__________

HUDSON AND REDCROWN ARE... BACK ON?

April 24th 2019, written by Nicole Smith for E! News

In a move that's sending shockwaves through the entertainment world, pop sensation Leia Hudson and her somewhat controversial ex-boyfriend Dylan Redcrown have reignited their tumultuous romance, announcing their reunion via a series of intimate Instagram photos. The couple, whose past relationship was marred by public disputes and allegations, captioned their posts with simple yet bold statements.

The reaction from Hudson's inner circle has been swift and telling. Supermodel Cara Delevingne didn't mince words, commenting "wtf" beneath the announcement before Hudson disabled her instagram comments, signalling her clear disapproval. In a more subtle yet equally poignant move, once-close friends Lily Aldridge and Blake Lively have both unfollowed Hudson on the platform, a modern-day indication of strained relationships.

Adding fuel to the fire, paparazzi have noted the conspicuous absence of Leia's sister, Georgie Hudson, from the siblings' shared New York residence. It's been weeks since Georgie was last seen at the apartment, leading to rampant speculation that she has moved out to distance herself from her sister's rekindled relationship. While these rumours remain unconfirmed, the timing has certainly raised eyebrows.

Fans and critics alike are expressing concern over Hudson's decision to reunite with Redcrown, given their rocky history. Many are questioning the wisdom of revisiting a relationship that previously ended under such contentious circumstances. Hudson's representatives declined to comment, while representatives for Redcrown said the following:

"They've been back on speaking terms for a while now, and are excited about rekindling their relationship with the maturity that Leia has gained since they were last together. She knows that she made some mistakes before, and Dylan knows they have work to do to regain the trust that was lost between them - but they're both in this for the long-haul."

As the story develops, all eyes will be on Hudson to see how she navigates the choppy waters of love, friendship, and public scrutiny.

____

As soon as the photos of their trip to Nobu had gone public that evening, things had really gotten worse for Leia. 

Dylan's team had gone behind their back already, releasing snippets to the press that they'd been secretly seeing each other for over a month - and while Leia knew that wasn't true, the timing could not have been any worse. It lined up perfectly with the start of her more recent arguments with Taylor, and with Tree already having jumped to the conclusion once she'd seen the Caller ID on Leia's phone... it was safe to say that her friend's did not want to hear her out right now.

Of course, they'd been concerned. Before they could ever think to be annoyed at her - there was the initial concern about why Leia could possibly want to be around Dylan, of all people. She avoided their calls and texts, knowing that there was nothing she could say to them that would even begin to make sense of this all - not when they all knew what they did.

Riven had eventually contacted Cara and Gigi and Selena and Camila, telling them to back off and that he could confirm Leia was 'happy' in this new relationship. Georgie's disgust and avoidance of her sister only seemed to cement the idea that this was real in everyone's heads - and the assumption hung around her too. Leia Hudson had potentially cheated on Taylor Swift with her abusive ex-boyfriend, and was potentially back to using drugs.

Four weeks on from her breakup with Taylor, and Dylan had successfully managed to complete one of his prime objectives - cut Leia off from her friends and family, and make her utterly miserable. His reputation had soared - the media painting him as 'forgiving' and 'kind' for taking her back, since his team had worked the angle that she had been the one to cheat on him from the start. If she argued back, he'd release the photos of Georgie.

The charity gala was a blur of glittering gowns, flashing cameras, and forced smiles. Leia felt like she was drowning in a sea of champagne and fake laughter, her hand clutched tightly around a crystal flute as she navigated the crowded ballroom. Dylan's arm was wrapped possessively around her waist, his cologne overwhelming her senses as he guided her from one group of socialites to another.

She wasn't really sure why she had to come - no one here cared about pop-stars or their tabloid drama. She wasn't really even sure why Dylan was invited, or why so many people were interested in meeting him. All she knew was Azul was in a bad mood, she was certainly drunk from one too many champagnes and the night was still very, very young. It was going to be a long night for them all.

