*21–04–2026* *12:00pm*
"Vivica, are you ready? Your fans are waiting down below."
Bell glanced at herself in the mirror, adjusting the elegant but casual outfit Lisa had picked out for her. She still wasn't used to being called Vivica, but she had to pull it together. The energy in the air was buzzing, and she knew that hundreds of people were downstairs waiting to see their favorite superstar.
She took a deep breath and nodded at Lisa, who gave her an encouraging smile. "You've got this. Just be yourself—okay nothing more, nothing less, " Lisa said with a wink.
Bell chuckled nervously, "Easy for you to say. I hope I don't mess this up."
"Trust me, you won't." Lisa said, smiling widely at her.
As she stepped out of the room and descended the stairs, the sound of excited chatter grew louder. The venue was filled with fans eager to meet Vivica Winters, and Bell had to remind herself to exude confidence. Channeling Vivica's lively, captivating persona, she squared her shoulders and prepared to greet her fans.
Meanwhile, in a nearby hallway, he arrived at the center for an inspection. The place had piqued his interest for future projects, and he wanted to personally see how things were being managed. As he walked through the halls with his assistant, his curiosity grew. He could hear the faint sounds of cheers and excitement coming from a section of the building, and he noticed an unusual number of people gathered outside.
"What's going on here?" he asked his assistant.
"There's a fan event happening. Some sort of meet-and-greet with a celebrity," the assistant replied, checking his tablet.
Intrigued, he decided to check it out, leaving his bodyguards behind to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Walking towards the commotion, he entered the fan event area quietly, keeping a low profile as much as possible.
Bell was in the middle of interacting with fans, signing autographs, and exchanging quick conversations when her eyes briefly scanned the crowd. She noticed a tall, well-dressed man standing at the back with a calm but commanding presence, something about him standing out from everyone else. His features seemed familiar, though she couldn't quite place why.
He watched as she smiled and laughed with her fans, her charisma undeniable. He hadn't planned to linger, but something about the scene—and her—caught his interest. He exchanged a look with his assistant, who was equally curious about the event but didn't interrupt.
Bell felt a strange pull toward him, a subtle familiarity. It was brief, but it unsettled her. Her mind raced as she tried to focus back on the fans, but the image of the man remained. When there was a small break between signings, she turned her attention toward him again, but by then, he was no longer at the back. He had stepped aside, as if quietly observing from a distance.
"Who is that?" she wondered to herself, but before she could get too distracted, Lisa gently nudged her back to the present moment.
"You okay? You seem a bit off," Lisa whispered.
"Yeah, just… something about this place feels odd," Bell replied, her eyes still scanning the room.
Lisa didn't press further, but Bell couldn't shake the feeling that whoever that man was, their paths would cross again—and a lot sooner than she expected.
"Woah… that was crazily intense." Bell exhaled, pressing a hand to her chest as if she could calm her racing heartbeat. The roar of the crowd still echoed faintly in her ears, even though the room was now quiet. She sank into the nearest chair, shoulders sagging with fatigue, her muscles loosening as though the air had been knocked from her lungs.
Her legs still trembled from standing under the blinding lights, smiling until her cheeks ached. Her chest rose and fell in heavy waves, and for a moment she just sat there, gripping the armrest, letting the silence of the room replace the endless shouts of the crowd. "It's finally over. I had no idea celebrities had it this hard. I'm so tired I could sleep for a week straight."
Her words drew a laugh from Lisa, who was busy tidying the table. "What do you mean? You are a celebrity." she handed her a towel, shaking her head as she gathered papers from the desk.
Bell froze, her fingers tightening around the edge of the chair. For the briefest second, she forgot she wasn't supposed to admit that this life wasn't truly hers. For half a beat, her throat tightened around words she shouldn't say. She blinked, catching herself too late. "I am, indeed," she replied, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her tired eyes. "But this—this is on another level. You know what I mean, right?" Her laugh came out a little dry, a flimsy attempt to mask her slip.
Lisa didn't seem to notice. She uncapped a fresh bottle of water and passed it to her. "That's true. But congratulations—you pulled it off, you did amazing. Today was huge. Honestly, this was the largest crowd we've had so far for your meet and greet. You should be proud"
Bell unscrewed the cap, drinking in slow gulps, though her throat wasn't as dry as her heart felt heavy. Every cheer from the crowd had been meant for Vivica, not her. Every autograph she signed carried Vivica's name, not Bell's. The applause still rang in her ears, but instead of pride, it left a strange hollowness behind.
Lisa's voice broke her thoughts. "We're done for today. Should we have a team dinner to celebrate? Everyone worked hard, and it'll be good to end the night together."
"A team dinner…" Bell's voice softened, unguarded, almost wistful. "I've only ever heard of those. Finally, I get to go on one."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her heart lurched as soon as the words escaped. her mind scrambling. Idiot, what are you saying? She had said too much. Her eyes flicked to Lisa, searching for a reaction. She forced a laugh, quick and clumsy. "Wait —that came out wrong. I meant, yes, team dinner sounds great. Let's go. Sorry, I'm just… acting weird. It's the exhaustion talking." She forced a laugh, though inside, her chest felt tight.
Lisa gave her a warm smile, completely unbothered, the kind that made Bell's chest tighten with guilt. "No worries, you have been working so hard. You did great today. You deserve to act a little weird, just promise me you'll rest properly afterward, okay? We can't have our star burning out." She gave Bell's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning for the door. "I'll go let everyone else know about dinner."
When the door closed, the silence pressed in again, thicker this time. Bell stared at the bottle in her hand, the condensation dripping onto her fingers. The face in the water's reflection wasn't hers. The name they cheered wasn't hers.
She leaned back, the weight of it all pressing down harder than the exhaustion in her bones. Tonight, she had laughed, signed, and smiled like Vivica Winters. Tomorrow, she would do it all again.
But somewhere beneath the lights, beneath the applause, beneath the masks—Bell Skye was still there. Invisible. Waiting.
And no one, not even Lisa, could see her.