Chapter 9
Arianne arrived at LUMINA’s main office with a heavy feeling settling in her chest. She knew this was coming the moment her phone wouldn’t stop buzzing earlier. The trending photos, the theories, the sudden chaos—it was too much, too fast.
As soon as she stepped into the conference room, she was met with serious faces. The room was filled with key people—LUMINA’s management team, PR heads, and her fellow members. Sir Kevin sat at the head of the table, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
As soon as she stepped into the conference room, she was met with serious faces. The room was filled with key people—LUMINA’s management team, PR heads, and her fellow members. Sir Kevin sat at the head of the table, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.
"Sit," Sir Kevin ordered.
Arianne obeyed, feeling the weight of everyone’s gaze. She already knew what this was about—her name trending with Celine overnight. The viral photos, the speculations, the theories.
Sir Kevin wasted no time. "Arianne, explain. What the hell happened?"
Arianne kept her voice steady. "Coincidence lang po. I was sick, Celine was there, and she helped me. That's it."
Sir Kevin scoffed. "Coincidence? Arianne, this is bigger than just coincidence. People are talking. They’re making assumptions. And this is bad timing. The movie shoot with Celine and Mavis is starting soon—this is supposed to be their moment. No other name should be dragged into their ship."
Arianne leaned back slightly, trying to look unaffected. "I understand po. But I didn’t do anything. The photos weren’t staged, and I definitely didn’t plan for this to happen."
One of the PR team members sighed, scrolling through their phone. "The problem is, the internet is fast. Some fans are already shipping you two, some are mad, and others are digging for more. This could be a distraction."
Sir Kevin nodded. "We need to control this before it gets worse. Mavis and Celine’s pairing is being built up as the next big on-screen love team. We can’t afford unnecessary noise. Arianne, you need to address this."
Arianne clenched her jaw slightly. "What do you mean, ‘address this’?"
"You need to clarify that there’s nothing going on. Release a statement, post something, or maybe…" Sir Kevin hesitated before continuing. "…create a distance from Celine, at least publicly."
Arianne’s fingers tightened into a fist on her lap, but she kept her face blank. "You want me to avoid her?"
Sir Kevin exhaled sharply. "For now, yes. Let this issue die down. We’re not saying you can’t be friends or whatever, but for the sake of LUMINA, you need to be more careful. This is not about your personal life, Arianne. This is about your career and the group’s image."
Arianne wanted to argue, but she knew it would be pointless. She glanced at the screen where trending tweets were being displayed—her name beside Celine’s, the comparisons, the fan theories.
She exhaled through her nose, nodding slowly. "I understand."
Sir Kevin looked at her for a moment before leaning back. "Good. We’ll monitor the situation. Just be mindful. We can’t afford more distractions right now."
Arianne forced a small smile, even though she felt like she was swallowing something bitter. "Of course, Sir Kevin. I’ll handle it."
The meeting wrapped up soon after, but as Arianne walked out of the room, she couldn’t shake the sinking feeling in her chest.
Distance herself from Celine?
She wasn’t sure if she could.
Or if she even wanted to.
As soon as the door shut behind Sir Kevin and the PR team, silence filled the room. No more managers. No more staff. No more outsiders.
Just LUMINA.
Arianne let out a shaky breath before running a hand over her face, brushing back loose strands of hair. She leaned back against her chair, her fingers pressing against her temples like she was trying to stop an oncoming headache.
"I'm sorry, girls," she muttered, voice low but heavy with frustration. "I didn’t mean for this to happen."
At first, no one responded.
Then Maeve, ever the calming presence, exhaled and shook her head. "Ari, huwag mong isipin na kasalanan mo ‘to."
Sasha, who had been quiet the entire time, scoffed lightly. "Tss. Bakit ka nagsosorry? Para namang ginusto mo ‘to."
"Yeah," Maeve added, resting her chin on her palm. "It’s not like you planned on trending with Celine. Coincidence lang, ‘di ba?"
Arianne swallowed, nodding slightly. "Coincidence," she repeated under her breath.
But was it really just that?
She wasn’t even sure anymore.
She tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling as she let out a heavy sigh. "How the hell am I supposed to address this issue?"
Mavis, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
"But there’s really nothing to address, right?" Her voice was calm, calculated. She met Arianne’s gaze, her expression unreadable. "I mean… wala naman talaga kayong past, ‘di ba?"