"You're doing great, princess," Dylan whispered in her ear, his breath hot against her skin. "Just a few more hours."

 When she was younger, Leia had once loved when people referred to her as 'Princess Leia'. She'd loved the Star Wars movies that her parents had named her after, and she'd always felt proud knowing that she'd been named after such a strong heroine. 

Now the word princess made her skin crawl and she felt ashamed to even compare herself to the hero.

Hours passed in a blur of forced small talk and fake laughter. With each drink, the room spun a little faster, the voices grew a little louder, and the ache in her chest became a little more unbearable. She found herself searching the crowd for familiar faces, hoping against hope to see a flash of blonde hair or a pair of blue eyes - her eyes. But there was only Dylan, his arm possessively wrapped around her waist.

"I need to use the restroom," she mumbled, extricating herself from Dylan's grip. "I'll be right back."

Before anyone could protest, Leia stumbled towards the ladies' room, her stilettos wobbling on the polished marble floor. Azul was hot on her heels, the suited man barely drawing any attention as he flocked to her side, one arm steadying her as he fell into step with her.

"Are you...?"

"I don't know," Leia muttered, knowing he was about to ask if she was okay. "Can I get some privacy? Like, can you steer people away for a few minutes from this bathroom?"

Azul nodded, his face a mask of concern as he positioned himself outside the ornate bathroom door. Leia stumbled inside, the world tilting dangerously as she gripped the marble countertop for support.

With trembling fingers, she fumbled for her phone, nearly dropping it twice before managing to unlock it. The screen swam before her eyes, but muscle memory guided her to the contact. Before she could second-guess herself, she hit the call button, her heart pounding in her chest like a caged bird.

One ring. Two rings. Three...

"Leia?" Taylor's voice was sharp, tinged with frustration and something else - concern, perhaps, or maybe just the echo of too much wine.

"Tay," Leia breathed, her voice catching in her throat. The room tilted dangerously, and she slid down to the cool tile floor, her back against the wall. "Tay, I miss you. I miss you so much it hurts."

There was a pause, filled only by the sound of Leia's ragged breathing and the muffled thump of bass from the gala beyond the bathroom door.

"You're drunk," Taylor stated flatly, and Leia could hear the anger and irritating creeping into her tone as she came to the realisation that this wasn't a sober call from her ex-girlfriend, who had been radio silent since she broke up with her a month before.

"Maybe," Leia giggled, then hiccupped. "Probably. Definitely. But I still love you. I love you so much, Tay. You're like... like starlight. No, wait. You're like the whole damn sky. The sun and the moon and all the stars."

"Leia..." Taylor's voice softened, the anger giving way to a weary sadness. "What are you doing?"

"I love you, Tay. I love you so much it hurts. It hurts all the time, like there's this hole in my chest where you used to be. And I know I messed up, I know I hurt you, but I never meant to, I swear. I'm just so sorry-"

"Sorry for what?" Taylor's tone was back to being sharp, almost defensive. "For cheating on me? For lying to me?" 

"I wish I was with you," Leia whispered, ignoring the question. "I wish I could explain everything. I miss you so much it hurts."

She could hear Taylor's sharp intake of breath, could almost see the way her brow would furrow with concern. There were soft murmurs on the other side of the phone, as if someone was talking to Taylor and telling her to hang up on the drunk girl.

"Where are you?" Taylor asked, after a pause.

"I'm at some stupid gala," Leia mumbled, her head lolling against the wall. "With him. But I don't want to be here. I want to be with you. I want to go home. I want to be home, with you."

When Taylor spoke again it was in a way that made Leia's heart ache.

"Leia, listen to me," Taylor said, her voice tight with barely contained emotion. "You can't do this. You can't ignore me for a month, parade around with your ex, and then call me drunk in the middle of the night saying you love me. It doesn't work like that."

