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But this time something about it felt different.

Maybe it was her name.

Sienna Ray.The kind of name you didn’t just hear—you felt it. Like a hook that stayed in your chest long after the song ended. She wastheSienna Ray. A voice that could break a man down to the bone, all wrapped in honey and hurricane. She didn’t need a storyline. Neither did I.

So why now?

“Raj,” he said again, voice dropping like he was trying to speak to the part of me that still gave a damn, “it’s a powerful pairing. Two real artists. Both private. Both respected. It’s not about pretending—it’s about letting people wonder. Thatcuriosity creates gravity. And the music will speak louder because of it.”

I didn’t answer right away. Because as much as I hated the game, I understood it. And if there was one person I might be willing to walk that line with, it was her.

“This meeting is just the warm-up. You good?”

A beat passed.

“Yeah,” I finally said. “I’m good.”

He hung up.

Back in the studio, Amir looked up from the board. “All set?”

“Gallery meet-up Friday. Studio Saturday.”

He raised an eyebrow. “With who?”

“Sienna Ray.”

Amir let out a low whistle. “Well damn.”

I dropped back onto the couch, elbows on my knees.

“Thought you was gonna clown it,” I muttered.

“Man, I was—if it was one of those TikTok acts with two singles and a brand deal,” he said, adjusting the fader without even looking. “But Sienna?” He nodded slow, like the name alone grounded the room. “She’s serious. Legendary.”

“I know.”

And I did. Knew it in the way her voice hit like scripture. Knew it in the way her lyrics carried weight and heat and ache.

And yeah—knew it in the way her presence stayed in your bloodstream long after the screen faded to black. But this wasn’t about being starstruck. This was about finally meeting someone who moved through music the same way I did?—

Like it was blood.

Like it was breath.

Like it was prayer.

Still, my chest was tight. Not from nerves. But from the pressure todeliver.

To match her energy. To be worthy.

“This the kind of thing careers pivot on,” I said quietly.

Amir looked over. “Yours already pivoted. This just widens your options.”

I didn’t respond right away.

He grinned. “And you already think she fine, don’t you?”