Arianne stilled.
For a few seconds, she just looked at Mavis.
No words. No reaction.
Just silence.
Then, as if the weight of the question was too much, Arianne lowered her gaze and buried her face in her arms, resting them on the table. She didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
Because the silence spoke louder than anything she could have said.
The room remained still, the air growing heavier. No one pushed her for an explanation. No one forced her to speak.
Instead, they exchanged glances, the unspoken understanding settling between them.
It was Sasha who finally sighed and leaned back in her chair, shaking her head. "Putangina. This is messy."
Maeve nudged her lightly. "Hindi ka nakakatulong, Zia."
Arianne didn’t lift her head, but her fingers curled slightly against her sleeves, like she was holding onto their words.
She had spent years pretending like she had moved on.
Now, with everything resurfacing—Celine, the past, the emotions she thought she buried—
She wasn’t sure if she could keep pretending anymore.
Maeve suddenly stood up, stretching her arms like she wasn’t bothered by any of this.
Then, casually, she grabbed her phone, snapped a quick selfie with Arianne—who was still too lost in her thoughts to react—and typed something before hitting post.
She set her phone down with a smirk.
"Problem solved."
Arianne blinked. "What?"
The other girls immediately scrambled for their own phones, refreshing their feeds.
Mavis was the first to snort. "Oh my god, Maeve, you’re actually insane."
Sasha laughed under her breath, showing Arianne the screen. "You should probably check your notifications right now ate ari."
Still confused, Arianne picked up her phone.
And there it was.
Maeve’s latest story:
A selfie of the two of them—Arianne looking exhausted, head on her arms, while Maeve grinned cheekily beside her, throwing a peace sign.
The caption?
"Ang kulit niyo ah. Sa akin ‘to." ❤️
Arianne’s jaw dropped. "Maeve—!"
"What?" Maeve said innocently. "They wanna ship you with someone? Okay, fine. Ako na lang. At least totoo ‘to."* She winked.
"Tangina," Arianne muttered, scrolling through the comments. It was already exploding. Fans were freaking out, debating if she and Maeve had been secretly together this whole time.
"This won’t stop them from making theories," Mavis pointed out, unimpressed. "It might even make it worse."
"Or..." Maeve grinned, throwing an arm around Arianne’s shoulders. "It redirects their attention."
Sasha whistled. "Genius. Delulu ang fans, pero at least hindi na si Celine ang pinagdidiskitahan nila."
Maeve smirked. "And you get free promo for your duo. Smart."
Arianne groaned, rubbing her temples. "I can’t believe you just did that."
"Believe it, babe." Maeve wiggled her eyebrows. "Wala ka nang choice. May MaevIanne nation tayo."*
The other girls burst into laughter.
Arianne sighed heavily.
She had no idea if this would actually help.
But for now... at least she wasn’t dealing with this alone.
###
Celine sat on the couch of her agency’s meeting room, legs stretched out, head resting against the backrest, eyes glued to her phone.
Her manager, Lauren, paced back and forth in front of her, voice sharp, frustration evident in every word.
"Celine, oh my god—are you even listening to me?" Lauren nearly shouted, throwing a stack of papers onto the table. "Do you even realize how messy this situation is? The movie is about to start filming, and instead of Mavis and you trending together, you and Arianne are the talk of the town!"
Celine barely reacted, her thumb lazily scrolling through her phone.
Maeve’s latest post filled her screen.
Arianne, head down, looking exhausted. Maeve beside her, grinning like she just won the lottery.
"Ang kulit niyo ah. Sa akin ‘to." ❤️
Celine exhaled through her nose, her grip on her phone tightening for a split second.
She knew what this was.
Damage control.
Arianne’s team probably told her to fix the issue in a way that wouldn’t drag her and Celine into more controversy.
So this was their solution? Pair Arianne up with Maeve? Redirect the attention?
Celine let out a humorless chuckle. Smart.
But why did it still feel so... off?
"Celine!"
Lauren’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts.
She looked up, finally meeting her manager’s exasperated gaze.
"Jesus Christ, nakikinig ka ba? Or do you want me to address this issue myself?"
Celine sighed, locking her phone before slipping it into her pocket.
"No. I can handle it."
