NOVEL NEXT Chapter 235: Framed
Xavier had just run his hand over the fine material of the black suit when his phone buzzed on the table. The caller ID flashed Oliver. Without hesitation, he picked it up.
"Yeah?"
Oliver's voice came sharp and urgent. "You seeing the news right now?"
Xavier frowned, eyes narrowing. "What happened?"
"Just turn it on. Now."
Xavier grabbed the remote and flicked the holoscreen alive. The channel jumped straight into a replay of last night's fight with the Lizards. The footage was shaky, captured from scattered angles, but edited together to paint a clear picture. His strikes looked brutal, his aura flaring in ways that seemed monstrous.
Commentators filled the gaps with smug voices.
"Another example of reckless, unprovoked violence."
"He clearly escalated the fight instead of defusing it. Look at how mercilessly he struck even when the Lizards were trying to back off."
On one split-screen, "reactors" were chiming in, shaking their heads with exaggerated disgust, spouting biased takes as if they'd been waiting for this chance to drag his name down.
He didn't need Oliver to spell it out—the narrative was being twisted against him
Oliver's voice cut through the noise of the broadcast. "They're not just airing the fight. They're hammering you, Xavier. Every damn panelist, every reactor, they're all pushing the same script. That doesn't happen by chance. Someone's pulling strings."
Xavier leaned back on the couch, eyes locked on the screen but mind working behind them. "You're saying this isn't just bad luck. Someone wants me dragged through the mud."
"Exactly." Oliver's tone sharpened. "Question is—do you know who?"
For a moment, Xavier said nothing. He thought back to the club, to the manager's strangely soft attitude, almost too soft. That man had the means and the connections to spin things. But then Xavier shook his head faintly. If it were the manager, there would've been cleaner, quieter ways to hurt him. More efficient. This… was messy. Public. Risky. No, it had to be someone else.
He finally spoke, voice even but edged. "I've made too many enemies lately. Could be anyone."
Oliver sighed. "That's what comes with being a celebrity. Millions love you, but there'll always be plenty waiting for the first crack to tear you apart. This? This is their shot."
Xavier's eyes narrowed at the sight of his own frozen image on the screen—arm cocked back mid-strike, painted as a monster.
Oliver continued, "You need to clear this up fast. Put out your own side before this snowballs. If your fans start buying into this narrative, it won't just be haters gunning for you—it'll be your own people turning their backs."
Xavier lowered the phone from his ear, his expression calm but tight. "Thanks, Oliver. I owe you one," he said before ending the call.
Both Lyra and Lilia leaned closer from the couch, their eyes searching his face. Lyra was the first to ask, "What happened? Why did Oliver call like that?"
"Yeah," Lilia followed, her tone softer but worried. "What's going on?"
Xavier brushed a hand through his hair, exhaling. "Don't worry about it. I'll handle it." He sat there for a moment, silent, before letting out a heavier sigh. "I'm not in the mood for this right now… but there's no other choice."
He picked up his phone, thumb hovering for a second before tapping the screen. The notification lit up instantly—LIVE.
Within seconds, millions poured into the stream. Comments rolled so fast they blurred.
[Holy shit he's live!!]
[King's here!!!]
[Xav what's up man!]
[Bro we just saw the news… is it true??]
[What news?? What did I miss??]
[Don't tell me they're going after him again…]
[Stop spreading fake shit, he hasn't even spoken yet.]
[Boss looks serious rn.]
[OMG notice me senpai!! <3]
[Xavier is trending worldwide rn, it's insane!]
[So… did he actually do it or what??]
[What's going on???]
[He looks pissed ngl.]
The comment flood only grew thicker. Some demanded answers, others spammed love, some were clueless, and a few trolls threw bait into the fire.
A faint grin tugged at his lips, but his eyes stayed cold. He tilted the phone slightly so they could all see him clearly and then spoke, his voice calm but loud enough to cut through the noise.
"So… apparently I'm the villain of the week again." He chuckled under his breath, low and dry. "Some of you saw the news. Some of you haven't. They're running a clip of me last night, chopped and edited to make it look like I'm some drunk psycho picking fights for fun."
[Bro I knew it was fake news!]
[Explain, king!!]
[We support you!!]
[He doesn't look like he's lying tho…]
Xavier leaned in closer, elbows on his knees. "Here's what actually happened. I was at the club with my girl. Yeah, you heard me right. My girl. We were there to relax. These lizard freaks started harassing women and humans they thought were weak—pushing, provoking, trying to start something. I stepped in. I made sure they didn't hurt anyone. That's it."
[So it was self-defense??]
[I KNEW IT]
[Respect++ for standing up for ppl]
[Where's the proof tho?]
Xavier's grin sharpened. "Funny you ask about proof. Whoever's behind this little smear campaign—how about you upload the full raw footage instead of your chopped-up garbage? Go ahead. Upload every second from every angle. I dare you."
[OOOOHHHHHHH]
[He's calling them OUT]
[Full footage or shut up]
[King has nothing to hide]
"You wanna paint me as some monster?" Xavier continued, voice rising. "You're gonna have to work harder. Because every time you try, you forget—millions of people were there. My name, my face, it's everywhere. And I've got nothing to hide. So go ahead. Drop the real tape. Let everyone see what actually went down."
["Drop the tape" trending rn lol]
[He sounds pissed but controlled af]
[He's too real to be lying]
Xavier sat back, that cocky smirk curling again. "Until then, I'll keep living my life. You trolls keep watching. And to the puppet master behind all this—" He raised his brow at the camera. "—I'm still waiting. Do your worst."
The comments exploded:
[HE'S THE GOAT]
[Respect++ for standing up like this]
[Bro just cleared it in one take]
[Drop. The. Tape.]
"Oh, by the way guys, I have something I want to request."