TWO HEART ONE STAGE

Bellam

'd already

my face plastered on gossip sites with headlines like "Betrayal i

bottom, it shows you a new floor. Sophie hadn't returned my calls si

ulture-sending cryptic messages and

real video yet." The worst part? I didn't know what real even meant anymore. Wh

into knives. He made you doubt yours

of Montreuil. My phone buzzed. Unknown Number: They're all turning on each

red of Korex

n of me he could create. T

thing. And mine was crumbling. I left the apartment just after sunset. Hood up.

was going. Until I r

th from my lips, not a screen. His building in the 9th arrondissement was quiet. I buzzed. No

yes widened.

"I don't know. He left after... after the rooftop." I stepped closer. "You told him everything?" She

o. But he was th

red about what she said next. "There's something else," she whispered. I stared. "What?" She glance

"No, I mean-from the beginning. Before you ever met Marc." My stomach dropped. "That doesn't make sen

wo yea

t Siren From: k

ulnerable. I'll make her fall in love with

ssages. They talked about me like I was a mar

found this in an old shared drive after I cut ti

me." She nodded. "And he's not done." My

s one more video. One that hasn't been leaked yet." "Of me?" "No," she said. "Of Marc. Fr

it." Silence. Then Sophie said the one thing that made everything shift. "I

ls and dark alleyways that sm

tered bakery. "Korex used to rehearse here. When he was brok

origin stories." She pried ope

the walls. An old mic stand in the corner. But in the far end of the room... light. From a

houldn't be here." "I alrea

s. Audio clips. Emails. Screenshot

voice filled

ntracts, betrayal. But the worst part

whole damn truth?" "I am M². Maurice just follows." The clip ended. Sophie exhaled. "He'll use that." I nodded. "Unless we

ng." I turned. "Please don't say it's another secret." "It's about Maurice," she said. "He didn'

im something. Maybe powe

pered. "Maur

sure of anything. That night, I wen

story. The truth about Korex. About the manipulatio

didn't beg for forgivene

s. But at least I wasn't silent anymore. My phone buzzed an hour l

ourself on fire?" "No. Time to stop l

id, "We ne

id it. "Meet me at the studio. And com

look angry. He looks... conflicted. On

ither of the

eaks open again. A