INICIAR SESIÓNThe apartment felt strangely quiet the next morning.Not because there was silence.But because neither of them knew what to say anymore.The revelation from the previous night lingered between them like an invisible wall. Six more weeks. What had once been a three-month tour had now stretched into four and a half months, and somehow, the number felt much heavier after hearing it aloud.Selena had barely slept.Every time she drifted off, she woke again to find Cassian still awake beside her, staring at the ceiling with his arms folded beneath his head. She never asked what he was thinking because she already knew.He was counting. Counting rehearsals. Counting flights. Counting cities. Counting the days until he would leave.And she had been doing exactly the same thing.The alarm rang at six-thirty.Neither complained.They simply got out of bed together and moved through their usual morning routine with practiced familiarity.Cassian brewed coffee while Selena prepared breakfast. S
Cassian read the email three more times after they left the neighborhood.Nothing changed.The departure date remained exactly where it had been.Three weeks.Not three months.Not even six weeks.Three weeks.He rested his head against the driver's seat for a brief moment after parking outside Selena's apartment.Neither of them spoke immediately.Some news needed silence before conversation.Finally, Selena reached across the center console and intertwined her fingers with his."We'll make it work."Cassian looked at her."You say that like it's easy." "I didn't say it would be easy." She smiled gently. "I said we'd make it work."The certainty in her voice settled something inside him.It didn't erase the disappointment.It didn't magically create more time.But it reminded him of something important. Every difficult season they'd faced had been temporary.This one would be too.He leaned over and kissed her forehead."I love you.""I know."She grinned."And I love you."The follo
Selena stared at the documents.Then at Cassian.Then back at the documents.The signature at the bottom belonged to one of the largest entertainment companies in the country.For several moments she simply sat there.Reading.Processing.Trying to understand what she was looking at.Finally she looked up."Cassian."His expression immediately became cautious."What?""This is international."He nodded.Slowly.The word settled between them.International.Not national.Not regional.International.The contract offered something much larger than another tour.Much larger than another album.If accepted, Cassian would spend nearly a year working across multiple countries.Major performances.Collaborations.Television appearances.Recording opportunities.Everything artists dreamed about.Everything he'd worked toward.Selena looked back down.The numbers alone were enough to make her blink twice."This is huge.""Yeah."His answer came quietly.Almost too quietly.Because despite how
Selena stared at the paper.Then at Cassian.Then back at the paper again.For several seconds she wasn't entirely sure what she was reading.The title remained exactly the same.Unchanged.Impossible.And yet somehow very real.The document was a property listing.Not just any property.A house. A beautiful house. Located on the edge of the city. Far enough away from the noise. Close enough to their work.The kind of place designed for building a life.The kind of place people imagined when they talked about the future.Selena slowly looked up."Cassian."His expression immediately became defensive.A dangerous sign. "I can explain." "You were looking at houses?""I was researching."The answer earned an immediate laugh.Because she recognized that tone.The same tone he'd used when secretly researching horse riding months ago.The same tone that usually meant he was absolutely guilty.Selena shook her head."You are impossible.""I've heard that before.""Several times.""Many times
The next evening arrived with enough anticipation to make everyone suspicious.Particularly Nova.Because Nova believed anticipation existed solely to torture her.The moment she arrived at the restaurant, she immediately demanded answers.Unfortunately, Ethan refused.Completely.Every question received the same response."Later."Nova hated that answer.Passionately.By the time everyone finally sat down, she had already threatened to interrogate him.Twice.The atmosphere remained light.Comfortable.The restaurant overlooked the river.Soft music played in the background.The city lights reflected across the water.For a while nobody discussed Ethan's announcement.Mostly because he refused.Instead the conversation drifted toward work.Recent projects.Career opportunities.The usual.Selena shared details about her new leadership invitation.The news immediately attracted attention.Especially from Bianca."That's huge."Selena smiled."Maybe.""Not maybe."Bianca shook her head
The silence around the table lasted several seconds.Long enough for everyone to notice.Long enough for concern to replace curiosity.Bianca still held her phone.Her attention remained fixed on Ethan.Which immediately told everyone one thing.Whatever happened involved him.Ethan frowned."What happened?"Bianca blinked.As though remembering everyone else existed.Then finally lowered her phone.The expression on her face looked strange.Not upset.Not worried.Just surprised.Very surprised."The company called."Ethan frowned."Okay.""They want you back."The entire table stared.Nobody spoke.For a moment nobody seemed completely sure what she meant.Then understanding arrived.Slowly.Ethan leaned forward."What?""They want you back."Bianca repeated the words carefully.Almost like she still couldn't believe them herself."The regional director position."Now everyone understood.The promotion.The opportunity Ethan he was told go back for earlier.The one that eventually w
“The contestants who already knew each other before entering HeartLock…” Orion repeated lazily, clearly enjoying every second of the panic spreading through the kitchen. “…will be exposed tonight.”Everyone started talking at once.“You’ve got to be kidding me.”“Wait—someone lied during casting?”
Selena barely slept.Every time she closed her eyes, she saw flashing cameras, silver locks, and Cassian Blake’s unreadable gray eyes staring directly at her.Worse?Orion’s final announcement kept replaying in her mind.One contestant already knew another contestant before the show began.The prod
The applause refused to stop.Gold confetti rained from the ceiling while the audience screamed loud enough to shake the stage. Giant screens behind Selena and Cassian flashed repeatedly:98% COMPATIBILITY MATCHHIGHEST SCORE THIS SEASONSelena still couldn’t believe it.Ninety-eight percent?Besid
The first thing Selena Vale noticed about the studio was the cold.Not the air-conditioning blasting from hidden vents above the massive soundstage, but the kind of cold that settled deep inside your chest when you realized your life was about to change forever.Bright lights flashed across the poli