The words hit Leia like a physical blow, and she curled in on herself, her forehead pressed against her knees. The cool tile of the bathroom floor seemed to spin beneath her, and she could feel the heat of tears beginning to prick at her eyes.

"I know," she whispered, her voice small and broken. "I know, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Tay."

"Sorry isn't enough," Taylor replied, her tone growing sharper. "Do you have any idea what it's been like for me? Seeing you everywhere with him? Wondering if everything we had was a lie? Wondering just how long you've been sneaking around with him while lying in bed with me?"

Leia could hear the pain in Taylor's voice, could picture the way her blue eyes would flash with hurt and anger. She wanted to explain, to tell Taylor everything - about the blackmail, about Georgie, about how every moment with Dylan felt like drowning.

"It wasn't a lie," Leia managed to choke out. "What we had - it was real. It is real. I never cheated on you, Tay - I love you, I love you so much it's killing me."

When Taylor spoke again, her voice was cold and controlled, but Leia could hear the tremor of emotion beneath the surface.

"If you loved me, you wouldn't be with him. You wouldn't have left me wondering for a month. You wouldn't have broken my heart."

"Taylor, please," she begged, her voice cracking. "I need you. I need-"

"No," Taylor cut her off, her tone sharp enough to make Leia flinch. "What you need is to sober up and figure out what you really want. Because right now, Leia? Right now, you're hurting everyone around you. Including yourself."

There was a rustling sound, and Leia could hear muffled voices in the background. She imagined Taylor at home, surrounded by friends - maybe Gigi, or Selena, or Abigail. People who loved her, who were there for her. People Leia had pushed away.

"You know, I defended you," Taylor said quietly. "When the rumors started, when everyone was saying you'd cheated on me with him, I defended you. I told them they were wrong, that you would never do that to me. I guess I was the fool, wasn't I?"

Leia's heart shattered at the bitterness in Taylor's voice.

"I have to go," Taylor said, her voice softer now, tinged with a sadness that made Leia's heart ache. "Please, Leia. Just... take care of yourself. But please don't call me again."

The line went dead, leaving Leia alone with the echo of Taylor's final words reverberating in her head. She stared at her phone, willing it to ring again, to give her another chance. A gentle knock on the door startled her out of her misery. 

"Leia?" Azul's concerned voice filtered through. "Are you alright?"

Leia struggled to her feet, using the sink for support as she faced her reflection in the mirror. Her makeup was smudged, mascara creating dark rivers down her cheeks. She looked as broken on the outside as she felt on the inside.

"I'm fine," she called back, her voice hoarse. "Just... just give me a minute."

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the evidence of her breakdown. As she patted her skin dry with a plush hand towel, her gaze fell on the delicate gold necklace around her throat - a gift from Taylor, a tiny paper airplane pendant that had once symbolized their love. Now it felt like a noose, tightening with each breath. She wasn't sure why she wore it - and now she wondered if it was cruel, because Taylor would no doubt see it around her neck when the event photos were published.

With trembling fingers, Leia unclasped the necklace, holding it in her palm for a long moment before tucking it into her clutch. She had made her choices, however coerced they might have been, and now she had to live with the consequences.

Taking a deep breath, Leia reapplied her lipstick and smoothed down her gown. She squared her shoulders, steeling herself for the rest of the evening. As she opened the bathroom door, she found Azul waiting, his dark eyes filled with concern.

"Dylan's looking for you," he said softly. "Are you sure you're okay to go back out there?"

Leia nodded, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'm fine," she lied. "Let's go."

Azul stopped her, lifting his hands and placing them on either side of her face - thankful that they were out of sight of any prying eyes. She sighed, looking him directly in the eyes and allowing him to scan her face closely.

"I'm not using," she reassured him, and he nodded as he dropped his hands, clearly satisfied.

"I know."

As they made their way back to the crowded ballroom, Leia felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to run. To flee from the suffocating grip of Dylan's control, from the judgmental stares of the socialites, from the wreckage of her own life. 

