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I could see it in the looks he kept sneaking me. The twitch in his jaw. The care in his words.

That wasn’t guilt. That wasmemory.That was respect dressed up like caution.

But he had a label to consider. A career. Budgets. Stakeholders.

Me… I had a story nobody wanted to fund.

So I let the quiet stretch until it bent the mood.

Then I leaned forward and said, voice even,

“Just make sure the story you’re selling doesn’t erase the ones who wrote it.”

And that was it.

The rest of the meeting ran without me. Talking schedules. Features. Magazine layouts. Timelines. But my mind stayed right there—on the space between us.

Sienna reached down when no one was looking, her fingers brushing mine.

A simple touch. Reassuring. Steady.

I squeezed her hand once, then let go. Because I wasn’t bitter. I was just waiting for my moment.

And the next time I speak… they’ll listen.

TWENTY-FOUR

The lights were hot. Too hot. I could feel sweat building beneath my collar, heat crawling up the back of my neck like a silent warning.

The set was all clean lines and commercial gloss—soft blue walls, a white lacquer desk, and the glowing GMA logo pulsing behind the hosts like a halo. Cameras glided across tracks. Stagehandswhispered into headsets, signaling five seconds until the segment went live.

Sienna stood beside me in a plum silk dress that hugged every inch of her. Her makeup was flawless. Hair pulled into a soft twist that revealed the long line of her neck. She looked effortless, even under all that light. Even with the pressure rising.

I kept waiting for the nerves to settle.

They didn’t.

“You’re watching Good Morning America,” Robin Roberts said, smiling directly into the camera. “And this morning, we have an exclusive with the duo behind the rising hit, 'Dangerous Love.' Please welcome powerhouse vocalist Sienna Ray and the breakout singer-songwriter and producer, Taraj Ferrell!”

Applause. Lights up. Cue the close-up.

We both smiled. Said our hellos. Sat close on the white couch they used for musical guests. But from the first question, I knew the tone was off.

"Sienna, this new era you’re stepping into is incredible—the vocals, the visuals, the story behind the album. It feels like a rebirth. What inspired this next chapter for you?" Robin asked warmly.

She lit up. Voice polished. Confident. Her hand brushed mine gently as she spoke, and I nodded along like I was part of it. Like I wasn’t fading from the center of the room.

Every question pointed to her. Her rise. Her evolution. Her voice. Her control.

Then Michael Strahan chimed in, flashing a grin. “Taraj, your production is amazing. What was it like working with someone as iconic as Sienna?”

I cleared my throat. Sat forward. “She brought the kind of energy that demands something honest. We wrote from a place that wasn’t safe. That’s where 'Dangerous Love' camefrom.”

They smiled politely. Pivoted.

She was radiant. Her voice lifted the room when we transitioned to the live performance. A stripped-down version of the track. Just a mic, some keys, a subtle bass line. The air shifted when we started.

She took the first verse, her tone honeyed and aching: