"Okay, who spiked his coffee?" Nicholas asked, his tone thick with curiosity as he lounged against the arm of the couch, his guitar resting idly in his lap. His eyes flicked toward Matt, who was grinning ear to ear, the kind of grin that practically screamed he was hiding something.

Matt, however, was too busy humming an unfamiliar tune to notice or care about the questioning looks being thrown his way. He adjusted the levels on the mixing console, his fingers tapping rhythmically against the buttons as if he couldn't contain his excitement.

Jolly snorted from his spot in the corner, where he was flipping through a notebook filled with hastily scrawled lyrics. "Or maybe someone finally told him a joke that's actually funny for once."

"I doubt it," Noah chimed in, his voice dry and laced with disinterest. He was sprawled across one of the chairs, his long legs stretched out lazily in front of him. His shirt was wrinkled like he'd grabbed it off the floor on his way out the door, and his hair looked like it hadn't seen a brush all morning. "It's probably some boring managerial thing he's over the moon about."

Matt ignored their jabs, his grin only growing wider as he checked his phone for what had to be the hundredth time. Whatever he was waiting for, it was clear he wasn't planning on sharing just yet, and the suspense was driving everyone insane.

"Alright, seriously," Noah said, finally sitting up straighter in his chair, his dark eyes narrowing at their manager. "What's with you? You're annoyingly happy, and it's freaking me out. Did we land some new deal or something?"

Matt didn't look up from his phone. "Something like that," he said, his tone deliberately vague.

Jolly raised an eyebrow, his curiosity clearly piqued. "Care to elaborate?"

Matt hesitated, clearly relishing the power of holding onto his secret just a little longer. "Not yet," he said, his voice light as he turned his attention back to the console.

Nicholas groaned dramatically before chucking a pillow in Matt's direction. "You're the worst, you know that?"

"Stop acting like fools, you jerks," Matt shot back, though his tone was teasingly serious. He pointed at them with mock authority. "We actually have work to do."

"Sure, mate," Nicholas said with a laugh, juggling a pair of drumsticks in the air. "Whatever you say."

The playful banter continued for a moment, the room filled with the sound of muffled laughter and the occasional strum of Nicholas's guitar. But the lighthearted atmosphere shattered the instant the studio door creaked open.

All heads turned in unison, the air growing thick with tension as Jovienne stepped inside. Her entrance was nothing short of commanding; the heels of her boots clicked sharply against the polished floor, and her black leather jacket hung effortlessly off her shoulders. Her presence demanded attention, and she got it—every jaw in the room seemed to drop simultaneously.

Matt's grin stretched impossibly wider, his earlier excitement now making perfect sense. Jovienne's sharp gaze swept across the room, taking in their stunned expressions one by one. Her dark red lipstick and perfectly composed demeanor made her look more like she was walking into a high-stakes boardroom than a music studio.

"Morning, boys," she said, her voice smooth and confident, the kind of tone that immediately put her in control. She paused just long enough to let her greeting sink in, her sharp eyes finally landing on Noah, who was staring at her as if she'd just stepped out of another dimension.

The silence in the room was deafening, the weight of her arrival sinking in as the band exchanged bewildered glances.

"What are you doing here?" Noah's voice broke the quiet, his tone thick with irritation.

Jovienne's lips curled into a smirk. "Haven't you told them yet, Matt?" she asked, her gaze flicking toward their manager with a mix of amusement and challenge.

Matt took that as his cue, standing up and clapping his hands together as if announcing a surprise party. "Alright, time to spill the beans. Jovienne is going to produce our new album."

"What?" Noah's voice cut through the air, sharp and incredulous. He shot out of his chair, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "How the hell did that happen?"

Jovienne crossed her arms, clearly enjoying his reaction. "Don't sound so surprised, Noah. I'm sure Matt explained everything to you."

"I thought we weren't good enough for your standards," Noah shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Her smirk deepened. "You're not. But I love a challenge."