But where would she go? She had burned all her bridges, pushed away everyone who truly cared about her.

Dylan's arm snaked around her waist the moment she reappeared, his grip painfully tight. 

"There you are, princess," he murmured, his breath hot against her ear. "I was starting to worry."

Leia suppressed a shudder, plastering on a brittle smile as Dylan steered her towards another group of admirers.

"Sorry," she murmured, "I wasn't feeling well."

"Well, you're here now," he said, his smile widening as he addressed the people around them. Dylan's grip tightened slightly, his fingers digging into her side.

For a moment, Leia allowed herself to imagine a different life - one where she had been brave enough to tell the truth, where she had fought for Taylor instead of giving in to Dylan's threats.

Maybe in another lifetime.

____

Georgie Hudson had been avoiding her sister. 

She'd been crashing at other people's places - from some of her college friend's dorms after nights out to even sleeping over at Niall's hotel rooms, she'd barely stepped foot in her own home. Well, she'd thought it was her home - until Leia had made a point about saying it was her apartment that she paid for that Georgie just stayed in. That had hurt.

It was true - Georgie didn't pay rent and Leia had paid for her tuition, her car, the bills... but Leia had always offered that. All Georgie had was her studies and her on-an-off internship with Austin, something that she had thought was on the rocks too after Leia and Taylor's break up.

At least Leia must have still cared about her to some extent, because despite the siblings not having spoken to each other since their fight almost a month ago, Leia had assigned and hired a new security detail just for Georgie. 

Azul had done the introductions. Her very own security was an older guy, in his mid-forties, called Greg. He was ex-military, and had been working private security since retiring from active duty almost fifteen years before. He had two sons, around Georgie and Leia's age, who had gone off to University and were now living overseas. 

He was relatively quiet, and Georgie kind of liked that about him. He was always there - but never imposing. She liked that too.

Georgie and Greg currently stood inside the garaged Taylor's Tribeca apartment, her heart pounding in her chest. She'd been pacing the room for nearly thirty minutes, gathering the courage to head upstairs to see Taylor. Greg had simply stood at the side of the garage, talking to some of Taylor's own security as they all subtly watched the girl trying to convince herself to get in the elevator and just go upstairs.

She had debated for hours whether to come here, unsure if she'd be welcome. After all, she was Leia's sister, and Leia had broken Taylor's heart. But Taylor was Georgie's friend too, and Georgie really needed a sister figure right now - especially since her own was icing her out and she didn't know why.

She clutched her phone tightly, rereading the text exchange with Austin for the hundredth time. He'd assured her that Taylor wouldn't turn her away, but doubt gnawed at her insides. What if Taylor blamed her for Leia's actions?

"Pace there all day and you'll burn tracks into the ground," Greg muttered to her, a comforting smile on his face. She also liked that about him - he was gentle with her. Azul had always been a bit more to the point with her and Georgie but Greg was a bit like a father figure already. She didn't realise how much she'd missed that until now.

Georgie took a deep breath, steeling herself. He was right - she couldn't keep standing here forever. With a nod to Greg, she stepped into the elevator and pressed the button.

Georgie's stomach churned with anxiety. When the doors finally opened, she hesitated before stepping out into the hallway. Muffled voices and laughter drifted from behind Taylor's door.

She hadn't even thought that Taylor might have had company over, and she kind of was surprised that Taylor's security hadn't mentioned it while they'd let her pace back and forth in the garage. She wondered if they thought she already knew, or if they figured it wasn't her business to know these things now.

Georgie raised her hand to knock, then paused. Maybe this was a mistake. She should just go home - except... she didn't really have a home to go to right now.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Georgie rapped sharply on the door. The voices inside went quiet. After a moment, footsteps approached and the door swung open.

Gigi Hadid stood there, her expression shifting from surprise to a softness as she recognised Georgie.

