Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
I spent days glued to the ticketing app, pulling all–nighters, before I finally man- aged to snag two front–row, center–stage tickets to the Starlight Gala, headlined by my boyfriend’s idol.
I was about to screenshot the confirmation to send to him when a message
from him popped up first.
“Kiki’s a die–hard fan and couldn’t get a ticket. I gave yours to her.”
“Besides, watching the livestream at home is the same for you. The venue is just a loud, crowded mess.”
I stared at my now–empty ticketing app.
After a moment of silence, I sent a voice message to my own brother, who also happens to be his idol.
“Ash, I need a favor at the gala tonight. The girl sitting in my seat… yeah, can you call her up on stage and ask her where she got her ticket?”
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The second I sent it, a video call from my brother, Asher Chang, came through.
“That bastard Leo messing with you again?” His voice cut through the backgr- ound noise, sharp and commanding.
I didn’t say anything. I just sent him the screenshots of Leo’s messages.
He read them and let out a low curse.
“Front–row tickets? I told you I had house seats reserved for you through Wang, but you said no!”
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“You had to go on about wanting the ‘shared experience of working for someth- ing together.‘ Is this your shared experience?”
“Nina, are you an idiot?”
I sniffled, holding back the wave of emotion. “Ash, I just need you to do me this
one favor.”
He’s been in the entertainment industry for years. He understood my intention instantly. The fury on his face morphed into a smile so cold it could freeze
water.
“Right. Got it.”
“I’ll have Wang leave your original house ticket at the VIP entrance. Just pick it up when you get here.”
“Tonight, your big brother is going to get you some payback. You’re in for a good show.”
As soon as Asher hung up, Leo called. His tone was matter–of–fact, laced with an undercurrent of blame.
“Nina, why are you throwing a tantrum? Not answering my texts or calls.”
“Kiki told me you seemed upset.”
I ignored his opening salvo, my voice like ice. “Leo, what gives you the right to touch my tickets?”
He seemed taken aback by my directness but quickly found his footing. “I was just trying to cheer her up. She’s been so stressed with her grad school applic- ations, she’s lost weight, she’s on the verge of a breakdown.”
“You’re her best friend. Can’t you be a little more considerate?”
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His logic was so twisted it was almost funny. “She’s stressed, so she needs my tickets? Am I her mother or her therapist?”
He clearly wasn’t expecting this kind of pushback from me. He shifted tactics, smoothly sliding into his usual manipulation.
“Besides, are you going to see me, or are you going to see Asher Chang? You’re not even his fan, so what does it matter where you sit?”
“Kiki has waited years just to get a glimpse of him. Can’t you just help make
her dream come true? Why are you being so selfish all of a sudden?”
My heart turned to stone as he belittled the sleepless nights I’d spent, reducing
my efforts to a meaningless “what does it matter where you sit.”
All my effort, in his eyes, was worth nothing.
My voice was quiet but clear. “I got the tickets so I could go with you to see your idol. Is that concept really so hard to understand, Leo?”
My calmness seemed to enrage him. His voice rose, thick with disappointment and accusation. “Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It’s just a
ticket!”
“Kiki already said she’d take a ton of high–def pictures for you. She even promi- sed to try and get you some signed merch. Isn’t that enough?”
He seemed to think my issue was the material loss. His tone softened into a patronizing drawl.
“Alright, alright, stop making a scene. I know you worked hard.”
“I’ll treat you to a nice dinner to make up for it.”
“You just be a good girl and watch the livestream at home. Kiki and I will send
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you updates.”
His condescending generosity made my stomach turn. I couldn’t stand to hear another word from him. I hung up the phone.
Then, I turned, opened my closet, and pulled out the haute couture gown Asher
had sent over last week. Tucked inside the box was a pass.
Embossed in gold foil were the words: ARTIST FAMILY – ALL ACCESS.
Oh, I wasn’t just going to the gala.
I was going to make an entrance.
That evening, another message from Leo arrived.
“What are you up to? The show’s about to start. Don’t forget to tune into the
livestream, babe.”
It was followed by a forty–second voice memo.
“Kiki said the fan club is planning a surprise for Asher tonight. They need to pass a giant light–up banner around the outside of the stadium.”
“There’s a huge crowd, and they’re short–handed. It’s just a few of them.”
“Since you’re not doing anything anyway, could you go help them out? Keep an eye on things.”
“You’d be doing it for Asher, too. Kiki would be really grateful.”
I listened silently, my mind flashing back to our freshman year.
Leo had entered a campus singing competition. To support him, I’d stayed up for nights on end, hand–making him banners and a light–up sign. The day of the show, I excitedly presented them to him. He’d looked at them with disgust.
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Chapter 1
“What’s all this tacky stuff? It’s so childish. It’ll throw me off my game.”
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And then he’d tossed everything I’d worked so hard on into the nearest trash
can.
Now, to please Kiki, he was shamelessly trying to use me as free labor to carry
some stupid fan banner.
I fought back a wave of nausea and replied with a single word: “Okay.”
He immediately sent a “pat on the head” sticker, his tone oozing with condesc- ending approval. “I knew you were the most understanding. See? I take good
care of you.”
“Kiki will be so touched when she finds out. Just wait by the East Gate, some-
one from the club will contact you.”
I closed the chat and saw Kiki had just updated her social media. A nine–photo grid of selfies, geotagged right outside the concert venue.
Her caption read: “Finally about to see the light I’ve chased my entire youth. Thank you to my little sun for always supporting me~”
In the photos, she wore a full face of glamorous makeup, posing cutely for the camera. And on her wrist was the silver chain–link bracelet I had personally woven for Leo. The one with the small charm engraved with my initials: NJ.
