Ren wasn't sure when she disappeared.
One minute, Vanessa was in the garden, sipping iced tea and pretending not to stare at him.
The next — gone.
It wasn't until an hour later that the whispers started.
"She got pulled aside."
"For what?"
"No clue. Producer stuff."
Then the footage leaked.
Not to the house — but to the audience.
A private room. Gray walls. Two-way mirror.
Vanessa sat perfectly composed, legs crossed, gaze calm.
Across from her sat a man in a headset. No name badge. No smile.
"There have been… concerns."
Vanessa blinked. "Do tell."
"Multiple contestants feel unsafe around you."
"That's not new."
"Your behavior is triggering audience debate."
She tilted her head. "Good. That means they're paying attention."
"You were warned about boundary violations in a previous season."
She smiled at that.
"A previous show. A different me."
"Are you threatening anyone?"
Pause.
Then: "No."
"Are you planning to manipulate Ren's decision in any way?"
A longer pause.
"I'm planning to remind him what we had. And what the others don't."
The producer leaned back.
"You're walking a fine line, Ms. Crowe."
She stood slowly.
"Then you'd better make sure it doesn't snap."
She walked out without another word.
—
The footage aired hours later, not to the house, but online. The viewers loved it.
#VanessaUnbothered trended for six hours straight.
In the house, no one spoke of it.
But everyone felt the shift.
And Ren?
He caught her watching him that night, from across the room.
Not smiling.
Just watching.