obsession and gossips

Navaeh barely stepped into the café before she heard her name being called—more like shrieked.

"Nevaeh!"

She sighed, already bracing herself, as Donna waved her over.

At their usual corner booth, Donna, Lilly, and Teresa were huddled together, eyes gleaming like they had been dying to tell her something.

The second she sat down, Donna practically exploded.

"Mordred. Last night. That suit. That hair. That jawline."

Lilly clutched her chest dramatically. "I swear, God took his time on that man."

Teresa sighed dreamily. "I could stare at him forever and never get bored."

Navaeh sipped her coffee, unimpressed. "You guys talk about him more than his own PR team."

"And with good reason!" Donna shot back. "Did you see him at the awards? He looked like a god in human form. How does one man have all that?"

Lilly nodded aggressively. "And don't even get me started on his performance. That stage presence? The way he moved? The way he smirked at the crowd like he knew we were all losing our minds?"

Teresa groaned. "His future girlfriend is the luckiest woman alive."

Donna gasped suddenly. "Wait. Navaeh, you were there. You were in the same room as him. You even spoke to him. Please tell me he smells like heaven."

Navaeh rolled her eyes. "I was working, not sniffing celebrities."

Lilly wiggled her eyebrows. "So he does smell good."

"I did not say that!" Navaeh protested, flustered.

"But you didn't deny it," Teresa pointed out.

"Oh my God." She rubbed her temples.

Donna leaned in, eyes glinting with mischief. "Tell us, Miss Reporter, is he just as breathtaking up close?"

Navaeh hesitated.

If she was completely honest… yes. Mordred was the kind of man who looked almost unreal in person—flawless, intense, and way too aware of his effect on people.

But there was also something off about him. Something unsettling beneath the perfect exterior.

Of course, she couldn't say that.

"He's just a guy," she said instead. "A really famous, really rich guy."

Lilly gasped. "Blasphemy!"

Teresa shook her head. "Girl, if he so much as breathed in my direction, I would simply pass away."

Donna smirked. "And yet you got to talk to him alone on a balcony under the stars."

Navaeh stiffened. "How do you even know about that?"

"The internet, duh." Lilly pulled out her phone. "Look—someone caught a blurry pic. It's all over Twitter. They're calling you the 'mystery woman.'"

Navaeh grabbed the phone, staring at the grainy image.

Sure enough, there she was—her silhouette facing Mordred's, the city lights behind them, their postures way too close.

Her stomach dropped.

"Oh, hell no."

Donna laughed. "Congrats! You're officially part of the Mordred discourse!"

Lilly grinned. "How does it feel to be the envy of the entire female population?"

Navaeh groaned, tossing the phone back. "This is exactly why I hate working with celebrities."

Teresa sighed, resting her chin in her hands. "I just wanna know what it feels like to have that man's eyes on you. Even for a second."

Lilly gasped again, gripping Teresa's arm. "What if he's secretly into Navaeh?"

"NO." Navaeh shut that down immediately. "Absolutely not. He's just another interview. That's it."

Donna smirked. "That's what they all say at first."

Navaeh groaned again, mentally preparing herself for weeks of nonstop Mordred discussions.

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