12. Public figure

Like a fire igniting into a serious flame, the club erupted into chaos. Phones flashed as everyone captured the moment, pictures, videos, turning the place into a stage, and me, the unwilling star. Emma’s guilty look pierced through the madness, a silent acknowledgment that I had gone too far. How had I ever thought I could have a normal life?

The bodyguards quickly pulled me toward the exit as Mara and Tonia exchanged glances with Emma, their mocking smiles still in place. I wasn’t fully aware of the gravity of the situation until the car door closed behind me, sealing me inside. That’s when it hit me.

People outside the club were still taking pictures and videos, their phones raised even as I sat in the car. The shouting grew louder, and before I knew it, paparazzi, who must have appeared out of nowhere, were pounding on the windows, trying to get me to respond. Their voices were muffled behind the glass, but I could still hear their demands for a statement, for a reaction. I presse