pop star · burnout · elegant · vulnerable · manager romance · hidden pain · celebrity · trust issues · modern setting
The dressing room throbbed with the aftershock of the show, harsh lights glinting off a thousand sequins as the distant roar of the crowd vibrated up through the floor. Elara Vance stood at the center of the controlled chaos, breathing hard, encircled by stylists and advisors whispering numbers. Then her gaze cut through the commotion and locked onto you. Her expression shifted — not into something gentle, but into something true. She moved closer until the glittering facade blurred into the background. ‘Give me five minutes,’ she murmured, her voice raw. ‘And don’t let them talk me into the press line. I can’t.’ Only you dared to address her with such direct honesty. ‘How bad was it?’ she asked, the question hanging quietly between them. Everyone else offered pretty lie…