MIKAEL'S FORBIDDEN ADDICTION (UNDER EDITING)

CHAPTER TWO

The next morning, Lyara’s eyes were swollen from crying, but she didn't have time to hide. She pulled on a baseball cap, grabbed her bag, and headed to campus.

As she walked through the gates, a familiar voice shouted her name.

"Lyara! Hey, superstar!"

It was Jacob. He ran up to her, grinning ear to ear, and lifted her into a quick hug. Jacob wasn't just her best friend from school; his father was the owner of Elite Edge Entertainment, the modeling agency Lyara had signed with a year ago. Because of that, Jacob was the only person who truly understood both her normal life and her career.

"I saw the clips from the show last night! You were incredible," Jacob said, setting her down. "You looked like a totally different person on that runway. My dad said the phones haven't stopped ringing."

Lyara tried to smile, but it felt heavy. "Thanks, Jake. It was... a lot."

"A lot? Lyara, you were right there in front of Mikael Roosevelt. Did you finally get to talk to him? I know you’ve been chasing a chance to meet him for a whole year. You were so obsessed!"

Lyara’s heart sank at the mention of his name. Before she could answer, a loud, mocking laugh cut through the air.

"Oh look, the 'supermodel' is back from her big night," a girl sneered.

It was Chloe. Chloe had been bullying Lyara since freshman year. She was surrounded by her usual group of friends, all of them clutching their phones.

"I saw the video, Lyara," Chloe said, stepping closer with a nasty smirk. "You looked so desperate reaching out for Mikael. And the way his guards shoved you? Yikes. So embarrassing. Why would a star like him even look at a newbie like you? You’re just a background character in his world."

The old Lyara would have looked at the ground and walked away. But after the humiliation of last night, she was done being quiet.

Lyara stepped forward, looking Chloe right in the eye. "At least I was on that runway, Chloe. At least I was in the room. You’re just here, watching me from your phone like a fan. If you're so obsessed with my life, maybe you should try getting one of your own."

Chloe’s mouth dropped open. Her friends went silent. "You think you're so special—"

"I don't think I'm special," Lyara cut her off. "But I'm done listening to you. Move."

Lyara walked right past her, brushing Chloe’s shoulder. Jacob followed her, looking shocked but proud.

"Whoa," Jacob whispered once they were under the shade of a large tree. "Where did that come from? You usually let her talk."

"I'm just tired, Jake," Lyara sighed, sitting on a stone bench. "Tired of being pushed around by everyone."

Just then, Lyara’s phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a call from Mr. Miller, her manager at Elite Edge Entertainment.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Lyara! Great job last night," Mr. Miller’s voice sounded strangely tight, almost nervous. "Listen, I need you at the office first thing Monday morning. Be sharp, wear something professional. We have a very important meeting with the new stakeholders. This is a big deal, so be prepared."

"New stakeholders? What—"

"Just be here, Lyara. 9:00 AM sharp," he said and hung up.

Lyara frowned at her phone. She turned to Jacob. "My manager just called. He said there's a huge meeting on Monday with 'stakeholders.' How did you know about that earlier? You mentioned it before he even called me."

Jacob rubbed the back of his neck, looking a bit uneasy. "My dad was talking about it late last night. He didn't tell me everything, but he said Elite Edge Entertainment was going through some big changes. Like, really big. He sounded stressed, Lyara. I think he's selling a part of the company."

Lyara felt a knot form in her stomach. "What kind of changes?"

"I don't know," Jacob said, leaning closer. "But honestly, forget the agency for a second. Let's talk about why you’re so upset. Is it because of Mikael? Why do you even love him so much? He doesn't even know you exist, and after last night, it’s clear he doesn’t care. Why keep a crush on a guy who treats you like air?"

Lyara looked at her feet. "I think... I just wanted to believe the person I saw on those posters was real. I thought if someone like him noticed me, it meant I finally mattered. That I wasn't just a girl from a tiny town anymore."

She wiped a stray tear before it could fall. "But I was wrong. He’s just a cold stranger. I'm done, Jake. No more posters. No more following him. I'm moving on."

Jacob smiled and squeezed her hand. "Good. You’re worth way more than him anyway."

