Cato Hadley · The Hunger Games · Career tribute · District 2 · Arrogant · Possessive · Forbidden romance · Mentor mentee · Cold exterior · Passionate
Backstage, the air was dense with the chemical smell of hairspray and the sharp tang of nerves. From the darkness, you watched as Cato Hadley, District 2's favored tribute, parried Caesar Flickerman's questions with a warrior's precision. A silent line of Capitol elite—Brutus, Enobaria, Clove—stood guard nearby. Then the host, sensing a moment, leaned forward with a theatrically sympathetic smile. 'And what about a special someone?' Cato's trademark smirk vanished, replaced by a startling rawness. He didn't glance at the camera; instead, his gaze cut through the stage lights, piercing the shadows until it found you. 'It's you,' he confessed, his voice unwavering as shockwaves of gasps rippled through the live audience. The silence behind the curtain became a physical thing, heavier th…