When Rivalry Goes Viral

By mid-morning, Vivien's phone felt like it was on fire. Notifications poured in faster than she could swipe them away—likes, comments, reposts, tags. She stared at the endless stream of updates, her anxiety climbing with every new alert.

Her Instagram feed was flooded with fan accounts posting edited collages of her and Ren from the campaign shoots. One account had taken the cliffside photo and superimposed the words "Opposites Attract" in elegant cursive across the bottom. Another had zoomed in on Ren's hand resting lightly on her back, captioning it, "The way he protects her 🥹."

She moved to TikTok, where things were somehow even worse. A trending video had spliced together moments from the gala, the cooking shoot, and the cliffside teaser, all set to the soundtrack of a dramatic love ballad. The narrator's voiceover was dripping with intrigue:

"From rivals to… lovers? The Unfiltered campaign is proving to be more than just a collaboration."

The comment section was a nightmare.

"The longing looks, the subtle touches—I can't take it!"

"Ren is DEFINITELY in love. Look at his face at 0:23."

"Vivien Hart and Ren Ashford are the enemies-to-lovers trope in real life. I'm so here for this."

Twitter wasn't any better.

"The tension, the chemistry, the hand on her back. I'm dying."

"Vivien Hart and Ren Ashford are the main characters we deserve."

"If this isn't love, what is?!"

A thread dissecting their every interaction had gone viral, with fans breaking down their "hidden signals" like a sports analyst reviewing game footage.

One post read:

"At 1:12, you can see Vivien glance at Ren right before she laughs. That's not a professional laugh, people. That's genuine! She's smitten."

Vivien groaned, tossing her phone onto the bed and burying her face in her hands. It was like the entire world had collectively decided to turn her professional life into a romance novel—and she was the last to get the memo.

---

Her phone buzzed again, but this time, it wasn't just fans. Her inbox was flooded with messages from colleagues, acquaintances, and even brands.

One PR manager wrote:

"Loving the buzz around you and Ren! Let's chat about a potential partnership that aligns with this narrative. Think rom-com vibes!"

Her yoga instructor sent a message with far too many exclamation points:

"OMG, Vivien! Are the rumors true?!?! I always knew you two had something special!!!"

Even her mother, who usually stayed out of Vivien's professional life, had texted:

"I saw the clip everyone's talking about. Ren seems… charming. Call me when you have a chance."

Vivien sighed, flopping back onto her pillows. She wasn't sure what annoyed her more—the unsolicited messages or the fact that even her mother was buying into this ridiculous narrative.

---

Despite herself, Vivien picked up her phone again and opened TikTok. She clicked on the viral video and watched as her own face appeared on screen, the clips stitched together with expert precision. The cooking shoot, where Ren had flung flour into the air like a mischievous child. The gala, with their heated exchange that had been tagged as "lover's quarrel energy." And, of course, the cliffside moment, which had been slowed down for maximum effect.

The narrator's voice echoed in her mind:

"They say love can grow from the unlikeliest places. Is that what we're seeing here? Time will tell."

Her stomach churned as she read the comments, each one feeding the frenzy.

"I never believed in true love until now."

"This campaign is about authenticity, and THIS is authentic romance!"

"Vivien is totally blushing at 0:45. You can't fake that."

Vivien rolled her eyes. She wasn't blushing—she'd been standing in the sun for hours. But arguing with the internet was like shouting into a hurricane.

---

Scrolling further, she found herself tagged in a compilation of fan edits. Someone had synced every interaction she'd ever had with Ren to a slow, romantic piano track. The edits zoomed in on their fleeting glances, their accidental touches, and Ren's infamous grin that seemed to drive fans wild.

One particularly dramatic edit cut between her glaring at Ren and him smirking at her, ending with the text:

"The line between hate and love is razor-thin."

Another edit paired clips of them arguing with the caption: "When will they realize they're perfect for each other?"

Vivien groaned aloud, tossing her phone onto the bed for the second time. She didn't understand how people could read so much into a few carefully staged moments.

---

Her phone buzzed again, and this time it was Chloe, her assistant. Vivien answered on the second ring.

