"Chasing Fame, Dodging Love"

The next morning, Troy's peaceful slumber was shattered by a heavy bang on his door, followed almost immediately by the persistent ringing of the doorbell. His phone buzzed to life, illuminating the screen with Aria's name, his manager. The noise escalated, a chaotic symphony of knocks and rings pulling him from the depths of sleep.

With a groan, he rolled over, trying to ignore the disturbance, but when his phone buzzed again, he finally conceded. He glanced at the screen, quickly answering as he threw off the covers. "Hey, Aria, what's up?"

"Troy, I'm outside!" she replied, urgency lacing her voice.

"Okay, I'm coming!" He hurriedly threw on a casual outfit, a t-shirt and sweatpants, and rush downstairs, his mind racing with curiosity and a hint of dread.

As he opened the door, Aria stood there, phone in hand, her expression a mix of annoyance and concern. "Look at this," she said, shoving her phone in his face, the screen displaying a social media post from a woman making outrageous claims about Troy's reputation—accusing him of using and dumping women, along with outrageous claims of Troy sleeping around.

"What?!" Troy exclaimed, his brows furrowing in disbelief. "These people are insane."

"What do you want to do about this, Troy?" Aria asked, her tone serious.

Before he could respond, the doorbell rang again. They both turned, startled.

"Are you expecting someone?" Aria asked.

"No, but let me check," Troy said, irritation creeping into his voice. He opened the door, revealing Ella standing there, her expression a storm of anger.

"What do you—" Troy started, but she silenced him with a sharp gesture.

"Next time you order something and it gets delivered to my house, bid it farewell," she snapped, thrusting a package into his hands before storming off.

Troy stood there, watching her leave, a mix of confusion and annoyance washing over him. Aria stepped closer, raising an eyebrow. "Who was that?"

"Just some crazy fellow," he muttered, closing the door with a sigh.

"Okay, so back to what we were saying—what should we do about this?" Aria pressed, her focus back on the issue at hand.

As Troy prepared to answer, the doorbell rang once more, and he groaned. "Oh damn, who the hell is—" He swung the door open, only to find Bobby, Ted, and Mark standing there, all grinning as if they were in on a joke.

"Who the hell is 'who'?" they chorused in unison as they pushed past him and into the apartment.

"What's up, man?" Mark said, slapping Troy on the back.

"I'm great, bro," Troy replied, still feeling the tension of the morning.

The trio greeted Aria with playful banter, but the atmosphere shifted as Ted asked, "So what's going on?"

"Nothing much, just a little chaos," Aria said, holding up her phone again to show them the post about Troy.

Ted burst into laughter, unable to contain himself. "What's funny?" Troy demanded, irritation flaring.

"Bro, you know what to do," Ted said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Just pay them to take it down."

"Yeah, this is actually bound to happen to any talented influential artist," Mark added sarcastically. "Don't freak out; solve the problem. The press is hungry,they need money, so feed them."

Troy turned to Aria, determination setting in. "Pay them off, Aria. Let's know how much they want to get this shit down."

"Okay," she replied, her expression serious as she nodded.

"Why are you guys here anyway?" Troy asked, trying to shift the focus from the impending scandal.

"Continuation of last night's celebration, bro," Mark said with a grin.

"Okay, grab a bottle of champagne, let's chill out," Troy said, the thought of a distraction sounding better than dwelling on the rumors. "But I gotta take a shower first."

"Can't we just cook something to eat?" Bobby chimed in, his stomach rumbling. "I'm hungry."

Mark and Ted pushed him playfully toward the kitchen, calling him a "food monger." Troy laughed, knowing that while chaos lurked outside his apartment, at least he had his friends to lighten the mood, even if only for a moment.

Later that afternoon, Troy and his friends took their gathering outside, lounging around, leaning against their cars, and laughing loudly, unfazed by the attention they were drawing. Aria had left earlier, leaving the guys to enjoy their downtime. A few minutes after settling outside, Troy emerged, and the group erupted in playful cheers, calling his name as he made his way over.

They hadn't been there long when Ella stepped out of her car, dressed in an outfit that caught everyone's attention. She looked stunning, exuding confidence with every step. Conversation halted as all eyes turned toward her, including Troy's, though he quickly looked away, trying to mask any interest.

"Damn, bro," Mark murmured, eyes fixed on her as she got into her apartment. "Who is that girl? She's got that goddess vibe, like a mermaid or something."

Troy scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Is that how you all treat women?" he muttered. "Women are insignificant to me."

Bobby shook his head, leaning back against his car. "Nah, man. Don't let your past ruin the present."

Troy huffed, crossing his arms. "It's just the truth. Besides, this one's got an attitude, and she's not my type anyway."

