The night after the threatening message didn't end smoothly.
It didn't end at all.
Lian lay awake in his bed long after Rian left the room.
His heart was still beating too fast.
His fingers still tingled where Rian had taken the phone from him.
And his mind—
his mind refused to go quiet.
The threats weren't fake fan posts.
Not the way they were written.
Not the tone.
This was too organized.
Too clean.
Too deliberate.
Titan Star.
He wasn't naïve.
He had heard of them even when he was just a trainee in a small dance academy.
Everyone had.
They were powerful.
Rich.
Influential.
They controlled media, idols, producers, politicians, and even news stations.
If they wanted someone erased—
They could.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
"I shouldn't have gotten involved with Rian," he whispered into his pillow.
But even as he said it… even as the words floated into the cold night air… his chest ached.
Because he knew the real truth:
He hadn't "gotten involved" with Rian.
