Billionaire Rock Star

f recognition, the change in expression from friendly to opportunistic? No, I can't have that-not yet. I can't bear to watch this rare authenticity become yet another mask. So I say

on, the patrons laugh and bid their time, and I sit in my corner, immersed in the shadows, grateful for the lack of conversation or interaction, for the anonymity-

temple to the elite, a sanctuary for someone like me desperate to be just another face in the crowd. This is where I can breathe-no flashing cameras, no screaming fans, no curious stares, no sycophants. I've staked out a dark corner that's mine, night after night. My territory. The Sapphire Club is and has been the perfect cover for a man with too many past headlines to his name. My fingers circle the rim of my glass, the aged whiskey a familiar burn in my throat. Simon suggested I could stay here as long as I wanted. I needed to get out of the public eye, out of sight, and deal with the betrayal I'd just disco

directly at her. She nods, typing the order into her handheld device, and offers me a small smile before walking away. It's strange to have a normal exchange, after so long of having to interpret every interaction. Most of the fans weren't normal or sincere in their exchanges. They wanted something from me-a moment of stardom in

nd not wanting her to leave. Chapter Five For the next five nights at the Sapphire, I continue to reign in my dark corner, the one I've carved out to ride out my crisis. Away from prying eyes. Trying to mak

soon. Shit! He's a reminder of the life I'm hiding from, a suit-clad specter with a wolfish grin that I recognize immediately-Ryan-a former fan who used to camp outside concert venues just to snap a picture, exchange a word with me, or get an autograph. Only now, he's left the posters and signs behind in favor of tailored suits and a Rolex that catches the light and screams success. The pulse in my temples maintains a steady, menacing rhythm. If Ryan sees me, if he says my

de skies and open fields-something raw and untamed carried in her spirit. What drives her to this act of inadvertent protection, I can't fathom. But gratitude, raw and sincere, swells within the empty space of my chest. Slipping through the heavy double doors at the back of the room, I find refuge near the back of the next room, where high rollers flirt with fortune a

behind me a few moments later, genuine concern