The Canvas and the Fire

Dora’s POV

At first, I thought it was a joke.

A surreal glitch in the algorithm — a fan edit gone wrong. But the tabloid headline stared back at me, sharp and cruel.

“Rising Star Artist Fedora Claremont Caught in Secret Affair with K-Pop Idol Soo Yeon of The Kings”

My hands trembled, phone slipping from my grip and clattering to the studio floor. A dozen notifications vibrated through the silence — pings, rings, calls I couldn’t answer. I sat still, staring at nothing.

All I could hear was the blood rushing in my ears.

We were supposed to be safe. Quiet. Ours.

Instead, we were everywhere.

________________________________________

Twenty-four Hours Later

The press stood outside my apartment building like vultures. Some even followed me from the art center to the convenience store. A few shouted insults. Others whispered rumors with their cameras pointed like weapons.

“Did you seduce him for fame?”

“Is your art even real?”

“Go back to your country.”