"You know, you just lost me a bet, kid," Gigi spoke softly, a smile on her face as she opened the door wider and held her arms out for a hug. "I said you wouldn't work up the courage to come up for another ten minutes."

Great, Georgie thought, Taylor's security had obviously called up and told them when she'd arrived that she was there - and now they all knew she'd been too nervous to even show her face. Fucking fantastic.

Gigi wrapped her arms tightly around Georgie, and the redhead sighed deeply as she felt some of the tension leave her body. At least someone didn't seem to hate her right now for Leia's actions - she could work with that.

Gigi stepped aside, motioning for Georgie to enter as she clicked the door shut behind her and padded through to the living room. Georgie's eyes scanned the place, wondering how different one month could really make.

The apartment was dimly lit like normal, Taylor opting for candles flickering on various surfaces rather than the harsh light of the main lights in the rooms. Empty wine bottles and glasses littered the coffee table in the living room. Selena and Cara were curled up on the couch, watching Georgie with curious expressions as the girl stepped into the room with an anxious aura about her.

And there was Taylor, looking tired and slightly disheveled, her eyes red-rimmed. She'd clearly been crying recently.

Her hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail and Georgie was pretty sure she recognised the oversized hoodie on her body as one of Leia's. She looked exhausted, but her expression softened when she saw Georgie.

Georgie twisted her hands nervously. "I... I'm sorry for just showing up like this. I should have called first. I can go if—"

"No, no," Taylor interrupted without a single moment of hesitation, her expression softening. "Come in. Please."

Georgie hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting between Taylor and the other women in the room. She felt like an intruder, barging in on their girl's night.

"I'm sorry," Georgie mumbled as she stepped closer. "I didn't mean to interrupt..."

"You're not interrupting anything," Taylor assured her, pulling Georgie into a tight hug. The familiar scent of Taylor's perfume enveloped her, and Georgie felt some of the tension leave her body. "We were just having a quiet night in."

As they pulled apart, Georgie noticed the others watching them curiously. Selena offered a small smile, while Cara and Gigi exchanged a glance over Georgie, going unnoticed by the younger girl.

"Do you want something to drink?" Taylor asked, guiding Georgie towards the couch. "We've got wine, or I can make you some tea if you prefer."

"Tea would be great, thanks," Georgie replied, her voice barely above a whisper. She perched on the edge of the couch, feeling out of place among Taylor's glamorous friends.

As Taylor disappeared into the kitchen, Gigi settled back into her spot on the floor, leaning against the couch. 

"So, Georgie," she said, her tone gentle, "how have you been holding up? We haven't seen you around much."

Georgie shrugged, her eyes fixed on her hands in her lap. 

"I'm... managing," she said, not quite meeting Gigi's gaze. "Sorry I've not messaged. It's been... complicated."

"I bet," Cara murmured, earning a sharp look from Selena.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft clink of cups from the kitchen. Georgie could feel the weight of unasked questions hanging in the air. She knew they were all wondering about Leia, about what had really happened between her and Taylor.

Taylor returned, carefully balancing a steaming mug of tea. She handed it to Georgie with a soft smile before settling onto the couch beside her. 

Georgie wrapped her hands around the warm mug, inhaling the soothing scent of chamomile. She took a small sip, relishing the comforting warmth as it spread through her chest.

"Thank you," she murmured, glancing up at Taylor. "I... I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me."

Taylor's expression softened, a flicker of pain crossing her features before she masked it with a gentle smile.

"You're always welcome to come see me, George," Taylor murmured softly. "Always."

The silence stretched on after that, thick with unspoken tension. She could feel the others' eyes on her, curiosity and concern mingling in their gazes. Finally, Selena broke the tension. 

"How's school going, Georgie? You're wrapping up the semester soon, right?"

"Yeah, finals are in a couple weeks," Georgie nodded, relieved at the neutral topic. "Then I'm spending the Summer doing my internship with Austin - I think."