"Lies!" his friends said in unison, a chorus of playful accusation. Mark smirked, raising his glass. "We saw how you looked at her, man. Even you couldn't ignore her."

Troy took a sip of his drink, feigning disinterest. "Whatever. She's crazy, and I've got no time for that. We hate each other anyway."

Bobby sighed, giving Troy a thoughtful look. "Bro, you can't keep living like this. You need to start building a real life, focus on yourself, and stop all this flirting around. I get it—you've been hurt. But don't let it mess up your career."

Troy stayed silent, looking away, his expression hardening. "Trust me, I'm not interested. I'm in love with music—that's all I care about."

Ted chuckled, glancing over at him. "Lucky for you, your mom isn't on your case about a grandchildren yet."

Troy gave a faint smirk, shrugging. "She knows better. I'm focused on my work. Everything else can wait."

Just then, Mark's phone buzzed, and he glanced down, seeing his work calling. "I gotta take this," he said, excusing himself to find a quieter spot.

Inside Ella's apartment, her best friend, Trisha, was lounging on the couch. She looked up as Ella stormed in, tossing her bag onto the sofa with an annoyed huff.

"Hey, babes. What's up?" Trisha asked, sitting up straight.

"That stupid neighbor of mine is out there drinking with his equally stupid friends, being obnoxious as usual," Ella snapped, pulling off her shoes.

Trisha frowned and got up, peeking out the window. "Wait… who?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. "Oh my God! Is that Benjackson Troy? The artist? Didn't he just perform at the United Center in Chicago?" Her voice was tinged with excitement.

Ella hissed, brushing off the comment. "I don't care about his so-called fame. All he does is drink, smoke, and hook up with bitches. Honestly, it's disgusting."

Trisha smirked, turning back to her friend. "What else do you expect from an artist? That's their lifestyle, babes. Half of the girls in this city would sell their souls to hang with a guy like him, and here you are dragging him."

Ella rolled her eyes. "I hate him. Like, actual hatred."

Trisha burst out laughing. "Oh, please. Sounds more like love to me. Are you sure there isn't something going on between you two?"

"You're impossible!" Ella said, tossing a cushion at her. "I could never fall for someone like him else I'd be going through premium heartbreak. He's arrogant and treats women like disposables."

"Hmm, okay," Trisha said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Ella ignored her, heading toward the kitchen. "Anyway, is there anything to eat? I'm starving, and I refuse to let that idiot ruin my mood."

Trisha just laughed, shaking her head as Ella began rummaging through the fridge.

Back outside,Ted nudged Bobby, smirking. "Troy's got it easy. Look at him, all set in his bachelor life, while the rest of us are just trying to settle down."

A few moments later, Mark returned, slipping his phone into his pocket. "So, back to what we were saying... Troy, you honestly need a woman in your life."

Bobby nodded in agreement. "We all knew how much you loved Rajeshwari, but bro, it's her loss," Mark added.

Troy exhaled, shaking his head. "It's not about Rajeshwari. I can't love any woman. I don't want to."

"Not even Aria?" Ted asked as he walked in.

"Ewwww!" Troy said with a dramatic shudder. "That's gross." The group burst into laughter, but Troy was genuinely irritated. "I don't see Aria that way. Ewww, gross, gross," he repeated, rubbing his arms as if shaking off the very idea.

"You sure she doesn't?" Bobby chuckled.

Troy frowned. "What are you trying to say?"

"Listen here, man," Bobby said, leaning in. "No woman would do all this for a guy if she didn't love him. Yesterday, you performed at the biggest arena in Chicago because of Aria. You became a brand ambassador for multiple companies—again, because of Aria. And you're telling me she doesn't love you? Come on, man. I'd be lucky to have a woman like that."

"What you're saying is true," Mark agreed. "But even if Troy does get a girl, do you really think he'd go for someone like Aria? Aria's not his type and she's clearly not his taste, You wanna kill our man?" He joked, and the group burst into laughter again.

Troy smirked, raising his glass slightly in Mark's direction. "Thanks for understanding, bro." He leaned back in his seat. "Look, I really appreciate everything Aria has done, but she ain't doing it for free. I pay her. She didn't like the idea at first, but I knew what would happen ahead of time. You know I always think ahead. And by the way, I'm not the only artist she manages. She's only sticking with me because I'm better than the rest." He spoke with pride, as if stating a simple fact.

Ted sighed. "Still, bro... think about what we've said. There are so many beautiful women here in Chicago. Give love a chance again."

Troy simply shook his head. "I gotta focus on my career first. That can come later."

That was Troy—stubborn to the core. No one could change his mind, not even his mother. Once he made up his mind about something, it was final.

The four of them clinked their glasses together, their conversation shifting to laughter and casual banter. But as the night wore on, the thought lingered in the back of Troy's mind.