The tension in the room was electric, the rest of the band exchanging wide-eyed looks as Noah and Jovienne stared each other down like two competitors about to step into a ring.

Matt cleared his throat, stepping between them before things could escalate further. "Alright, enough of this. We've got work to do. Jovienne's here, and she's in charge of making this album the best it can be. End of discussion."

"Sure," Noah muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. "This should be fun."

Jovienne didn't miss a beat, her smirk unwavering. "Oh, it will be."

The silence in the room was deafening, save for the faint hum of the equipment in the background. Jovienne's smirk widened as she watched Noah's face contort with disbelief and annoyance. She thrived on moments like this—where she could drop a metaphorical bomb and revel in the fallout.

Matt ignored him and gestured toward the equipment. "Let's bring her up to speed. Show her the demos we've been working on."

Nicholas exchanged a glance with Jolly, who shrugged and started queuing up the tracks. Jovienne walked over to the mixing console, her heels clicking against the floor with each confident step. Noah watched her the entire time, his jaw tightening as she settled into the chair Matt offered her, a commanding presence even before she said a word.

The first demo began to play—a gritty, hard-hitting track with heavy guitars and pounding drums. Jovienne leaned forward, resting her elbows on the console as she listened intently. Her sharp eyes flicked between the screen and the speakers, her lips pressing into a thin line.

When the track ended, she leaned back, crossing her arms. "It's... fine."

"Fine?" Noah repeated, his voice laced with disbelief.

She turned to him, arching an eyebrow. "Yes, fine. As in, it's not bad, but it's not exactly groundbreaking, is it?"

"What exactly is wrong with it?" Jolly asked, his tone more curious than defensive.

Jovienne tapped her fingers against the armrest, her mind already buzzing with ideas. "For starters, the arrangement is too predictable. The chorus comes in too soon, and it's repetitive. The bridge lacks impact—it's like you're building to something big, but then it just... fizzles. And the mix is muddy. The vocals are buried under everything else."

Noah's eyes narrowed. "The vocals are supposed to blend with the instruments. It's called cohesion."

She gave him a patronizing smile. "It's called incoherence when it sounds like a wall of noise."

Nick coughed to hide a laugh, and even Jolly smirked.

"Alright," Matt cut in, trying to diffuse the tension. "What do you suggest, Jovienne?"

She leaned forward again, her fingers dancing over the console as she made notes. "The intro needs to be more dynamic—something to grab attention right away. Cut the chorus down by four bars; it's dragging. And the bridge needs a total overhaul—something unexpected to give the song a punch. I can mock up some ideas."

Noah crossed his arms, his jaw tightening further. "So you're just going to tear apart everything we've done and remake it in your image?"

"That's the idea," she replied with a sweet, infuriating smile.

Before Noah could respond, Matt stepped in. "We're doing what Jovienne suggests." His tone left no room for argument.

Noah shot him a look. "You're just going to let her call all the shots?"

"She's here for a reason," Matt replied firmly. "You'll see."

Jovienne smirked at Noah, the glint in her eyes saying checkmate.

The next demo began to play, and the room settled into a tense silence as Jovienne took more notes, occasionally pausing to make pointed comments or suggestions. Noah stayed silent, but his simmering irritation was palpable.

When the session ended, Jovienne stood, smoothing her jacket. She glanced at Noah, her smirk still firmly in place. "I think this is going to be really interesting. Don't you?"

Noah didn't respond, his dark eyes locked on hers, his frustration barely contained.

"Good talk," she said breezily, turning on her heel and walking out of the studio, her heels clicking against the floor.

As the door closed behind her, Jolly let out a low whistle. "Well, this is going to be interesting."

Nick grinned. "I think she might actually kill him before we finish this album."

"Or the other way around," Noah muttered, sinking back into his chair with a scowl.

.

