"God! I hate that guy—my boss!"
Aria Lane slammed her head onto her desk with a loud thud. Papers fluttered around her like fallen leaves. It was barely 10 a.m., and already Daniel Cross had managed to ruin her mood.
"Aria, redo this report. Your font size is wrong."
"Aria, get me a coffee. Two sugars, not three. Do you want to be fired?"
"Aria, your singing is too distracting—this is a workplace, not a karaoke bar."
His icy voice echoed in her head. She mimicked him under her breath, puffing her cheeks like a child. "Aria, Aria, Aria—ugh! I swear, he's not a CEO, he's a demon in a suit!"
Across from her, Mia Torres peeked over her laptop, grinning mischievously. "Ooooh, someone's in a bad mood. Is it the 'almighty devil CEO' again?"
"Don't even say his name!" Aria groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "One day, Mia, I swear I'll write a song called 'Die, Daniel Cross' and make it a chart-topper."
Mia snorted. "You'd better hope HR never hears that."
But Aria's gloom didn't last long. That night, when the office lights dimmed and her tiny apartment filled with the soft glow of fairy lights, she transformed. No more pencil skirts or bossy emails. Just Aria, her guitar, and her laptop.
She adjusted the mic and clicked Start Live Stream.
"Good evening, everyone! It's StarrySky here."
The chat box filled instantly.
🌙 Lumos: I've been waiting all day for your song.
🌙 Fanboy99: Sing the new one! Sing the new one!
Her lips curved into a real smile—the kind she never showed at work. "Okay, tonight's song… is about how much I hate someone. Let's go!"
Her fingers strummed the guitar as her voice filled the room, raw and beautiful.
When the song ended, the chat exploded. But one message stood out.
🌙 Lumos: Whoever hurt you today… doesn't deserve you. Your voice is too precious for people like that.
Her chest tightened. Lumos always knew the right words. She leaned closer to the screen and whispered, "Thanks, Lumos. You're the only one who keeps me going."
What Aria didn't know…
At that exact moment, in a penthouse office lit only by the city lights, Daniel Cross loosened his tie and typed back with the faintest smile on his lips.
🌙 Lumos: I'll always be here for you.
And tomorrow morning, he would once again bark at her in that same cold, merciless tone.