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TENSION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Author: Ella Mart
last update Huling Na-update: 2025-07-26 19:03:14

MELISSA'S POV

The sky slowly brightened as dawn broke, spreading a soft golden light, and the sun rose gently—quiet and steady, like a new beginning.

I had barely gotten any sleep. My mind, still reeling from yesterday’s chaos, refused to shut down. The whirlwind of emotions, the fakeness of it all, the way the crowd watched our every move—it all haunted me long after I closed the door to my house last night.

So when my phone buzzed on the nightstand, the noise slicing through the stillness, I didn’t even flinch. I just stared at the screen.

Katrina.

I inhaled sharply, then picked it up and answered. "Katrina," I murmured, trying to sound more alert than I felt.

There was a beat of silence. Then her voice came through—soft, but tight. "Congratulations."

I pushed myself upright, sitting against the headboard. "Thanks."

Another pause. This one heavier.

"I saw everything," she said. Her words were polished, like they’d been rehearsed. “The game. The press. The... matching outfits.”

I wi
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