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THE LAST SHOOTING STAR

THE LAST SHOOTING STAR

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Chapter 1 The Ball She Never Wanted

Word Count: 1508    |    Released on: 19/03/2025

ve talked a

. The kind of calm that came before an

up from her coffee. She knew

ft, pleading tone that usually made people bend to her wi

rene cut in, stirri

ng patience. "It's one night, Irene. A few hours at mos

N

No?" as if the conce

me," Irene

Irene, you can't spend your l

It's quiet. Peaceful. No one forcing me to waste time at

ridiculous. It's socializing. S

r her breath. Soci

his is important, Irene. Not just for us, but for you.

rld?" Irene's voice was colder now. "By pretending I can afford to fa

le

ment, she thought she h

d

r's voice

t want to see yo

e fr

napkin, dabbing at the co

cou

enly softer. "Your mother is wor

at I won't find love? That I'll die a virgin? That I don'

face crumbl

mother fully broke down, cove

hat w

the fin

could handle pain, she could handle loneliness

handle seeing them

she mu

head snappe

ll

through her mothe

Irene warned.

ed in relief. "T

o

l they we

THE

ed elites. The hum of polite conversation mixed with the soft melody of a string quartet. Everyth

ider. The air was filled with laughter and forced pleasantries. The wealthy gathered in clu

ned up, you migh

voice echoe

a j

someone. She needed to m

made them feel alive, only to shatter them when it w

lls. She had pushed every suitor away, free

had w

il

re

was soft

st time that evening, her c

with recognition. Standing beside her

wed. Dark, knowing eyes that did

se in the room he

n't lo

not the subtle admiration that crumbled under the weight of her indifference. No, this

ng calc

ng pers

e was un

stered debutante. Instead, she shifted her attentio

Irene pointed ou

as blunt as ever." She gestured to the ma

ckered with some

oth

rd Rachael mentio

don't look so surprised. You never cared to hear about men, remember

no respons

d Rachael w

tered to her. She had dismissed it all, pushed it

't afford

d

ven more reaso

ed slightly around

, voice light, but there was something careful in the way she said it.

softly. "I did

ountered. "No calls, no texts nothi

glance

ding

ing dist

el about the diagnosi

e knew it, the world outside became distant noise. She ha

easier

eople from seein

ne finally said, her vo

as if searching for t

tilted his head slightly like he,

igno

ersation away. "You and your brot

brow. "Neither. F

ly spoke, his voice d

aze flick

" she answe

d. "Her parent

curled sli

t press

o

interest in

ersation back to Rachael, she co

ng. Un

while she had the oddest feeling

sed to men

he moment they realized she wasn't soft, c

alway

Ryan

ht carried on with the clinking of glasses and th

stop wat

way. Not in a way th

y that said

th

as dan

a passing waiter. "As much fun as this has been, I think

d. "You're le

es

ely been

er a pointed

her eyes. "You'

ed. A low,

igno

d the exit. She had played her role. She had

d the grand entrance,

rm. Unhe

stil

ned her gaze cl

y

auda

a brow. "

d but didn't fal

dan

nked. Did

efusal came

bit surprised. If anythin

ll enjoy it?

. "I just don't l

her d

let

ready to be laced with ice. But before sh

roaned dramatically. "It's just

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THE LAST SHOOTING STAR
THE LAST SHOOTING STAR
“Irene Lancaster is not just beautiful she is otherworldly. Her presence alone can silence a room, leaving men mesmerized and women insecure. With her striking features and ethereal elegance, she is untouchable, unreachable. But beneath her breathtaking beauty lies an icy heart. Irene does not smile. She does not cry. She does not waste her time on friendships or love. Why bother when nothing lasts? Diagnosed with a terminal illness, she has already accepted her fate. And she refuses to let anyone love her, because love only leads to grief. But Irene is more than just an untouchable beauty she is a mystery. She is the secret force behind I.V.Y, the number one fashion empire in the United States, a brand so powerful that elites fight to be the first to own its collections. She built it from the ground up, hidden from the media, from the public, from the world. No one knows who owns I.V.Y, and that's exactly how she wants it. Yet, even that is only part of who she is. Behind closed doors, Irene is one of the most highly sought-after consultants for top corporations a hidden mastermind whose name never leaves the executive boardrooms. She transforms companies from the shadows, on one condition: secrecy. Only the highest-ranking executives know of her involvement. No leaks. No exposure. No exceptions. Just as Ryan Damien Winthrop dominates the business world, Irene Lancaster reigns over the fashion world. Ryan Damien Winthrop is the kind of man people don't just notice they worship. Handsome beyond reason, so devastatingly attractive that women have fainted at the mere sight of him, he is the definition of unattainable. But Ryan has never cared for admiration. Cold-hearted and calculating, he only has two types of people in his world: his people and everyone else. Women? They are nothing more than distractions, a nuisance he has never entertained. Until he meets Irene. It happens once. Just one meeting. One look at her, and Ryan's world shifts. For the first time in his life, a woman captures his attention so completely that it unsettles him. He doesn't understand it, and neither does his cousin who also happens to be Irene's friend. Everyone knows Ryan Winthrop does not care for women. But with Irene, it's different. Determined to figure out what it is about her that has him so captivated, Ryan pursues her. But Irene couldn't care less about his interest. She treats him with the same cold indifference she gives to everyone. She rejects him, pushes him away, refuses to acknowledge his existence. She doesn't care about his looks, his power, or the fact that every other woman in the world would do anything for his attention. Ryan should have walked away. He should have lost interest, as he always does. But for some reason, he doesn't. He keeps coming back. Irene hates it. Hates him. And so, she makes a decision. If Ryan is so determined to have her, then she will make him regret ever wanting her. She will make him fall so deeply in love that when she's gone, he will grieve. She will destroy him the way love has destroyed so many before. But as she plays her cruel game, something unexpected happens she falls. The man she wanted to break becomes the only person who makes her feel alive. His presence, once irritating, becomes intoxicating. His love, once unwanted, becomes the only thing she craves. For the first time in her life, she wants more time. But time is not on her side. As her illness worsens, she faces an impossible choice: push Ryan away to spare him the pain, or hold on to the love she never expected to find. But Ryan doesn't let go of what's his, and he refuses to lose her without a fight. In a world where love and loss are inevitable, The Last Shooting Star asks: Is love worth the pain of goodbye?”
1 Chapter 1 The Ball She Never Wanted2 Chapter 2 The Man Who Didn't Leave3 Chapter 3 A Challenge Worth Pursuing4 Chapter 4 Unwelcome Realizations5 Chapter 5 Unwelcome Realizations II6 Chapter 6 Unpredictable7 Chapter 7 Repeat Yourself And You're Fired8 Chapter 8 The Plan9 Chapter 9 Long Night10 Chapter 10 Sleepless Night11 Chapter 11 Irene I'm Not Sick12 Chapter 12 Abomination13 Chapter 13 Rumor I14 Chapter 14 Rumor II15 Chapter 15 I'm Not Giving In To A Baby's Play16 Chapter 16 Irene Lancaster17 Chapter 17 I'm not a Monster