Lyara nodded, trying to believe him. She felt like she was finally closing that chapter of her life. She was ready to focus on her career and whatever this "big meeting" was.

She had no idea that while she sat there, Elite Edge Entertainment was no longer owned by Jacob's father. The papers had already been signed.

And the name on the new ownership contract was Mikael Roosevelt.

Lyara was exhausted. After eight hours of classes and the emotional roller coaster of the last twenty-four hours, her head felt like it was spinning. Instead of taking the crowded bus, she decided to walk. The evening air was cool, and she needed the "fresh air" to clear her mind.

She walked through a quiet street lined with old trees and dim streetlights. The neighborhood was usually safe, but it was deserted this time of day. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a scuffle coming from a narrow alleyway up ahead.

"Give me the watch! Now!" a rough voice shouted.

Lyara froze and stopped walking. She peered around the corner and saw a tall man pinned against a brick wall. Two men in hoodies were surrounding him. One of them held a pocket knife, while the other was trying to rip an expensive-looking watch off the tall man's wrist.

The tall man was struggling, but he was outnumbered. Lyara’s heart pounded. She knew she should probably run and call the police, but she couldn't just stand there and watch someone get hurt. She looked around and spotted a heavy wooden plank leaning against a trash bin.

She grabbed it, her hands shaking. "Hey! Leave him alone!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, banging the plank against a metal gate to make as much noise as possible. "The police are right around the corner! Get out of here!"

The two robbers froze. They looked at Lyara, then at the heavy board in her hands, and then at the end of the alley where she was pointing. Thinking she wasn't alone, they panicked.

"Let's go, man! It’s not worth it!" one of them hissed. They pushed him hard and ran away, disappearing into the dark.

Lyara dropped the wooden plank, her knees feeling like jelly. "Are you okay?" she asked, rushing over to the man. "Did they hurt you?"

The man was leaning against the wall, breathing heavily. He was wearing a dark hoodie and sunglasses, which seemed unusual for a nighttime walk. He slowly straightened up and pushed his hood back. "I'm fine," he said, his voice smooth and familiar. "They just caught me off guard."

He reached up and took off his sunglasses. Lyara froze. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she felt like the ground was falling away from under her feet.

It was him.

The piercing blue eyes, the perfectly straight nose, the jawline she had seen on a thousand posters. It was Mikael Roosevelt. Mikael looked at her, his eyes narrowing as he recognized her face. He didn’t look like the king everyone admired in public or the star who dazzled on the runway. He looked human—flustered, slightly disheveled, and caught completely off guard.

"You," he murmured, his gaze traveling from her face down to her plain school backpack. "You're the girl from the show. The one who walked away."

Lyara couldn't move. Just a few hours ago, she had told Jacob she was done with him. She had promised herself she would move on. And now, here she was, in a dark alley, having just saved the life of the man who had broken her heart.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "Why are you walking around without security?"

Mikael let out a short, bitter laugh. "I wanted a 'fresh air,' just like you, I suppose. I thought I could handle a walk by myself for once."

He stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming the small space. He looked at her with a curious, dark intensity. "You're a strange girl, Lyara," he said softly. "First you treat me like I’m invisible on the runway, and then you save me from a mugging. Which one is the real you?"

Lyara stepped back, her anger finally starting to bubble up through her shock. "The real me is the girl who doesn't like seeing people get hurt. Even people who are jerks."

Mikael smirked, his eyes glinting. "A jerk? Is that what I am?"

"Yes," she snapped. "Now, if you're okay, I’m going home. I have a big day on Monday."

She turned to walk away, but his voice stopped her.

"I'll see you on Monday, Lyara," he said. It wasn't a question. It was a promise.

Lyara didn't look back. She practically ran the rest of the way home, her mind screaming. She had just saved him. She had talked to him. And somehow, he knew her name. She crawled into bed, her heart still racing. She thought the alley was a coincidence. She thought she had won the encounter.

She didn't know that Mikael had watched her walk away with a look of pure, predatory hunger. He hadn't been "caught off guard" by those robbers. He had wanted to see if she would stop. He had wanted to see what she was made of.

And Monday was only two days away.