The buzzing lights of Nova Pulse Agency gleamed above Aria Lane’s head as she clutched her folder tighter to her chest.

First day. First real job.

Don't screw this up, she told herself.

The agency was bigger than she expected — all glass walls, marble floors, and busy people with headsets. Aria, new and invisible, weaved her way through the hallways, trying to find the supply room where she was told to organize some inventory.

After ten minutes of feeling completely lost, she finally found a door labeled “Storage.” Relieved, she slipped inside, breathing in the dusty, faintly sweet smell of paper and old wood.

She knelt down, sorting boxes of notebooks and posters when—

SLAM.

The door burst open, and a shadow fell across her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" barked a sharp voice.

Startled, Aria stood up too fast, nearly knocking over a stack of boxes.

In front of her stood a man — sunglasses still on indoors, his dark hair tousled, his expression pure anger.

Aria blinked.

Riven Cross.

Even she knew who he was — the top idol at Nova Pulse. Famous. Untouchable. Rude.

"This room is off-limits!" he snapped.

Aria narrowed her eyes, heart pounding, but not with fear — with anger.

"Maybe if you labeled your doors properly, people wouldn't walk into the wrong room," she shot back, dusting off her hands. "Try fixing that instead of yelling at people who actually work here."

Without waiting for his reply, she brushed past him, head held high.

In the hallway, she almost collided with someone else — a tall figure with a warm smile and a guitar case slung over his shoulder.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, voice laced with concern.

It was Leo Hart — the golden boy of the pop world.

Aria forced a small smile.

"Nothing. I think your friend just had a bad day."

Leo blinked, clearly caught off guard, but Aria didn’t wait. She kept walking, ignoring the sting in her chest — not from the argument, but from the burning feeling of being completely out of place.

Behind her, unseen, Riven stood in the doorway, eyes narrowing.

He had noticed something in her — something he couldn’t name yet.

And for the first time in a long while, Riven Cross felt a spark of something dangerously close to curiosity.