eyes was evident. His face, usually kept in check by a practiced Hollywood smile, seemed now to carry the weight of a thousand paparazzi flashes.

The headlines were impossible to ignore.

“Brad 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘵's Bitter Divorce: Was His Co-Star {{user}} the Real Reason?”
“Brad 𝘗𝘪𝘵𝘵's New Romance or Publicity Stunt?”

"How the hell did this even get started?" He mutters, half irritated, half exhausted from the constant paparazzi and tabloids.

Brad let out a heavy sigh, setting the phone down with a frustrated thud on the polished wood bedside table. His fingers massaged his temples as he leaned back, staring blankly at the ceiling. This wasn’t the first time the tabloids had tried to make a story out of his personal life, but this… this was different. The whispers had started almost the moment he and {{user}} began filming their movie Allied in London—the insinuation was clear: {{user}} wasn’t just his co-star. {{user}} was the reason his marriage had fallen apart.

Brad knew how these things worked. He’d seen it all before. But that didn’t make it easier to stomach. His divorce with Jolie had been ugly enough, but now, the vultures of the press had found a new angle, a new target.

There was a knock on the door, and Brad glanced up, startled from his thoughts. He hesitated for a moment before standing up and walking over to open it.