登入You can’t believe this,” Maya said, rushing toward them. “I am on the B board! I am on the B board! Everyone is talking about the movie, The Scar! Everyone is talking about me, how pretty I am! I can’t wait. I’m finally a celebrity, Emma. I can’t believe I’m a celebrity!” She grabbed Emma’s hands. Her nails were blood red. “Oh my God, some short clip will be released tonight! Your soundtrack is going to be used too! Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m finally a celebrity. I will be rich. I will be rich.” “Maya, you’re overreacting,” Romeo said, but he was smiling. They both laughed as they walked toward the quad. *** Alex woke up to light so bright it felt like an attack. He hissed, throwing an arm over his eyes. The sun was high. too high. He fumbled for his phone on the nightstand. The screen burned into his retinas. 12:04 PM. He sat up so fast the room spun. Twelve PM? He never slept past 6 AM. Not since Joseph. Three hours that was his limit. Three hours of fractured,
Alex didn’t move. He just stared at the spot where Emma’s hand had been on his. . The keyboard kept humming under Emma’s shaking fingers, but she wasn’t playing anymore. Just pressing random keys. Anything to fill the silence. “Emma,” Alex said finally. His voice was quiet. Too quiet. She didn’t look up. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know why I I shouldn’t have” “Stop.” One word. It made her freeze. Alex leaned forward.. “Look at me.” She did. Slowly. His eyes weren’t angry. They were… empty. Like someone had turned the lights off inside him. “You felt it, didn’t you?” Alex said. “ Emma’s mouth went dry. “Felt what?” “That hollow.” He tapped his chest once. “Right here. Like someone carved you out and left you standing.” She couldn’t answer. Because yes. She had felt it. sir ? She said instead Alex stood up. Walked to the door. For a second, Emma thought he was leaving. He didn’t. He locked it. Click. The sound was small. But in that soundproof ro
The room went dead silent after Marcus’s outburst. Maya was still breathing hard, her hand stinging from the slap. Jonathan touched his cheek, eyes locked on her. They didn’t drop character. “Again,” Marcus barked, pointing at them. “From the top. And this time, feel it. If you can’t sell me pain, you can’t sell this show. Action.” Maris inhaled. Her hands were trembling, but she didn’t hide it. “Jay,” she started, softer this time.. “I saw the messages. Tell me you didn’t sleep with her.” Jay didn’t throw his hands up. He looked tired. Guilty. “Maris… I swear to you. I would never do that to you. You’re everything to me.” “Then why,” she said, pulling out her phone with fingers that shook, “was your car at her apartment at 3:12 AM last Tuesday?” He looked at her “Because I messed up. But it’s not what you think. She’s my cousin. She had a breakdown. I was..” “She’s not your cousin, Jay.” Maris’s voice cracked. “I called her. We talked. For twenty minutes.” Jay’s mouth
The Soundwave conference room smelled like burnt coffee and anxiety. Emma sat at the long table with five other songwriters, her manila folder sweating in her hands Static in my chest borrowed breath.Song #3. Jessica’s favorite. Broken, but still playing. “Alright people,” Marcus, the showrunner, clapped his hands. “Drop your folders in the box. We’ll review, deliberate, and be back in fifteen to announce the chosen writers.” Fifteen minutes. That was it. Fifteen minutes and her fate would be sealed. Emma slid her folder into the box. Her name was written on it in Jessica’s handwriting she’d made Emma practice signing it “professional” last night. Emma Stanford She was so happy she decided to check her mom’s message. Her mom always sent them, even though she didn’t know about the songwriting. She thought Emma was still grinding for school. She opened it. Exactly what she expected: Anak, kaya mo ‘yan.~~You can do it, child. The room emptied. Some writers laughed, too lo
“My step sister,” Jessica whispered. “We killed her. We literally did. She was just a tiny little thing in the womb but… we… we… just… it’s my fault. I could have I could have” “Shhhh,” Emma pulled her into a hug as sobs broke out of Jessica. “It’s not your fault. I’m sure you didn’t mean it. It’s okay. It’s okay.” It took a while. Jessica’s shoulders shook against her until the storm passed. Finally, she pulled away, voice raspy, cheeks burning. It was the first time she’d cried in front of anyone. She sighed. . “Hmm.” “Two months after Mum’s marriage, she called me home to announce the news. When I got there, Rebecca was already there. Seems her dad called her too.” Jessica’s gaze went distant. “We all pretended to be civil in front of my step dad. Because of his temper. But the moment he left… we started arguing. Huge. It got physical. Weapons.” She swallowed. “All Mum did was try to separate us. But… we just… mistakenly… we didn’t mean it but” “So the consequ
Silence embraced them both, each lost in their own thoughts. Alex had come here to rest his mind. It was June 12 a date carved into his memory. This was the day he met Joseph, and this exact spot was where Joseph brought him the morning after. "Let me show you life beyond perfect grades, rules, and chauffeured rides to school,"Joseph had said. Ever since Joseph’s death, Alex still returned. Every time his head got too loud, this place cleared it. But now… footprints that weren’t his marked the dirt. He could’ve bought the land. He had the money. But what would be the point? It wouldn’t feel like peace anymore just another abuse of power. Emma, a few feet away on the same mat, didn’t notice his clenched jaw. Her brain was on fire trying to crack episode 5. The scene where the leads first meet. She had lyrics. She had stakes. But the melody? Blank. Nothing felt right. She glanced at Alex. Stared too long. Alex Maradona. The Alex Maradona.Sitting on the same mat as her.
Back in the blue room, Emma realized Jonathan was already walking away, hands in pockets, as if he’d said enough. She let out a quiet breath she hadn’t known she was holding. Good. Now it could just be her and Maya. Maya was practically glowing, hair swinging as she moved, her energy filling
The blue room was quiet except for the low murmur of voices and the faint tick of the wall clock, like it was counting down to something. By the time Emma got there, the meeting was already halfway done. She stopped in the doorway, fingers resting on the cold metal frame. Inside, Maya was head
But you just.... you just can’t give it, can you? You’re too busy running from club to club, impregnating one girl after another. He sighed, disappointment heavy The number of abortions we’ve paid for on your behalf is larger than the population of some countries.” He leaned forward slightly.
Romeo was still smiling to himself, leaning back in his chair with his arms behind his head. “Hey,” Timothy said, eyeing him. “You good? You’ve got that look.” Romeo didn’t answer right away. “I’m good. Just thinking.” “About Emma?” David guessed, smirking. Romeo didn’t deny it. “Careful,







