"So at what point were you going to tell me that you've got Thena fucking Hildago wrapped up in this mess?"

Adrian looked up, his glasses perched of the edge of his nose as the door to his office slammed open. He clenched his jaw, holding up a hand as Riven stormed into the room.

"Dad?"

Riven blanched at the soft voice, a sheepish smile on his face as he turned to the couch in the corner and waving awkwardly at Adrian's youngest who had been sitting with a colouring book on the table in front of her.

Riven's face flushed with embarrassment as he realised he had just burst in on Adrian's family time. Now that Adrian's family had moved to the city, and the man wasn't flying back and forth all the time, he'd taken to bringing the girls into work when they had days off from home schooling or if they fancied a change of environment. He'd reminded everyone of this, but it seemed Riven had been too overwhelmed with anger to even pause to think.

"Hey there, Lily," he said softly to Adrian's daughter. "I'm sorry for interrupting. I didn't realise you were here."

Lily looked between Riven and her father, her big brown eyes wide with curiosity. Adrian sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Lily, sweetheart, why don't you go see if anyone needs help with photocopying - remember the admin team you spoke to yesterday? Let them know I asked if they have something that will keep you for ten minutes, okay? I need to talk to Uncle Riven for a minute."

At least he hadn't lost his uncle title, Riven thought.

The little girl nodded, gathering her coloring books and crayons. As she passed Riven, she paused, looking up at him with a serious expression.

"You shouldn't slam doors," she said matter-of-factly. "It's not polite."

Riven couldn't help but chuckle. 

"You're absolutely right, Lily. I'll remember that next time."

Once Lily had left the room, Adrian turned his attention back to Riven, his expression stern.

"She's cute-"

"You're testing me already this morning, Riven. Now, would you care to explain what this is all about? And perhaps next time, consider calling before barging into my office?"

Riven ran a hand through his hair, his earlier anger deflating slightly in the face of Adrian's calm demeanour.

"You're working with Thena Hildago?"

"Working is a loose term," Adrian replied, shooting Riven a look as he watched the man in front of him roll his eyes in annoyance. "To be honest, we had no idea that you knew her from college or I'd have given you a heads up. Nothing personal... of course."

Riven's jaw clenched as he paced the length of Adrian's office, his frustration evident in every step. He stopped abruptly, turning to face Adrian with a fierce intensity in his eyes.

"I don't know what game you're playing, Adrian," Riven said, his voice low and intense. "But Thena and Leia? They're not going to be a good match. This whole thing could blow up before it even has a chance to begin."

Adrian leaned back in his leather chair, his fingers steepled under his chin. The light glinted off his silver wedding band as he regarded Riven with a mixture of patience and exasperation. 

"It doesn't matter," Adrian finally said, his voice calm but firm. "As long as we get the outcome we need. Thena's methods may be... unconventional, but she gets results. And right now, results are what we need."

Adrian's expression softened slightly, a flicker of concern passing over his features before his professional mask slipped back into place. 

"I understand your concerns, Riven. But we're running out of options. Dylan's grip on Leia is tightening every day, and if we don't act soon..."

"I'm not sure about this," Riven interrupted, his voice low and urgent. "There has to be another way. She's going to hate us..."

"Listen to me carefully, Riven," he said, his voice low and intense. "We need to stick to the plan. All of us. If we start second-guessing ourselves now, if we let our personal feelings cloud our judgment, this whole thing is going to blow up in our faces. And make no mistake – Leia will be the one caught in the blast if this doesn't work out."

Riven flinched at the mention of Leia's name, the weight of their actions pressing down on him. He could still see her face, anxious and hurt, as they'd left her apartment earlier with Georgie standing in front of her. 

"I know you care about her," Adrian continued, his tone softening slightly. "We all do. But sometimes, protecting someone means making difficult choices. She might hate us once it's all over and done - but she'll know why we did it. And that I can live with."

Adrian looked at Riven as the younger man clenched his jaw once more.

"I can live with it. Azul can live with it. Can you?"

_____ 

Georgie and Leia sat across from each other in the apartment, the silence between them continuing to stretch on. Leia was kind of glad that the boys hadn't taken Tate, as his weight on her lap was maybe the only thing keeping her grounded right now as she realised the burden she was about to put on Georgie's shoulders.

