Page 47 of Duty Unbound

“Tell us what happened,” Dexter prompted, leaning forward eagerly.

“Well, I was getting my beauty sleep when the alarms went off.” Nova fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. “Next thing I know, my security team had apprehended this obsessed fan who has been stalking me.”

“How frightening!” Dexter gasped, playing his part perfectly.

“I mean, of course my stalker was obsessed with me,” Nova gushed, scanning the rapidly scrolling comments. “But now he’s behind bars, and we can all move on.”

Nova leaned closer to the camera. “And listen, I know therehave been rumors that I was going to postpone or cancel my tour because of all this drama.”

I suppressed a sigh. Those rumors had been swirling for days, causing headaches with venues and sponsors. I’d spent hours on the phone reassuring everyone the tour was still on track.

“But I’m here to tell you all that is absolutely not happening,” she continued, voice firm. “The show must go on! We start in Atlanta next week, and I cannot wait to see all your beautiful faces.”

I glanced over at Dexter, who was nodding encouragingly at Nova’s declaration. Something about his expression—a flash of self-satisfaction, quickly hidden—caught my attention. The pieces suddenly clicked.

“It was him,” I whispered to Ethan. “I think Dexter was the one who leaked the cancelation rumor.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you say that?”

“Look at him,” I murmured, keeping my voice low. “He’s practically glowing. It would be just like him to leak the rumor so Nova could publicly deny it—create acomebackmoment.”

Understanding dawned on Ethan’s face. “A crisis that never existed, so she can triumphantly overcome it.”

“Exactly.” I checked my phone, scrolling through the responses to Nova’s broadcast. “And it’s working. Look at these comments. ‘Queen!’ ‘Nothing can stop you!’ ‘Already bought my tickets!’”

Sure enough, a notification popped up from our publicist a few minutes later:Ticket sales surging. 15% spike in last ten minutes.

Nova was in her element now, promising fans the “most incredible show you’ve ever seen,” dropping hints about surprise elements and special effects. The viewer count had nearly doubled since she started.

“I see why she keeps him around,” Ethan muttered. “His plan worked like a charm.”

The live stream continued for another twenty minutes, with Nova skillfully building excitement for the tour while portraying herself as the brave survivor of a stalker’s obsession. By the time she signed off with her signature air kiss, the viewer count had reached a record high.

“That was amazing!” Dexter squealed the moment the camera stopped recording. “Darling, you were absolutely luminous!”

Nova bounced up from the sofa, clapping her hands in excitement. “Did you see how many people were watching? That was double my previous record!”

“And ticket sales are already responding,” I added, holding up my phone to show her the update from the publicist.

Nova squealed, throwing her arms around me in an exuberant hug. “See? I told you this was the perfect opportunity!”

Over her shoulder, I caught Ethan’s expression—a mixture of resignation and concern. He understood the game now, but that didn’t mean he liked it.

Nova released me, practically vibrating with energy. “I feel so alive! I need to rehearse. Right now.” She spun toward the assistants who were packing up the equipment. “Call everyone in. I want a full run-through tonight.”

“Nova, it’s already well past seven—” I started.

“So, we’ll go late! I’m feeling inspired!” She grabbed Dexter’s hand. “Let’s do the new choreography for ‘Midnight Dream.’ I have ideas.”

And just like that, they were off, sweeping through the house like a glitter tornado, leaving Ethan and me standing in their wake.

“Is she always like this?” Ethan asked, bewildered.

“When she’s happy? Yes.” I couldn’t help smiling. Despiteeverything, Nova’s joy was infectious. “The next couple of days will be a happiness bender. Just as exhausting as her anxiety spirals, but much more productive.”

“And you’ll be running alongside her the whole time?”

“Actually, no.” I turned to him, unable to keep the relief from my voice. “The best part about Nova’s happiness benders is that she forgets I exist. She won’t need me hovering or answering texts. She’ll have Dexter and the dancers and enough adrenaline to power a small city.”