THE MANAGER
CHAPTER 1
CELESTE
“Five minutes till stage.”
Adrian’s voice slides against my skin, low and husky, too close to my ear.
I don’t look at him. I stare at my reflection instead. Sparkling dress. Perfect hair. Red lips. The idol everyone worships.
“You nervous?” he asks, fingers brushing my collarbone as he adjusts the mic wire.
I force a laugh. “What do you think? There are twenty thousand people out there screaming my name.”
“You’ll impress them like always,” he says.
“Stop hyping me up. I might think you actually care.”
His eyes meet mine in the mirror. “Maybe I do.”
My throat goes dry. I turn my face before I give myself away. His hand lingers an extra second on my skin before he steps back.
“Deep breath,” he says quietly. “Don’t let them see you shake.”
The proble