"Dylan is... blackmailing you?"

"It's not your fault, Georgie."

"Why would it be my fault?"

Leia's fingers trembled as she stroked Tate's fur, her eyes fixed on a point somewhere beyond Georgie's shoulder. The words she needed to say felt like lead in her throat, heavy and poisonous. 

"It's... it's about some photos, Georgie," Leia finally managed, her voice barely above a whisper. "The ones you sent to Niall."

Georgie's brow furrowed in confusion for a moment before realisation dawned on her face, her eyes widening in horror. 

"What? How did... how did Dylan get those?"

Leia's eyes filled with tears as she watched the emotions play across her sister's face. 

"When Niall's phone was hacked, Dylan somehow got access to everything. Including... including those pictures you sent him."

The colour drained from Georgie's face, her hands gripping the edge of the couch so tightly her knuckles turned white. 

"Oh my God," she breathed, her voice shaking. "Leia, I'm so sorry. I never meant for..."

"It's not your fault," Leia interrupted, reaching out to grasp her sister's hand. "You didn't do anything wrong. This is all on Dylan."

Georgie shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "But if I hadn't sent those pictures..."

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. Tate whined softly, sensing her distress, and nuzzled closer to Georgie. She buried her face in his fur, grateful for the momentary escape. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, at a loss for words.

Leia lifted her head, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "Dylan's threatening to release them if I don't do what he wants. I couldn't... I couldn't let him do that to you."

"What... what does he want?" Georgie finally asked, her voice small and scared.

"His 'reputation' back. Unironically," Leia added, shaking her head. "He thinks our breakup ruined it, and now he's framing it as I was the one who cheated and that he's being the good guy by giving me a second chance."

Leia shook her head, her voice trembling. 

"I don't know what to do, Georgie. If those photos get out, it could ruin your life. Your career, your relationships... everything."

"And what about your life?" Georgie countered, leaning forward intently. "You can't seriously be considering going along with his demands. That would be like... like selling your soul."

Leia's shoulders slumped, the weight of her decision visible in every line of her body. "What choice do I have? I can't let him hurt you like that. I brought you into this industry, I owe you more than that."

Georgie stood up abruptly, pacing the room with nervous energy. 

"There has to be another way. Surely what Dylan's doing is illegal."

"It is," Leia confirmed. "But by the time we could build a case, the damage would already be done. Once those photos are out there, we can't take them back."

"We have to tell someone," Georgie said suddenly, sitting up straighter. "The police, or-"

"No!" Leia interjected, her voice sharp with panic. "We can't involve anyone else. I shouldn't have even dragged you into this-"

Georgie's face crumpled, the weight of guilt crushing down on her. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid..."

"Stop it," Leia said firmly, reaching out to grasp her sister's hands. "You are not to blame for this. Dylan is the one who's doing something wrong, not you."

Georgie's eyes widened, a spark of hope igniting in their depths. She leaned forward, her voice urgent. "What about Taylor? She's smart, she's connected. Maybe she could help us find a way out of this mess."

The mention of Taylor's name sent a visible shudder through Leia's body. Her fingers tightened around Tate's fur, seeking comfort in the dog's steady presence. The apartment seemed to shrink around them, the walls closing in as the weight of the situation pressed down on both sisters.

"We can't," Leia whispered, her voice barely audible over the soft hum of the air conditioning. "I can't drag her into this. It's... it's too dangerous."

"But Taylor loves you," Georgie insisted, her voice rising with frustration. "She'd want to help. And she has resources we don't. Maybe she could-"

"No!" Leia's voice cracked like a whip, startling both Georgie and Tate. The dog whined softly, pressing closer to Leia's side. She took a deep breath, her voice softening as she continued. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. It's just... Dylan thought of everything."

Leia's gaze drifted to the window, where the city skyline stretched out before them, a maze of glass and steel that suddenly felt more like a prison than a home. 

"He has it in the contract. I can't speak to Taylor. Not about this, not about anything."

The silence that followed was deafening. Georgie's mouth opened and closed, words failing her as the full implications of Leia's situation sank in. The ticking of the clock on the wall seemed to grow louder, each second a reminder of the time slipping away from them.