"Yeah, he's pretty excited about it," Taylor added, calming down Georgie's nerves. She'd ran over 100 scenarios where the blonde would tell Austin to cancel the internship or Austin wouldn't want to see her or she'd be blacklisted from being near any Swift ever again - and now she realised just how stupid that had been when Taylor was sitting here and treating her just as warm as the day they met. "Keeps telling me that it's nice to have someone else around."

Georgie felt a lump form in her throat at Taylor's kindness. She didn't deserve it, not when her sister had hurt Taylor so deeply.

"I...I'm so sorry," Georgie blurted out, unable to hold it in any longer. "For what Leia did. For everything. I should have known, should have seen it coming..."

"Hey, no," Taylor said firmly, squeezing Georgie's knee. "You have nothing to apologize for. Leia's choices are her own."

Georgie shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. 

"But I'm her sister. I should have noticed something was wrong. And now she won't even talk to me, and I don't know why..."

"Where have you been staying?" Cara interrupted, her eyebrows furrowed. "I saw the articles about you not being at the apartment but I just figured..."

"Ehm, yeah, that was true," Georgie admitted, as Cara trailed off. "I've been splitting my time with Niall and some kids from my major. I crashed at Azul and Riv's place once but... yeah, never again. That was a bit too extreme."

All of the other women's eyes widened in concern at the admission that she hadn't been staying at her own apartment. 

"Georgie, why didn't you say something? You know you're always welcome here."

Georgie shrugged, avoiding Taylor's gaze. 

"I didn't want to impose. And I wasn't sure if... if you'd want me around, after everything."

"Oh, honey," Taylor sighed, pulling Georgie into a tight hug. The younger girl stiffened for a moment before melting into the embrace, silent tears soaking into Taylor's hoodie.

"You're family, George," Taylor murmured, stroking Georgie's hair. "Nothing that's happened changes that."

Gigi and Cara exchanged worried glances as Selena discreetly wiped away a tear of her own at the realisation that Georgie had been out here suffering in silence while they'd all at least had each other to help cope with Leia's sudden cut-off.

"Have you tried talking to Leia?" Selena asked gently as Georgie pulled away from Taylor, wiping her eyes. 

Georgie tensed, her grip tightening on the mug of tea. She could feel the weight of everyone's gaze on her, curiosity and concern mingling in their eyes.

"She won't talk to me. It's like she's a completely different person. I tried to confront her about Dylan, about how he treated her before, but she just... shut down. Told me to mind my own business."

Cara's brow furrowed, a mix of emotions flashing across her face.

 "Has she seemed... okay? Physically, I mean?"

The unspoken questions hung in the air - had Dylan been hurting her again? Was she using again?

"Azul says she's clean, if that's what you mean," Georgie sighed, her shoulders slumping a little. "He's... taken it up a notch. That's why I have Greg now."

"Greg?"

"Yeah, even though she won't speak to me, Leia basically hired me a glorified babysitter called Greg. He's like... a softer Azul."

A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone processed this information. Cara and Gigi exchanged a concerned look, while Selena's expression hardened with resolve. That was strange - Leia had never felt that Georgie needed her own security before, and considering they weren't even supposedly on speaking terms, it was a bit extreme for her to hire an extra person just for Georgie.

"You're staying here tonight," Taylor said firmly, leaving no room for argument as she moved the conversation away from Leia. "And as long as you need after that."

Georgie's eyes widened. "Taylor, I couldn't—"

"You can and you will," Taylor interrupted gently. "I have plenty of room, and I'm not about to let you couch-surf when I have a perfectly good guest room."

She nodded, unable to form words past the lump in her throat. She might not have Leia in her corner right now, but she had Taylor - and that was enough for her.

____

Adrian sighed as he leaned back in his office chair, his eyes drifting over the woman's shoulder and out into the open office block. He could see his assistant chatting to one of the apartment building's janitors, twirling her hair and laughing at something he was saying. A few desks away, he could faintly see Riven talking to one of the label executives, no doubt trying to defend the current public perception of Leia.

