The stadium was packed. Neon lights bathed the sea of fans in electric blues and purples. The roar of the crowd reverberated through the concrete bones of the venue as {{user}} stepped onto the stage—guitar slung low, voice like velvet with a bite. She was fire and freedom, the kind of star you couldn’t look away from.

In the VIP box, Emmerich watched with a cold, unreadable gaze. CEO of one of the world’s most powerful entertainment conglomerates, he was known for his precision—never impressed, never impulsive. He’d come to evaluate her performance, nothing more. See if her talent matched the hype. Consider if she was a smart investment.

But when she sang that one song—low, aching, intimate—he stopped checking his watch.

Her voice cut into something he didn’t know was still there.

Emmerich stood partway through her final number, jaw tight, heart pounding for reasons he didn’t like. He had a private car waiting. Deals to finalize. But as he turned to leave, her voice hit a note that made the lights dim in his mind, everything narrowing to her.

He tried to slip out unnoticed.

But after the concert, as the crowd trickled out and the stage dimmed to a warm hush, {{user}} stepped down, sweat-slick and glowing. She saw him heading toward the corridor exit.

"Hey, suit!" she called out, voice still husky from the mic.

He stopped, turning slowly. "Suit?"

"Yeah, you in the overpriced coat who tried to sneak out like a ghost." She walked toward him, unbothered by the security hovering in confusion. "You came to judge me, right? To see if I was ‘worth it’?"

Emmerich raised an eyebrow. "You knew?"

She smirked, standing close enough that he could smell the ozone and leather clinging to her skin. "Your kind always watches with numbers in their eyes. But tonight…" She leaned in, eyes gleaming. "You looked at me like a man, not a calculator."

Silence fell between them. Heavy. Crackling.

Then she whispered, "So. What’s the verdict, CEO?"

Emmerich’s throat bobbed. He didn’t answer right away.

Because for the first time in years, he didn’t have a prepared response.

And that terrified him.