The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Ella’s POV:

The first thing I did when I woke up was grab my phone, groggy fingers tapping my screen to check the trending news. And, oh boy, it didn’t disappoint. Right there, plastered across every major news site and social media platform, was Amber Prescott’s smirking face—or, more accurately, half her face, with that ridiculous mask barely covering her embarrassment.

The headlines were... chef’s kiss. Pure music to my ears.

"Heiress Amber Prescott Caught on Camera: The Party Fiasco of the Year!"

"Prescott Heir’s Stumble Humiliates the Kings’ Future Successor!"

The articles went on and on, tearing into every detail of Amber’s little mishap. There were zoomed-in shots, gifs, even slow-motion replays of the moment she tripped the waiter, sending champagne everywhere. It was absolute gold. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face as I scrolled through, my eyes feasting on each brutal, unforgiving word.

It’s not that I relished in being petty (okay, maybe just a little), but seeing Miss Perfect Prescott, the queen of entitlement herself, finally brought down a peg? It felt like justice. Sweet, glorious justice.

As I kept scrolling, I let out a small laugh. Oh, this was too good. People were already making memes, dissecting the video frame by frame, pointing out every cringe-worthy detail. The world, it seemed, had finally turned on Amber. And I couldn’t be happier.

Not to mention, this would completely overshadow any attention Jason and I got from that... incident. Maybe people would stop speculating about the "mysterious girl" Jason had kissed if they were too busy focusing on Amber’s slip-up. And hey, if this whole thing took the spotlight off me? Even better.

And as if things couldn’t get worse for Amber, the story had now moved to the business section. The headline was blunt and unforgiving: "The Kings Sever All Ties with the Prescott Empire."

Apparently, the Kings were so deeply offended by the fiasco that they had withdrawn from every partnership with the Prescott family. And, because the Kings practically ruled the business world like royalty in this country, other companies were now following suit, pulling out of deals with the Prescott so they wouldn’t risk offending the Kings. It was a domino effect—a beautifully destructive one, if I’m being honest.

Okay, maybe I felt a tiny bit guilty. But, come on, Amber had it coming. Maybe now, the Prescott would finally consider teaching their spoiled, entitled daughter a lesson or two.

It felt so good to watch Amber get knocked down a few pegs. For once, she was facing the consequences of her actions instead of hiding behind Daddy’s money and power.

I scrolled down to see that my little moment with Jason wasn’t even the third trending story anymore; it had slipped down to fourth. The third? Oh, that was rich.

Apparently, Jason King was now being hailed as some sort of heroic CEO with a heart of gold. The articles were practically swooning, calling him the "Best CEO of the Month" for his "kindness and understanding" towards his employees.

Kindness, huh? Right.

According to the reports, he didn’t lash out at the waiter after getting drenched in champagne. Instead, he supposedly brushed it off with grace, later seen in an even more expensive suit as if the whole thing was just a minor inconvenience. The media was eating it up, painting him as this compassionate leader who valued people over profit.

I almost laughed out loud. Oh, please. Jason? Kind? Sure, he’d held back in that moment, but it was only because I had intervened. If it hadn’t been for me, he would’ve probably torn into that poor waiter and left their entire family jobless by the end of the night.

Maybe I was being harsh, but come on, the Jason I knew wasn’t exactly Mr. Empathy. And now, because of my interference, he was getting all this praise for his "kindness." The irony was almost too much.

Honestly, he owed me one. If it weren’t for my quick thinking, his reputation would have taken a major hit that night. Instead, he was now riding high on this wave of public admiration.

Though there was still an article about Jason and me kissing—and showing up to the event together, for that matter—it was thankfully overshadowed by Amber’s calamity. The paparazzi had latched onto her scandal like bees to honey, dissecting every detail of the fallout between the Kings and the Prescott.

I couldn’t help but feel relieved. With the Prescott incident taking up so much of the media’s attention, there was a chance that my little "moment" with Jason would fade into the background. Hopefully, they’d get so caught up with Amber’s mess that they’d forget about Jason’s "mysterious lady" altogether.

The last thing I needed was reporters trying to dig into my past. One curious journalist poking around too much, and they’d uncover everything I had carefully kept hidden. My life as I knew it could be over in an instant. I couldn’t afford that—not now, not ever.

I might not have my father’s influence and money, but I was no pushover. Amber was going to learn that the hard way, and if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up annihilating her entire family’s reputation in the process.

Honestly, it was almost amusing. Amber Prescott had spent her life hiding behind her father’s wealth and influence, convinced that her last name made her untouchable. But in this world, money and power could only shield you for so long. I didn’t need her kind of resources to take her down a few notches. All I needed was a well-placed move and a bit of cunning. And this time, she’d set herself up for disaster all on her own.