Fingers tapped on the table in front of him, snapping his eyes back to her.

"Are you sure you want me to do this?" She asked, her blonde hair somehow still soft against the harsh office fluorescent lights. Her perfectly manicured fingers were strumming a pattern on the table, a soft rhythmic beat that almost reassured him that this was the right thing to do.

"Yeah," Adrian murmured after a moment, his eyes drifting down the contract that was sitting on the table in front of him. "I'm sure."

"She might hate you, if she finds out," the woman replied, leaning back and crossing her ankles as she studied the man in front of her. A guy that had gone from being relatively unknown to being the manager of one of the world's biggest pop-stars. A guy that had juts relocated his entire family to New York City to be closer to the action of the industry.

"I don't think I care if she hates me," he replied, but she wasn't convinced.

"You do care," she quipped back. "But I need to know if her hating you is worth this. Once I start down this path, I don't think any of us will want to stop so I need to hear you say it - and I need to know you mean it."

"She might not hate us," the second man chimed in from the couch in the corner of the room, having been relatively quiet for the meeting. The two others turned to look at him, his dark eyes having been watching them silently and intently. "If we just tell her the right way-"

"If we tell her anything right now, she won't hear us out," Adrian argued back, sighing as he rubbed at his temples. "Leia's self-destructive and will spiral if she thinks Dylan even has an inkling of it all. We can't tell her until we absolutely need to - and that's why you need to keep a close eye, Azul, because if things start to get like last time..."

 Azul sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he realised that Adrian was right. If they told Leia now, there was just too much chance that she'd freak out and blow this whole thing up.

"Okay," Adrian said, turning back to the woman and reaching his hand out across the table. "I'm sure. Azul is sure. We're both sure, and I think we need to start this now."

The blonde woman nodded, slipping her hand into his own and giving a firm handshake in response.

"I'll be in touch," she noted, standing up and brushing flecks of dust off her freshly pressed black suit. "In the meantime, please just keep Leia... sane. She'll be no use to me if she can't stay sober, or the others that are relying on this to work out."

She turned to look at Azul.

"Did you assign the guy I recommended on to Georgie's detail?"

"Greg? Uh yeah," Azul nodded, as she smiled in approval. "He's settling in with her quite well. She's taken his cover story pretty well and I don't think she has any doubts in him. Leia only met him once but she didn't have any concerns either - so I think we're fine on that front."

"Well gentlemen," the blonde woman said as she reached the door. "Pleasure doing business with you. I'll be in touch."

They both sat there in silence for a moment after she left, not too sure what to even say to each other. Azul glanced at him out of the corner of his eye as he rose to his feet, tugging on the sleeves of his black hoodie as he picked his phone up from the table.

"Do you really think she'd hate us?" Adrian asked, just as the man went to leave without saying anything else.

"I don't think she ever could," Azul replied after a moment of hard thought. "I think she'll be extremely upset when she finds out about this, but I think she'll work through it and forgive us."

He paused, his rational tone dropping slightly as he turned to leave the room.

"I don't think I could live with myself if she doesn't."

.

.

.

.

.

hey all! thanks for the comments, i love reading everyones input and feedback! i just wanted to clarify a bit about WHY leia is acting the way she is:

1. she isn't accepting help from anyone else as she thinks if Dylan was to find out, he'll leak those photos. she feels very very trapped, and doesn't want georgie or any of the others to feel the way she currently is.

2. she's seen how far dylan will take things before, and she's worried that he won't just stop at publishing the photos. 

3. she's seen how much the press tore taylor to shreds, and taylor had been in the business for years. georgie is new to this world and so is leia (relatively), so that amount of media hate scares her for her little sister

buuuuut...

we love a bit of character growth, so it won't be like this forever! we'll be back to happiness soon enough :)