"That's why you broke up with her," Georgie breathed, realization dawning on her face. "Oh, Leia..."

"You weren't wrong when we argued," Leia continued. "I did relapse, too. Dylan gave me a bag when I ran into him in July last year, and I just... I don't know why I didn't throw it out. I'd left it buried in my sock drawer and I had no intention of taking it - but Taylor saw it and when she accused me of it... it was like something snapped when she left."

Georgie didn't know what to say.

"Azul found me. It's why he won't leave me alone now, it's why he was here when you and Niall came round that morning."

Leia nodded, a single tear escaping and trailing down her cheek. She brushed it away impatiently, her voice thick with emotion.

"I can't risk her getting involved. Dylan... he made it clear what would happen if I tried to warn her or ask for help."

The memory of that conversation with Dylan flashed through Leia's mind - his smug smile, the cold glint in his eyes as he laid out his terms. The way her heart had shattered as she realised what she would have to do to protect the people she loved.

Georgie reached out, intertwining her fingers with Leia's in a gesture of silent support. 

"There has to be a way out of this," Georgie murmured.

Leia blinked a few times, the feeling of unease settling back into her bones as she thought about the conversation she'd had the previous day, the flash of blonde and sweet scent of perfume still haunting her thoughts.

"I think there is," Leia admitted, but scowling as she looked at Georgie. "I just don't know if I'm willing to risk it."

"Don't you think you owe it to yourself to try?" Georgie replied after a moment, her voice gentle. "Owe it to me, owe it to Taylor, to everyone that's suffered at his hands?"

"I do," Leia replied, no hesitation there. "I just don't know how far this is going to make me go."

____

"You're sure about this?"

She'd called the woman as soon as Georgie had gone to call Niall, grabbing Tate's lead and telling her sister she was taking him for a quick walk before they went to bed for the night. She knew Azul would be angry if he found out that she was going for a late night walk without telling anyone where or who with, but it didn't matter.

It seemed strangely concerning how quickly Thena was able to meet with Leia. She was in the neighbourhood - supposedly - and was meeting with her at the corner of a quiet street in less than four minutes.

Leia wasn't sure what she hated more: the fact that Thena had that same aura of smugness about her as soon as she'd heard Leia's voice on the phone, or the fact that Tate was seemingly also smitten with the woman, pressing his large head into her hand as soon as she outstretched it.

"What choice do I have?" Leia muttered back, her arms crossed as she stared at the blonde woman that was standing across from her, holding back a snarky comment as Thena rolled her eyes at her dramatics.

"I've literally told you your choices," Thena snapped back. "There's this, or there's staying under Dylan's control. Make no mistake Leia - this is a choice. You're either in or you're out, that's your choice."

Leia's jaw clenched as she considered Thena's words. The woman's blunt demeanor was grating, but Leia couldn't deny the truth in what she was saying. This was a choice - perhaps the only real choice she'd had in months.

Her fingers dug into her arms as she weighed her options. The silence stretched between them, heavy with tension and unspoken fears. Finally, she let out a shaky breath and met Thena's gaze.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across Thena's face, not needing the words to come from Leia's mouth to know that the popstar had made a decision. She stepped closer to Leia, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor. 

"Fine," Leia said at last, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm in. But I need to know exactly what this plan of yours entails. No surprises."

Thena's lips curved into a smile that was equal parts triumphant and predatory. 

"Smart girl..."

____

If Adrian and Riven thought she had an unusually preppy step in her walk as she entered the office that morning, neither of them mentioned it. 

Leia was grinning at them both, four takeaway cups in her hand as she sat one of them down on the reception desk outside of Adrian's office, saying a rather chirpy good morning to Adrian's assistant as she entered the room. Azul was hot on her heels, the man having been surprised when Leia had text him telling him that he could start wearing whatever he wanted as opposed to always wearing black clothes.

It was strange - not unwelcome, of course - but rather bizarre.

"The sun is shining, New York is singing and I have such a great vibe about today," Leia announced as she passed Riven and Adrian their own cups, before turning and passing the fourth one to Azul. "My gift to you - a little kickstart to the week."

"It's Thursday?" 

"Well, kick-start to the mid-week then," Leia hummed back at Riven, who was looking between her and his boyfriend as if she had grown three heads. 

