Behind the spotlight

Aria Monroe Everyone thinks they know me. They know the smile. The dresses. The headlines. The carefully edited photos that make my life look like something out of a dream. They see Aria Monroe—the girl who has everything. They don’t see what happens when the cameras turn off. They don’t see the way I check the locks three times before going to sleep. They don’t see the messages that appear from numbers I don’t recognize. They don’t see the way my security team whispers when they think I’m not listening. They don’t see the shadows. Tonight, the room is full of people who love me. At least, that’s what the cameras will show tomorrow. I’m standing beneath a thousand lights, hearing thousands of voices scream my name, and somehow I feel more alone than I ever have. I lift my hand and wave. I smile. I play my part. Because that’s what stars do. They shine. Even when something is waiting in the dark. I don’t know , yet that tonight will change everything. I don’t know that someone is watching me. I don’t know that the person who will save my life is the same person who will eventually become the biggest threat to my heart. Kai Anders doesn’t know it either. Not yet.