Irma’s stomping toward us like she’s about to throw a plate at my head. Her eyes are wild, her expression murderous. For a second, I genuinely consider hiding behind Céline. But then, everything changes.
She spots Céline. And stops dead in her tracks.
“You?” Irma blinks like she’s seen a ghost. Her lips curl in that ugly way people try to disguise as a smile. “Unbelievable. Becca really invited every stray she found on the sidewalk.”
Céline’s fingers wrap around her camera like it’s a weapon. Her voice? Cool, sharp, and dangerous.
“Wow,” she says. “Still playing the high school villain, huh? You’d think all that paparazzi attention would’ve humbled you. Guess you really can’t buy class.”
I blink. My jaw slowly drops. Céline, who’s usually all softness and smiles, just went full savage mode.
For a moment, I can’t understand what Céline means, then I study Irma’s striking features again and I realise why she’s looked so familiar all this time.
“Oh my God,” I whisper. “You’re Nora from Confidential Family, aren’t you?”
Irma glances at me, barely sparing a second before tossing me a look that says, you’re not worth my breath. Then she turns back to Céline, her eyes narrowing.
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“Unlike you,” she says, “I don’t need attention from the media to feel relevant.”
Céline tilts her head. “No, you just insult people to feel powerful. Same game, different playground.”
Irma scoffs. “Memory problems, Cee? How sad. But don’t worry, I won’t jog your memory. Some of us have moved on.” Then her eyes flick to me with a tight smile. “And Emilia? Just a little advice since you clearly need it: not everyone who acts nice is your friend. Especially the ones who cling to their more famous best friends like shadows.”
Then, like she’s delivering the final blow, Irma turns back to Céline. “Speaking of best friends… I heard Lacey just finalised her third divorce. What a coincidence, huh?”
She smirks, tosses her hair, and struts back into the breakfast court like she’s on a red carpet.
I stand there, stunned. My heart is racing. My head’s spinning.
Lacey’s third… divorce? I didn’t even know she was married. And what does that have to do with anything?
And why is Céline still so stiff next to me now that Irma is gone?
She exhales slowly, then mutters, “I forgot how much I hated her voice.”
I grab her hand gently, still trying to process everything. “Wait… you knew her?”
She looks at me with a tired smile, one that almost cracks. “Once upon a time… she was my best friend. We were both the
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only foreigners in our year, so we hit it off. But as you’ve noticed, she’s nothing but a force that manages to bring down everyone around her. Come on, Em, don’t pay her words any mind, she’s not worth it. Let’s go.”
She starts leading us away, the morning sun casting soft gold in her hair. I’m still trying to piece it all together when I ask, “She’s one of the ones who got her photos leaked, right?”
“Worse,” Céline says, her tone turning cold. “A whole voice recording of her bashing her fans like they’re pests. It was disgusting.” Her jaw tightens. “Honestly, she’s lucky if Confidential Family doesn’t cut her from the cast completely. She’s radioactive.”
I think back to Nora and the thought of anyone else playing her role leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. “I saw her statement she made on Instagram. She said her conversation was altered and misconstrued and she didn’t actually say any of that stuff. Besides, you should know better than to believe anything the media portrays.”
She stops walking for a second, her expression unreadable. Then her arm tightens around mine. “Trust me,” she says softly, but firmly. “I’ve known her. You don’t need editing to expose someone who’s already rotten.” Her lips curl into a pained smile.
“And even if the clip was edited… does it matter?” she continues, voice barely above a whisper. “Sometimes… bad people get what they deserve. And I’m not gonna lose sleep over it.”
I swallow hard. I get what she’s saying. And a part of me agrees. But another part of me… doesn’t feel right about it. “I wonder who’s leaking all this.”
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“You and me both, mon amie. But whoever they are? They better have deep pockets. Irma’s got money, and a temper. If she finds. out who exposed her? Lawsuits are just the beginning.”
I laugh softly, but it doesn’t quite feel like it in my chest.
EMILIA
“Have you seen this before?” I breathe, my eyes glued to the mural on the wall. We were just walking to the convenience store to grab some of Céline’s essentials, but then this caught. my eye – a huge swirl of colours, like a painting from a dream.
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