Time had begun to pass in a strange, unhurried rhythm—slow enough to feel every shift, every breath, every subtle healing between them. MK and Shriya had found their footing again. It wasn't perfect, but it was something solid—something they could stand on without fearing it would crumble beneath them. Their days felt fuller now. Lighter. MK had started introducing Shriya to her world, to her people, though never in the way Shriya secretly wished. Each time MK called her "a friend," a small sting would pinch Shriya's heart, but she swallowed it down because she understood MK's fear.
Still… understanding didn't make the hurt disappear.
Tonight, Starlight Company held one of its grand celebrations—an annual gathering that drew in everyone from influencers to industry titans, CEOs, heirs, veterans, and people with so much quiet power that a single handshake could rewrite someone's destiny. It was the kind of event where reputations sharpened or shattered.
MK wanted Shriya there. Needed her, even.
"MK, I don't want to be your friend," Shriya muttered, arms folded as MK tried to fix one of her earrings.
MK froze. "I know, Shrii. I'm sorry. I'm just… scared."
The honesty cracked through her voice, small and trembling.
Shriya sighed. "I'm not coming. You go."
She said it lightly, as if it didn't matter, but MK felt the weight of it. Felt the ache she had caused.
MK stepped closer. "Please, Shrii. Then come as my bodyguard. I need you there. Please."
Shriya raised a brow. "Why do you like me accompanying you so much anyway?"
MK's lips curved into something soft, something shy. "I like you there. Everything feels boring without you."
She leaned in and brushed a feather-light kiss on Shriya's lips. Shriya's resolve wavered instantly. She grabbed MK's waist and pulled her closer, but MK resisted with a grin.
"Are you coming with me?" MK whispered, breath brushing Shriya's cheek.
"That's blackmail," Shriya murmured, pulling MK in again.
"Are you coming?" MK repeated, their lips almost touching. Her voice was a whisper, trembling, as if the answer mattered more than anything else.
Shriya let out a small breath, unable to fight it anymore. "Yes. I'll do anything for you."
MK didn't wait. She kissed her, slow and lingering, letting the moment stretch like warm sunlight over skin.
At the party MK reached for her phone—Jesse's name flashing.
"Hey, Jesse," MK answered.
"MK! How's the party?"
"Well… okay, I guess."
"Huh. Already bored?"
"Not really. I brought Shriya to keep me company."
Jesse laughed. "Poor Shriya."
"Jesse," MK warned lightly, "she's my girlfriend."
There was a pause. "Oh? By the way… MK, how do you know you like someone?"
MK blinked. "Since when am I giving love advice?"
"MK, help a friend out," Jesse begged dramatically.
MK snorted. "Who's the lucky guy?"
"MK," Jesse said flatly, forcing her back on track.
MK sighed, letting her gaze wander across the hall—searching instinctively for Shriya. "I don't know," she murmured. "You just… don't like when people get too close to them."
She hung up before Jesse could reply.
Her eyes caught on Shriya—a group of people had gathered around her. One girl, in particular, stood too close. Far too close. Something sharp flared in MK's chest, jealousy swelling like a bruise.
"So, Shriya," the girl asked, leaning in with obvious interest, "do you have a boyfriend? Or someone you're seeing?"
Shriya didn't get the chance to answer.
"She does," MK's voice slid in, cool as ice.
MK reached the group, sliding her hand around Shriya's waist and tugging her behind her. The girl blinked.
"And you are?" the girl asked, taken aback.
"She's my girlfriend," MK replied, tone final.
Shriya's eyes widened. "I am?" she whispered, stunned.
MK turned to her. "Do you have someone else?"
Shriya shook her head so fast it was almost comical. "No—no, it's only you."
The brightness in her smile could have lit the entire hall.
---
Meanwhile, at Starlight's branch studio, Jesse was in a quiet room filled with faint echoes of cameras and staff chatter. She'd come with Ashley for a shoot. Half a year had passed since MK left for the main headquarters. Six months since everything changed.
Jesse stayed behind—for Ashley, for the company, for responsibilities she never imagined she'd be handling alone. MK held half the company shares, but Jesse's family had invested early—something MK didn't know. MK always thought Jesse stayed at Starlight just for her.
Ashley… had surprised her.
Jesse remembered MK falling apart after the breakup—crying, breaking, unable to hold herself together. But Ashley? Ashley didn't crumble. She was sad, clearly hurting, but she moved with a steady, quiet strength. No dramatic breakdowns. No public outbursts. She showed up for every scheduled shoot after they parted. Professional. Composed. Reliable.
That made Jesse respect her even more.
Mike had left most field assignments to Jesse—managing shoots, escorting artists, organizing schedules. Slowly, she and Ashley grew close. Not romantically, but comfortably. They started going out for reasons that weren't work—late-night snacks, movie nights, walks after long shoots.
They became good friends.
"Hey," a voice said one afternoon while Jesse waited for Ashley to finish a scene, "I'm Tristan. Think you can introduce me to your friend?"
Jesse blinked and turned. The guy stood with a confident smile—something in his expression resembling MK's old swagger.
She almost laughed.
Ashley had approached with the same casual boldness when she first met MK. Life had a strange sense of humor.
Jesse tucked her clipboard under her arm, eyeing Tristan with mild amusement. "My friend is a celebrity, Tristan," she said. "People don't just walk up and get introductions."
"But you're close to her," Tristan replied, undeterred.
"That doesn't make me a shortcut," Jesse said, smirking as she watched Ashley strike a pose under the studio lights.
She felt a familiar tug in her chest. The past still lingered. MK was gone—moved on, with someone she clearly adored. Ashley was healing her own way. And Jesse stood here, somewhere in-between the remnants of old bonds and the beginnings of something new.