The Lucifer's Muse

Enterta

r Entertainment pulsed wi

d poise and bright smiles. In this world, one misstep could cost you your reputation. And Aether was infamous fo

lue eyes unreadable. The morning sun spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows set her hair aflame, a strik

nto her hand last night at The Dese

gerous," she'd said. "Forget Star Academy's pe

ampagne and cake, Ixora walked willingly into the lion's d

Audi

ra rose with quiet grace, stepp

m's temperature drop. Beside her, Elliot Zhao sat in tailored black, Aether's infamous creative director.

g for, Elliot asked

do it,she practice ea

en assigned, her movements sharp, clean, eerily beauti

leave, Madam Li

ai

roze mi

Madam Lin and Zhao. An assistant da

rough the room lik

ispering urgently into Madam Lin's ear. The shar

ce clipped. "Our Swan Princess lead, Cele

in the room li

"You - with that hair and those eyes -

He circled Ixora once, hawk-eyed, assess

face and good feet," Zhao

not a lie also,she was once part of the lead in sch

her a short script - a pivotal confron

h can keep up with your

ched, hungry

character I had to survive,

, measured, the words wrapping a

yone's shadow. I was ma

ll seemed to

eting second, something that almost

ow," he said. "If you del

w glared openly - particularly one tall, sharp-bo

r it's known as "Star Entertainment known for breaking spirits and a daug

ful, Ixora," she hissed. "Girls like you fall

linch. She was

mere threat dete

The Mids

reets in sharp pink and violet. Ixora found Rita at the ba

the thrum of bass-heavy music. "I

ead," Ixora

d halfway to her m

me in. Celeste

ing me. Holy hell, I told you! Look at you. That f

round when choosing cast for their scri

d. Tomorrow's screen t

t matter. You've got the fir

ctor's divorce. But Ixora's mind kept drifting - to Madam Lin's sharp stare, to

- Jayden's

phone in hand, half-watching a dram

d uploaded a

haired, blue-eyed troublemaker. Ma

ool days. A blu

Ixora holding a

ach lurched.

d her: Aether

ulse

berately ignored her test and calls,he totally forg

went nowhere. His texts unread. And now

lled

expect your call,"

e's I

You ca

art with

led. "She's fine.

doing there,that place is no

didn't tell

Diana cu

e ceiling, a gnawin

d. A message from

irthday celebratio

inking Ixora had f

, it's Hera sam

now yet - she'd

- Floren

Vincenzo Augustos Marchese, known to the underworld as

rp-eyed woman named Viola San

... an unexpected connecti

sed an eyebr

Ixora Laurent, frozen mid-audition,

kground unknown, but her face matches the old

ened. "Investigate e

Sign

p. In the distance

urmured. "And no one moves i

yet - Ixora Laurent