"Please tell me you've seen it," Chloe said, her voice practically vibrating with excitement.

"Seen what?" Vivien asked, though she already knew the answer.

"Don't play coy," Chloe said. "You're trending. Again. The internet is officially obsessed with you and Ren. I haven't seen hype like this since that one actor broke the internet with his bathtub photo shoot."

Vivien groaned. "It's just a stupid video. People are reading way too much into it."

Chloe laughed. "Too much? Vivien, they're practically writing fanfiction about you two. And you know what? It's working. The campaign hasn't even fully launched, and LuxLife is already doubling their engagement metrics."

"Great," Vivien muttered. "I'm glad everyone's happy while my life turns into a soap opera."

"Relax," Chloe said. "This is good for you. The buzz is great for your brand, and let's be real—you and Ren do have insane chemistry. Even you have to admit that."

"I admit nothing," Vivien said, though her voice lacked conviction.

---

The buzzing phone interrupted her pity party again. This time, it was Sarah Cho, the campaign director.

"Vivien!" Sarah's voice was bright and enthusiastic. "Have you seen the numbers?"

"Yes," Vivien said flatly.

"They're incredible," Sarah continued, completely ignoring her tone. "The campaign hasn't even officially launched, and we're already hitting engagement metrics we didn't think we'd reach for weeks. You and Ren are a hit!"

Vivien pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm glad the campaign's doing well, but don't you think this is getting a little out of hand? People are treating this like some kind of reality show romance."

"That's the beauty of it!" Sarah said. "This kind of organic buzz is priceless. Just keep playing along—it's working."

"Playing along?" Vivien echoed, her tone sharp. "You mean feeding into the idea that there's something real going on between us?"

Sarah's voice softened slightly. "Vivien, I get it. But the audience believes in this dynamic. And honestly, it's good for both of your brands. Just… think of it as part of the campaign. You don't have to do anything outside of what you're already doing."

Vivien sighed. "Fine. But I'm not faking anything."

"Of course not," Sarah said quickly. "Just be yourself. And trust me, it'll all work out."

---

Meanwhile, Ren Ashford sat in his loft, scrolling through the same tidal wave of content. Unlike Vivien, he seemed to be enjoying every second of it. He chuckled at a particularly dramatic edit where someone had added a slow-motion effect to the sunset clip, complete with swelling orchestral music.

"Ridiculous," he muttered, though he couldn't suppress his grin.

His phone buzzed with a text from his manager.

Manager: Congrats on the new power couple status. Keep it up. The brands love this.

Ren shook his head, tossing the phone onto his couch. He wasn't surprised by the reaction—he knew how to work a camera, and Vivien's reactions were always gold. But there was a part of him that wondered if she was okay with all of this.

His thoughts were interrupted by a new notification. It was a fan poll asking, "Do you think Vivien and Ren are secretly dating?" The options:

• Yes, obviously

• Not yet, but soon

Ren snorted. "No pressure, right?"

---

The Confrontation

Later that afternoon, Vivien and Ren were called into a virtual meeting with Sarah and the marketing team to discuss the campaign's next steps.

"I'm glad everyone's so thrilled," Vivien said, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "But maybe we should dial down the whole 'romance' narrative before it overshadows the actual campaign."

Sarah smiled patiently. "I understand your concern, Vivien. But this buzz is exactly what we hoped for. It's bringing people to the campaign, which means more eyes on the message of authenticity."

Ren, who had been quiet until now, leaned back in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips. "I don't see the problem. People love a good story. And let's face it—we're giving them what they want."

Vivien shot him a glare. "We're supposed to be selling authenticity, not a soap opera."

"Maybe the two aren't mutually exclusive," Ren said with a shrug.

Sarah clapped her hands, clearly eager to steer the conversation back on track. "Let's focus on the positives. Tomorrow, we're flying you both to Santorini for the next phase of the campaign. It's going to be incredible—stunning locations, intimate shoots, and plenty of opportunities to showcase the dynamic everyone loves."

Vivien's stomach sank. If a simple cliffside shoot in LA had caused this much chaos, what kind of storm would a romantic Mediterranean setting unleash?