Easton snapped back from his flashback, his reflection flickering in the car window as the city drifted past. John was driving him back to the apartment.
"Hey, by the way, you got your phone. I had someone deliver it to you. You were right — you forgot it in the hospital…""Hmm," Easton replied; he didn't feel like talking.
"And that girl you asked about? The one you told me to check? Pretty normal from what we found. Works with one of our beginner talents. Nothing to worry about. And—"
John kept talking, but his voice was fading out in Easton's head. Nothing to worry about. Easy for him to say. Easton thought to himself, he had something, the music book.
Easton was back in motion, drowning himself in work. Meetings, clients, planning sessions. He had already accepted his mother's ridiculous condition.Ten dates.Ten exhausting evenings. And then she'd supposedly leave him alone.
Right on cue, his phone lit up.Susanne calling.He cut it instantly and went back to practising.
On the other end, she smiled — untouched by rejection, almost energised by it.
Meanwhile, Selene was stuck in the hospital, bored out of her mind, trying to kill time by doing bits of work. It was sad, she reflected, the one person who had always seemed different, more genuine—turned out to be just as flawed as everyone else. But she had been in the industry long enough to know humans are selfish, and so is he; it wasn't surprising anymore.
Later that night, Easton entered his dimly lit apartment. Warm yellow lights. Quiet. He poured himself wine and drank slowly. Little by little, he started to sway; just before his head hit the table, a slender hand came forward and stopped it.
The morning Selene left the hospital, her manager had already spammed her with calls about all her pending work. She was frustrated but honestly relieved to get out.
Right as she finished her discharge formalities, her phone rang.
"Hello?""Hey, hi, this is John from Lyra — remember?""Oh yes, of course. What's up?""Just wanted to ask… did you meet him already?""Him… who?""Easton. He—"
A loud scream cut through the lobby.
"AAAAHHHH! IT'S EASTON BRIGHT!"
In seconds, chaos erupted. A crowd formed so fast Selene couldn't even see what was happening.
John groaned on the phone. "No way. Did he get caught again? Seriously, how many times do I tell this guy—" Selene got a quick glimpse of Easton—maskless again, totally exposed and surrounded. She grabbed a plastic water bottle from the counter and hurled it in their direction. It almost hit Easton's head, but the loud thwack against the wall startled the crowd just enough.
In the flicker of confusion, she sprinted forward, grabbed Easton's wrist, and yanked him out. They ran like their lives depended on it. As they exited, Selene turned her head to check behind them, her hair flying beautifully around her panic-sparked eyes.
They finally stopped behind a large, decorative arch. For a moment, Easton felt like he was a damsel in distress who just got rescued by some unlikely knight.
"Why did you help me?" he asked, still catching his breath.
"Ask him," she replied, handing him the phone with John still shouting on the other end.
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH? ARE YOU A NEWBIE? I—"
Easton immediately returned the phone to her.
"Anyway," he said, calmer now, "thanks." "It was just instinct," Selene replied.
"Just at the right time, I wanted to talk to you personally, to clear up what happened." Easton continued, "I want to apologise. For everything that happened. I'll take responsibility for my part if needed. That day… things escalated and—"
"I get it. I've been thinking too. Even I went too far. It's okay." Selene cuts in. "I was hoping to compensate you somehow," he added. "Heard you wanted concert tickets. I can—"
"Actually, there is something I really want," Selene said, her cheeks flushing. 'Oh, this is shameless,' she thought. "It's about the Sean collaboration," she blurted.
"What?" Easton's smile faded.
She doesn't want the tickets anymore? But her eyes were literally sparkling that day, he thought.
"He's your newbie idol at Lyra. We at Aurora are looking to do a collaboration with him, but we can't land an agreement. Can you guys help with that?" She continued
"So… you don't want the tickets." Easton said in a whim
"Huh?" Selene exclaimed,
"Okay then," Easton blurted out, "I'll look into your request. John will contact you by evening."
The confirmation arrived faster than Selene expected. Sean's manager personally sent the contract, followed by a call where he politely—asked her to "take care of him."
She stared at the email for a long moment.She never imagined Easton would actually push this through so quickly.Or at all.
Easton, on the other hand, got completely absorbed in his project work and the occasional work trips. One evening, he was sitting in a private lounge with a few friends from his inner circle. He was busy checking an email on his phone when a group of women walked in, greeting his friends.
The moment he heard her voice, his head snapped up before looking away again, It was Sussane.
After exchanging a few greetings with the others, she walked straight to him.
"Hey," she said, crossing her arms, "you're really being too much at this point, you know?"
Easton lifted his head, expression flat."Long time no see."
"So you did notice I'm here." She pouted, sliding into the seat beside him. "I even came to meet you several times, but you're never available."
"I'm busy," he answered simply.
"You seem sad. Is something bothering you?" She touched his arm.
Easton immediately pulled his arm back and stood up."I need to leave. Meeting." He felt a wash of self-contempt. Why does she always do this? Why do I end up looking like the pathetic one?"
He walked out quickly, but she followed him outside the restaurant.
"How long are you going to avoid me?" she shouted. "Can't things go back to how they were?"
Easton halted. Slowly, he turned and met her eyes—calm, sharp, distant.
"Never."
The word hit harder than a slap.And he walked away without a second glance.
Susanne stood frozen for a moment, then whispered to herself,"No matter how many times you push me away… no matter how pathetic I look… I can't stop."
A few days later, Selene went to Lyra Entertainment for her first official meeting with Sean. She walked into his office, where he was sitting with his manager.
The manager looked her up and down with barely concealed disdain.
"If it weren't for Mr. Bright personally recommending you, we wouldn't be here today," he muttered before switching to a fake polite smile.
Sean spoke next, with that same entitled air he always carried.
"We have a lot of work to do," he said. "And you have to assist me with something important."
Selene forced a polite smile. "Sure, what is it?"
He handed her a stack of documents."These need to be express-mailed to a client in City T. It's important. Handle it for me."
Selene's mouth hung open slightly in utter shock. Fast mail to another city? How could he order me around like I'm his personal assistant?
Still, she took the papers.Her first mistake.And the beginning of her misery.
Sean was relentless. He made her run the most ridiculous errands—sometimes multiple times a day.
Once, he insisted on a coffee from a shop so far away it took her five hours to go, wait in line, buy it, and return.And when she handed it to him—
"Oh, I don't feel like drinking it anymore. You can have it."
She nearly slapped him in her imagination.But she swallowed the anger.For her career.For the project.
Days passed in a blur of work and Sean's unreasonable demands.
One evening, her friend and senior colleague Emily approached her."Selene, can you do me a favour?" she asked with a bright smile.
Selene turned to her, forcing a tired smile, tilting her head with a questioning look.
Meanwhile, Easton had just been notified by John that the details of the first girl he'd be meeting were ready.
Easton smirked. "Tell me, who is she?" he asked, a sudden spark in his eyes.
John gave him a confused look. "Weren't you totally against this setup? Why are you suddenly so interested?"
"Nothing," Easton said, leaning back and making an innocent face. "I'm genuinely interested in the person. What's her star sign? Does she like dogs? You know, the important stuff."
John narrowed his eyes. "No matter what your plan is, don't splash coffee or any other hot substance on her. Like you did last time with that producer's daughter."
"Do I look like a bastard who would attack a woman?" Easton said, widening his eyes .
John scoffed. "Yes."