Page 206 of My Three Billionaire Rockstars

Marcus notices. “You’ve had to step away because of the media attention?”

Before I can answer, Gabe cuts in smoothly. “We made that decision for safety and privacy reasons.”

“But she’s staying at the compound with you?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting.”

Translation: The internet is going to become unbearable in approximately twelve minutes.

Marcus shifts gears again. “So, are we talking casual situation here, or something more serious?”

The room stills, and nobody looks relaxed anymore. Not even Julian.

My pulse starts climbing.

Marcus notices that too. “Ah,” he says. “That got real quiet.”

Gabe folds his hands calmly on the desk. “It’s not casual.”

The words hit me square in the chest.

Marcus looks toward Julian. “Same answer?”

Julian’s expression softens when he glances toward me. “Yeah,” he says. “Definitely not casual.”

I actually might pass out.

Marcus turns last toward Xander, who’s remained mostly silent the entire interview. “And you?”

Xander doesn’t answer. He just looks toward me across the studio. That intense, piercing gaze pinning me in place like always. Then he says, “I don’t do casual.”

Every atom in my body overheats simultaneously.

Marcus goes completely still. Then grins like a man realizing Christmas came early. “Well,” he says. “That’s going to devastate the internet.”

I want the floor to swallow me whole. Instead, things somehow get worse.

Because Marcus keeps digging.

Questions about the compound, about fame, about the leaks, about Dylan, about the videos online.

Gabe keeps trying to steer things back toward the label itself. The artists, the vision, the rebrand.

And for a while, it almost works.

Until Marcus says, “So, what exactly, is Redemption Records building that’s worth all this?”

And something shifts beside me. I see it happen in real time.

Xander leans back in his chair, jaw tightening once. Decision settling in.

Oh no. I know that look now.

“Xander?” Gabe says carefully.

Too late.