She thought she could just humiliate me, that she could make me a laughingstock to elevate her own status. But she didn’t realize that I was more than just Jason’s "mystery girl" from last night. No, I was Ella Kingsley. And while I wasn’t flaunting my family name, I knew how to wield it when necessary.

Let her scramble, let her father stew in his fury. Amber Prescott was about to get a hard lesson in what it meant to cross someone like me. If she thought this scandal was bad, she had no idea what she was in for if she tried to come after me again.

I closed the news app, shaking my head. Amber was sinking, and Jason was floating to the top. And I? Well, I’d somehow managed to stay out of the spotlight in all of this. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I lay back on my bed.

It looked like fate was on my side for once.

Stretching out on my bed while sighing, I tossed my phone aside, deciding that, for now, I’d just enjoy this rare moment of peace. My smile widened. It was going to be a good day.

Jason POV:

The first thing I did when I woke up was check the news headlines. I couldn’t resist—it had been a whirlwind of a night, and, despite the fallout with Ella, I couldn’t help but want to admire the photos of us together at the event. Not to mention that kiss... There was no denying we looked good together, even if she was currently ready to bite my head off.

But my self-satisfied grin vanished the moment I saw the top headline splashed across every major news site: *"Miss Prescott Getting Knotty at the Kings’ Party."* Underneath it, a video thumbnail showed Amber pushing the waiter who had ended up spilling champagne all over me.

"Good god..." I muttered, clicking on the video. It played in full detail—Amber deliberately tripping the poor guy, smirking as he stumbled, and then me, drenched in champagne.

If it hadn’t been for Ella, I would’ve fired that waiter on the spot, ripping his career to shreds for a mistake that wasn’t even his. But now, it was crystal clear who was behind it all: Amber. That conniving little... She had tried to sabotage me, and in the process, she’d humiliated herself.

Anger simmered beneath the surface. I could only imagine the fallout this would have. Reading through the rest of the article, I saw my father’s immediate response. The King Enterprises had pulled out from every deal we had with the Prescott family—years of partnership gone in a flash. My father never tolerated humiliation, and he certainly wasn’t going to tolerate anyone trying to ruin his only son’s reputation.

But this wasn’t just about the company. This was personal. Amber had gone out of her way to humiliate me in front of everyone. She had wanted to sabotage me—embarrass me, make me look like a fool. And for what? So she could feel better about herself? Secure her status? Well, if she thought she was untouchable, she was about to find out just how wrong she was.

I clenched my jaw, scrolling through the comments, watching as Amber’s reputation crumbled in real-time. Her little scheme had backfired spectacularly, and the entire world was watching her fall. The Prescott family might have money, but even they couldn’t come back unscathed from something this messy, not after my father had cut all ties. Amber might’ve gotten away with this before, but not now.

And as for Ella... well, she had unwittingly saved me from making a huge mistake. If it hadn’t been for her insistence on showing mercy to that waiter, I would’ve fired him on the spot and dragged my own name through the mud, all thanks to Amber. Ella’s influence had a way of grounding me, making me second-guess my impulses—a rarity for me.

Amber might’ve thought she could play games and win, but I’d been raised to deal with people like her. Prescott or not, she was going to pay for this. And something told me that Ella would appreciate seeing Amber get what was coming to her.

As I stared at the screen, watching Amber’s smug face freeze-frame on the video, an odd sense of déjà vu washed over me. Why did this feel so familiar? It wasn’t just the scandal; it was the way the scandal had broken, the precision with which the footage had been leaked, the timing... It was almost surgical. Almost like the day Amber’s real origins had been exposed to the press, causing a scandal that nearly tore the Prescott family apart back then.

Was it the same person? Or maybe just a very, very good reporter who had it out for Amber? I couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t some random stroke of luck. Someone out there wanted Amber to fall.

But who would go to such lengths?

I glanced over at my phone, my fingers itching to text Ella. She had seemed particularly satisfied last night, almost smug after the whole champagne debacle. Could she have something to do with it? But no... Ella wasn’t the type to hack into CCTV cameras, was she?

Then again, she had been in a foul mood with me, and I couldn’t blame her. If she had been the one to take Amber down a peg, maybe it was her way of settling the score—for herself and, surprisingly, for me too.

The thought made me smirk. I was starting to appreciate just how resourceful Ella could be. If she was behind this, she wasn’t just the fiery, sharp-tongued woman I’d known; she was a lot more cunning than I’d given her credit for.

Still, this was pure speculation, and I’d have to tread carefully. If it turned out to be someone else—someone with more sinister motives—I needed to know. I wasn’t about to let anyone play games with my life. And if it was Ella... well, I might owe her more than just an apology.

As I sat back, trying to piecing together the clues, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. Amber’s downfall might have been a warning—a signal that there were people out there who wouldn’t think twice about tearing down anyone who got in their way. The question was, how far were they willing to go, and would I be their next target?