Noah stepped into his apartment, the soft glow of the setting sun filtering through the windows and casting long shadows across the hardwood floors. The faint hum of the city outside was muffled, creating a peaceful contrast to the chaos of the day. He dropped his keys onto the table near the door and shrugged off his jacket, draping it over the back of a chair. His head was still spinning from everything that had unfolded at the studio, and there was only one person he wanted to talk to.

"Moriah?" he called, his voice softer now, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly at the thought of her.

"In here," she replied from the living room, her voice light and melodic.

He followed the sound, finding her curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her legs. She was reading a book, her blonde hair cascading over her shoulder in loose waves. The sight of her made him pause for a moment, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Despite the chaos of his day, just being near her had a way of grounding him.

"Rough day?" she asked, closing her book and setting it on the coffee table as he approached.

"You have no idea," he muttered, collapsing onto the couch beside her. He leaned his head back against the cushions and let out a heavy sigh, his hand coming up to rub the back of his neck.

Moriah shifted closer to him, her knees brushing against his thigh as she studied his expression. "Let me guess," she said, her tone teasing, "Matt dragged you into another one of his grand ideas?"

"Something like that," Noah replied, his voice tinged with annoyance. He turned his head to look at her, his dark eyes meeting hers. "It's not just Matt, though. Jovienne's involved."

Moriah's eyebrows lifted slightly, her curiosity piqued. "Jovienne?" she repeated. "As in the Jovienne?"

"Yeah," he said with a frustrated sigh. "Matt convinced her to produce our new album."

Moriah's lips curved into a small smile. "Well, that's a good thing, right? She's incredible at what she does."

"Don't start," Noah groaned, sitting up straighter and running a hand through his messy hair. "She's insufferable. The second she walked in, she acted like she owned the place. And of course, Matt's eating it up. He's letting her call all the shots, and it's only been a day."

Moriah tilted her head, watching him with a mixture of amusement and sympathy. "She's just confident. You can't blame her for that."

"Confident?" Noah scoffed. "She's arrogant. And she loves pushing my buttons. It's like a sport to her."

Moriah laughed softly, the sound like music to his ears. She reached out and placed a hand on his knee, her touch gentle and reassuring. "You're exaggerating," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "She's probably just trying to do her job."

"Her job," Noah repeated, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Her job apparently involves tearing apart everything we've worked on and telling us it's not good enough. She doesn't even try to hide how much she enjoys it."

Moriah squeezed his knee gently, her smile softening. "Maybe she's trying to challenge you. Push you to do better."

"Or maybe she's just a pain in the ass," Noah muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a reluctant smile.

Moriah leaned closer, her fingers brushing against his cheek as she turned his face toward her. "You'll survive," she said, her voice soft and teasing. "You're Noah Sebastian. You can handle a little conflict."

He sighed, his gaze locking with hers. For a moment, the frustration of the day melted away, replaced by the warmth of her presence. "You always know how to make me feel better," he said, his voice low and sincere.

"That's my job," she replied with a wink, her hand lingering against his cheek.

Noah leaned in, his forehead resting against hers as his hands found her waist. Moriah's lips curved into a smile, her breath brushing against his as she tilted her head slightly. "Someone has to keep you sane," she teased, her voice playful but full of affection.

He closed the small gap between them, his lips capturing hers in a slow, tender kiss. Her hands slid up to his shoulders, pulling him closer as the world around them seemed to fade away. The tension that had weighed on him all day evaporated in her embrace, replaced by a sense of calm and belonging.

When they finally pulled apart, Noah rested his forehead against hers, his eyes still closed. "Thank you," he said softly, his voice filled with gratitude.

She looked up at him, her fingers gently tracing patterns along the back of his neck. "For being you," he continued, opening his eyes to meet hers. "For putting up with my whining and reminding me that there's more to life than studio drama."

Moriah smiled, her heart swelling at his words. "Anytime," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek before leaning back against the couch.