Adrian raised an eyebrow, studying Leia's uncharacteristically cheerful demeanor with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "You seem... different today. Did something happen?"

"Oh, nothing major. Just had an epiphany last night. Decided it was time to stop wallowing and start living again, you know?"

'What the fuck?' Riven mouthed to Adrian, who shrugged back at the publicist with just as much confusion in his eyes.

Riven and Adrian exchanged a look, clearly thrown by this sudden shift in Leia's attitude. Azul, however, seemed less surprised, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth as he sipped his coffee.

"Georgie came back and they made up," Azul summarised, having heard all about it on the car journey that morning. "Leia told her about everything."

Adrian's eyes widened slightly at Azul's words. That hadn't been in... the plan.

"Everything?" he asked, his gaze shifting back to Leia.

Leia nodded, her smile dimming just a fraction. "Well, almost everything. I told her about Dylan, the blackmail, the photos... She deserved to know the truth."

Riven leaned forward, concern etched on his face. "And how did she take it?"

"Better than I expected, actually," Leia replied, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. "She was upset, of course, but mostly at Dylan. And at herself, which I hate. But we talked it through, and... I don't know. It felt good to finally tell someone that wasn't you guys, even if it does mean that she's freaking out a bit, I'm just glad she doesn't think I hate her anymore."

Adrian nodded, a mixture of relief and concern flickering across his face. He opened his mouth to respond when a sharp ringtone cut through the air. Riven fumbled for his phone, glancing at the screen with a furrowed brow.

"I, uh... I need to take this," he muttered, his voice suddenly tight. "Excuse me for a moment."

As Riven hurried out of the office, Leia's gaze followed him for a brief second as Azul followed him out, before she turned back to Adrian as her earlier cheerfulness returned.

"So, how's Lily enjoying being around the office more?" she asked, settling into one of the plush chairs across from Adrian's desk. "I bet she's charming everyone here."

Adrian's face softened at the mention of his daughter, a proud smile tugging at his lips. 

"She's loving it, actually. I was worried she might get bored, but she's turned into quite the little helper," he noted. "She was asking about you last week actually. Has decided that she's going to be a popstar and wants you to record with her next week, of course."

"Naturally," Leia bounced back, a laugh on her lips. "Tell her that can be arranged..."

"Please don't humour it," Adrian sighed, rolling his eyes playfully. "I swear she picks a new career each week. First it was show jumper, then writer and now popstar... what's next, honestly?"

"Let's hope it's not music manager or I feel I'll be replacing you with her in no time with ambitions like that."

"Very funny," he deadpanned back. "Yesterday, she spent an hour helping the design team sort through fabric swatches for some new merch ideas. She's got quite the eye for colour, apparently. And the day before, she was 'assisting' HR with their filing system. I think they just gave her some old documents to organise, but she took it very seriously."

Leia laughed, picturing the precocious little girl with her serious expression, meticulously arranging papers. The sound of her laughter seemed to brighten the room even further, chasing away the last vestiges of tension that had lingered in the air.

"That's adorable," Leia said, her eyes crinkling with genuine warmth. "I'm glad she's enjoying it. It must be nice for you too, having her close by."

Adrian nodded, his expression softening further. 

"It really is. I didn't realize how much I was missing by being away so often. This arrangement... it's been good for all of us, I think."

Leia nodded, not sure what else to say. She honestly hadn't really realised how much the man had sacrificed to help her get to where she was until recently, when it all seemed like it was about to crash down. She'd been harsh to them - Adrian, Riven and Azul - when she sometimes forgot that they had just as much, if not more, weighing on her success than she did.

As they continued to chat, neither of them noticed the prolonged absence of Riven, or the way Azul's gaze kept drifting to the door, a hint of concern in his dark eyes. The conversation flowed easily, filled with anecdotes about Lily's office adventures and gentle laughter.

Riven paced the hallway, his phone pressed tightly to his ear, his free hand running through his hair in agitation.

As Leia and Adrian continued their light-hearted conversation, the muffled sound of Riven's voice began to filter through the office door. At first, it was just a low murmur, easily ignored amidst their laughter and chatter. But gradually, the volume increased, the words becoming more distinct, tinged with an edge of frustration that was impossible to overlook.

