The shoot was finally over. The final cut was called, the cameras stopped rolling, and weeks of exhaustion were collapsing onto my shoulders all at once. It was unreal how something that had consumed my life day and night could suddenly end with nothing more than applause and champagne.
The rooftop had been transformed for the wrap party. Strings of lights were glowing overhead, music was pounding from hidden speakers, and tables were lined with bottles, glasses, and trays of food that no one seemed interested in eating. The air was heavy with laughter and shouts as people who had given their everything were letting it spill out.
I was sitting on the edge of it all, perched on a chair slightly apart from the noise. I was holding a half-empty flute of champagne in my hand, but I had not taken a sip in over ten minutes. My eyes were glued to my phone.
BlueApp was open.
I typed my name slowly: Dana Monroe.
The search came up blank. No tags were showing. No mentions were appearing. Nothing was appearing.
I frowned and refreshed the page, trying again, but the same empty result was appearing.
My thumb was hovering over the search bar. Against my better judgment, I typed in another name. Cali.
The letters were sitting on the screen, glaring back at me. My chest was tightening as my finger drifted toward search.
A tall shadow was falling across my hand before I could press it.
"You are hiding," a voice said, low and smooth, edged with confidence that did not ask for permission.
I looked up and found Barren standing there. Even outside the studio lights, he was composed, his shirt was open at the collar, his jaw was set, and his eyes was steady.
I quickly turned my phone face down on the table and gave him a small smile. "I am not hiding." I said politely, keeping my tone calm.
He was studying me for a long second before lowering himself into the chair beside me. His presence was filling the space, heavy and unshakable. "Come back inside. The others are waiting," he said, his voice was flat but firm.
Before I could answer, Layla appeared, moving quickly with her phone pressed to her chest. Her expression was tight, and her face was pale from whatever she had just heard. Layla said that she had been living with me. Before the party had even started, I had been asking her endlessly about my life, about what had happened in the last few weeks. She had joked that I was acting like I had amnesia.
"Ava," she said urgently, stepping closer, "the police have just called. There was a break-in."
I straightened and blinked. "The police?"
"They said someone forced their way into your place. They are still checking it. They did not mention details, only that it is not safe for you to go back tonight," Layla explained quickly, glancing at me for reassurance.
The words were striking hard. I was gripping my champagne glass tightly as I studied Layla's face.
"You can stay at my place," Barren said. Shrugging his shoulder.
The statement was cutting through everything else. I turned and found his gaze locked on me, flat and final, as if the decision was already carved in stone.
My lips parted, and I said carefully, "That is kind, but I can just book a hotel. Really, it is easier that way." I was keeping my voice gentle and polite, careful to sound appreciative without seeming to yield.
His reply was curt. "C'mon, you are not a stranger. You can stay, really."
My breath was catching, but I forced another smile, soft but steady. "Still, I do not want to intrude. I will manage," I said, pressing my hands lightly against the glass to steady them.
For the first time, his eyes were sharpening, and a flicker of heat was appearing. He leaned closer and spoke in a low, cold tone that brushed against my ear. "Do not be a hard-headed woman. It is dangerous for you and Layla to stay somewhere else. Who knows, those people may come for you. Stay in my house."
Layla's eyes flicked between us, and she spoke in a long, careful tone. "Ava, he is right. It is not safe to go back. I know you feel awkward staying at someone else's place, but Barren is right. What if those people came after you? Remember, it is not the first time someone has broken into your place. You will be safe there, and we will both be okay. I will stay with you. It is the smartest thing to do. Trust me."
It was a command, delivered with certainty that left no space for refusal.
I swallowed hard, pressing the rim of the champagne glass to my lips to hide the tremor in my hands. I could have argued again, but the firmness in his eyes was rooting me in place. There was no escape.
---
The party was continuing as the night grew louder. More bottles were opened, people were shouting and laughing, and the music was shaking the floor. I allowed myself to be pulled into it for a short while. I clinked glasses with two crew members and exchanged a few words, but my body was already heavier than before. The champagne I had been drinking was not much, but it was enough to make my head warm and my eyelids heavy.
When the noise became too much, I moved to a long sofa at the far end of the lounge. I sank down, stretched my legs along the cushions, and rested my head back. I thought I would only sit for a minute, but the exhaustion that had been building for weeks was stronger than I expected.
My glass slipped from my hand onto the low table, and my breathing became slower. The music and laughter were fading into the background. Soon I was asleep while the party continued without me.
---
I stirred sometime later. The music was still there but softer now, muffled as if the night itself had grown tired. My eyelids lifted slowly, and I blinked at the dim light around me.
My breath caught when I realized I was not alone.
Barren was standing close by, his hands tucked into his pockets, and his posture was straight as he looked at me. his eyes were steady and unreadable.
I froze, my chest was rising and falling with quick breaths. He had been watching me sleep.
I pushed myself up slightly on the sofa, my palms pressing against the cushion, my pulse hammering. His presence was strong, unshaken, and I could not tell what it meant.
I was surprised, unsettled, and fully awake in an instant.