Beneath the post, Leo’s comment was a stab to the heart.
“You’re the brightest star tonight.”
I sneered and shut my phone, unable to look at the filth any longer. I took the black velvet gown from my closet and changed.
The person in the mirror looked back at me, her eyes cool and clear, stripped of
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Chapter 1
“What’s all this tacky stuff? It’s so childish. It’ll throw me off my game.”
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And then he’d tossed everything I’d worked so hard on into the nearest trash
can.
Now, to please Kiki, he was shamelessly trying to use me as free labor to carry some stupid fan banner.
I fought back a wave of nausea and replied with a single word: “Okay.”
He immediately sent a “pat on the head” sticker, his tone oozing with condesc- ending approval. “I knew you were the most understanding. See? I take good
care of you.”
“Kiki will be so touched when she finds out. Just wait by the East Gate, some- one from the club will contact you.”
I closed the chat and saw Kiki had just updated her social media. A nine–photo grid of selfies, geotagged right outside the concert venue.
Her caption read: “Finally about to see the light I’ve chased my entire youth. Thank you to my little sun for always supporting me~”
In the photos, she wore a full face of glamorous makeup, posing cutely for the camera. And on her wrist was the silver chain–link bracelet I had personally woven for Leo. The one with the small charm engraved with my initials: NJ.
Beneath the post, Leo’s comment was a stab to the heart.
“You’re the brightest star tonight.”
I sneered and shut my phone, unable to look at the filth any longer. I took the black velvet gown from my closet and changed.
The person in the mirror looked back at me, her eyes cool and clear, stripped of
Chapter 1
their usual warmth and compliance.
I didn’t go to the crowded East Gate.
Our family’s black town car bypassed the sea of fans and pulled up smoothly to the venue’s VIP entrance. Asher’s manager, Wang, was already waiting, imp- eccably dressed in a suit.
“There you are, my little princess. Asher’s been asking about you nonstop.” Wang greeted me with a professional smile, handing me a laminate pass. “C- ome on, let’s get you inside. Too many fans out here, it’s not safe.”
I nodded, but just as I was about to follow him, a sharp, theatrically surprised voice called out from nearby.
“Nina?”
It was Kiki. She was clinging to Leo’s arm, about to go through the general admission line, when she spotted me.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the East Gate with the
fan club?”
Leo saw me too. He froze for a second, then his brow furrowed in annoyance. He dropped Kiki’s arm and strode towards me, his face showing no pleasure at the unexpected meeting, only irritation.
“What are you doing here?” he demanded. “The fan club has been waiting for you at the East Gate. They said you weren’t answering your phone. Are you throwing another childish fit?”
His voice was loud, drawing the attention of fans still waiting to enter. Kiki scurried over, expertly grabbing his sleeve to play her favorite role: the peace-
maker.
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She looked at me with feigned concern, her voice dripping with honey. “Nina,
are you lost?”
“This is the staff entrance. We fans aren’t allowed through here.”
“You should hurry to the East Gate, or you’ll miss the fan event. Everyone will
be mad at you.”
I watched their pathetic little performance, finding it utterly ridiculous. I ignored Kiki and looked straight at Leo. “I’m not going to the East Gate. I’m going in through here.”
Leo scoffed as if I’d told the funniest joke in the world. He looked me up and down, his eyes filled with contempt. “You’re going in through here?”
“Nina, do you have any idea what this is? This is the VIP and artist entrance! Who do you think you are? Asher Chang’s relative?”
Kiki covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smirk, then quickly arranged her face into a look of concern, though the triumphant glint in her eyes was unmi- stakable. “Nina, stop messing around. I know you’re upset about the ticket, but you can’t act out like this just to get attention…”
“The security guards will throw you out. It’ll be so embarrassing.”
Just then, Wang, who had been standing beside me, poked his head back out. He looked impatient but kept his tone respectful. “Miss Chang, what’s the hold- up? Asher is getting antsy.”
Wang’s gaze flickered over Leo and Kiki. He paused for a beat, a flicker of prof- essional recognition, but his training kept him from asking questions.
His words, however, made Leo and Kiki freeze on the spot. I dangled the pass Wang had just given me, a slow, meaningful smile spreading across my face.
Chapter 1
“Sorry, but it looks like my pass works just fine here.”
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Their faces went rigid, their eyes glued to the laminate in my hand, to the wor-
ds ARTIST FAMILY printed in bold letters.
“How is that possible?” Leo sputtered, lurching forward to snatch the pass and
examine it.
Wang blocked him with a firm arm, his expression turning sharp. “Mr. Shen, please compose yourself.”
Kiki’s face cycled through shades of white and green, her eyes wide with disbe- lief and a twisting envy. Her mind raced, her lips trembling as she voiced the ugliest possibility she could conjure.
“Nina, how did you get that?”
“What… what is your relationship with this man?”
I couldn’t be bothered to explain. I just offered a light, airy reply: “A relationship you two could never hope to achieve.”
That single sentence seemed to ignite Leo’s fragile ego. His brain concocted a ridiculous explanation that, to him, made perfect sense. A tidal wave of fury washed over his face, mixed with disgust and the sting of betrayal.
“Nina, I get it now!” he snarled, pointing a trembling finger at me. “You’re so desperate to be a groupie, so obsessed with getting close to Asher Chang, that you’d go and sleep with his staff?”
“You make me sick!”
Kiki immediately seized on this line of attack, her expression shifting to one of profound disappointment. “Nina, how could you have so little self–respect? You have to be a rational fan!”
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“Sorry, but it looks like my pass works just fine here.”
Their faces went rigid, their eyes glued to the laminate in my hand, to the wor- ds ARTIST FAMILY printed in bold letters.