"...can't be serious!" Riven's voice suddenly rang out, clear enough to be heard through the heavy wood of the door. The words were followed by a thud, as if he had slammed his hand against the wall in frustration.

Adrian's brow furrowed, his eyes darting to the door. Leia's smile faltered, her earlier cheerfulness giving way to a flicker of concern.

"Who on earth is he talking to?" Adrian muttered, his voice low as he turned to Azul, who had been silently observing from his position near the door.

Azul shrugged, his dark eyes betraying a hint of unease. "I'm not sure. He didn't say."

Leia wasn't sure she believed him.

"No, you don't understand," Riven's voice rang out, clear enough now that they could make out individual words. "This isn't just some PR stunt we can spin. We're talking about real people's lives here!"

Leia's fingers tightened around her coffee cup, her knuckles turning white. She recognized the tone in Riven's voice – it was the same one he used when he was arguing with someone he respected but vehemently disagreed with. And there was only one person who could get Riven this worked up.

Tree.

The cheerful facade she had so carefully constructed that morning crumbled in an instant. Her eyes met Adrian's, and she saw her own fear reflected back at her. Whatever was happening outside that door, whatever Riven and Tree were arguing about, it wasn't good.

Leia's hands began to tremble, and she clasped them tightly in her lap to hide their shaking. Her mind raced, trying to piece together what could possibly be happening, what Riven was talking about, and who -

Well, she knew the who. It was obviously to do with her and Taylor - not that there even was a her and Taylor anymore - or at least one of them in some relation to the other. She'd still not spoken to her since that night that she had drunk called her, almost a month and a half ago. She knew that Georgie had been staying with her for a bit and that they were on speaking terms, but that wasn't Leia.

"Whatever," Riven snapped into the phone, pulling it back from his ear and aggressively slamming his finger into the screen as he disconnected the call.

He sighed, his back still facing them all as he prepared to pepper a smile on his face, slowly turning around and allowing the fake facade to drop as he realised from the looks on their faces that they'd heard him - at least some parts - from inside.

He moved slowly, trying his hardest to refuse to look at Leia.

That did nothing to help her nerves.

"What the hell was that?" Adrian snapped, his eyes drifting past Riven and looking to where other agents and managers were peering out their offices. "Shut the damn door behind you and get in here."

Riven stepped into the office, closing the door behind him with a soft click. The tension in the room was palpable as he turned to face the others, his expression a mixture of frustration and resignation.

"Taylor's planning to release a new song. Next week."

Adrian leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "And? She releases songs all the time. What's so different about this one?"

"It's not really about the song-"

"They why start with that-"

"It was just where the conversation started-"

"Can we get to the point?" Leia snapped, now frustrated and no sign of her originally great mood in sight.

"Her team requires all of our team to sign new NDAs now that Leia and Taylor are no longer in contact."

Adrian nodded, almost like he was still waiting for the penny to drop.

"That's standard," he drawled, his eyes flickering to Leia who was also holding in the same breath that he thought he had been. "We already knew this - literally from a few days after the break-up. I thought we already signed those ones-"

"Yeah, well they need us to sign new ones."

"What? Why?" Adrian replied, but Riven's eyes were now fixated on Leia.

The look on his face told her that she didn't want to hear it. Whatever he'd just been told on the phone, whatever he was about to pass on to her, whatever it was - she really didn't think she wanted to hear it.

"She's going to announce Lover tonight. The album's still mostly about you Leia," Riven muttered after a moment. "Those songs... they were written about you and from a place of love. This doesn't take away from that."

"I don't think I'm in a mindset to hear what ever you're about-"

"I think you need to hear it-"

"Riven, I don't want-"

"Taylor and Joe are... staring to... see each other. They've called off the PR relationship terms and contracts, and I have a new NDA that Tree has sent for us all to sign. It's rather new, and it's really early days but Tree wants to get ahead of this in case you turn spiteful..."

Oh.

She zoned him out.

All of this... what had it really all been for?

Leia swore that the entire of New York City might have just heart the seismic fracture of her heart shattering into a thousand little pieces.

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guys don't hate me i promise you'll love me eventually !!!

we have a few more chapters, and then we're gonna do a bit of a time jump (because i have no intention of revisiting covid lol) - but dw you'll like it!!! i think...