Lauren crossed her arms. "Oh, really? Because last time I checked, you were busy ignoring me while scrolling through Twitter like none of this affects you."
Celine tilted her head. "It doesn’t."
"Celine."* Lauren pinched the bridge of her nose. "Be serious. If this blows up even more, the production team will get involved. Mavis’ agency will step in. Do you know how bad that will look?"
"It won’t blow up," Celine said, voice firm. "Arianne’s team already handled it, didn’t they?"
Lauren narrowed her eyes. "You think that’s enough?"
Celine smirked slightly. "Have you met fandom culture? Give them something new to obsess over, and they move on fast. Maeve practically handed them ship on a silver platter."
Lauren huffed. "So you’re fine with this?"
Celine paused.
Was she fine with it?
She should be.
This was the easiest way to redirect the rumors. This was what was best for everyone involved.
So why did it bother her?
Why did something in her chest tighten at the thought of Arianne with someone else?
Celine, get a grip.
She forced a small, indifferent shrug. "It’s not my problem."
Lauren studied her for a moment before sighing in defeat. "Fine. But if this spirals into something worse, don’t say I didn’t warn you."
Celine nodded, standing up. "Noted. Anything else?"
Lauren waved her off. "Just stay lowkey for now. And for the love of God, don’t get caught up in another scandal."
Celine chuckled dryly. "No promises."
And with that, she walked out of the room.
Her expression was unreadable.
But deep down—
She couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the end of it.
Celine stepped out of the meeting room, exhaling slowly. The conversation with Lauren still echoed in her mind, but she shook it off.
Right now, she needed to find Jamie.
She took out her phone, scrolling through her messages.
Celine: Nasa room mo?
She waited. No reply.
Celine: Jamie, nasaan ka?
Still nothing.
With a sigh, she slipped her phone back into her pocket and decided to check Jamie’s room herself. She walked through the hallways, passing by familiar faces—staff members, trainees, and a few artists under their network. Some gave her polite nods, while others whispered among themselves, clearly still caught up in the trending issue.
She ignored them.
Reaching Jamie’s dressing room, she knocked twice before turning the knob.
Locked.
Celine frowned. She’s not here?
That left only one other place.
Skylar’s dressing room.
Since Jamie, LUMINA, Skylar, and Gale were all under the same network—just different categories and managers—they all worked in the same building. It wasn’t unusual for them to hang out in each other’s spaces.
Without much thought, Celine made her way to Skylar’s room.
As she reached the door, she didn’t bother knocking and simply pushed it open—
Only to freeze at the sight in front of her.
Gale.
Sasha.
Kissing.
"WTF."
The two immediately jumped apart, looking at her with wide eyes.
Sasha hurriedly smoothed out her top while Gale rubbed the back of her neck, looking anywhere but at Celine.
"Ahm…" Gale started, clearing her throat awkwardly.
Celine blinked, momentarily processing what she just saw. Then, she scoffed lightly.
"No need to explain."
Gale visibly relaxed, but Sasha still looked tense.
Celine turned her attention to her instead.
"Sasha, right?"
Sasha nodded hesitantly.
Celine leaned against the doorframe, crossing her arms. "Anong ganap ng LUMINA today?"
Sasha’s shoulders stiffened before she answered, "May guesting kami mamaya. Variety show."
Celine hummed in acknowledgment, not missing how Sasha was trying to avoid her gaze.
She wasn’t about to pry, though.
Not her business.
Instead, she shifted her attention back to Gale, raising an eyebrow. "Skylar's not here?"
Gale exhaled, finally regaining her usual composure. "She’s in a meeting with Jamie. Kanina ka pa niya hinahanap, by the way."
Celine nodded. Figures.
She glanced at Sasha one last time before smirking slightly. "Nice seeing you two... enjoying your break."
Gale groaned. "Celine, please."
Sasha turned completely red.
Celine just chuckled, shaking her head as she turned to leave.
"See you later, Gale. Good luck sa guesting niyo, Sasha."
And with that, she walked away, already heading toward Skylar’s meeting room.
Celine walked briskly down the hallway, her mind still half-focused on her earlier conversation with Sasha and Gale.
Guesting. Meaning, Arianne would be out in public later. Meaning, reporters and fans would surely throw questions at her about the trending issue.
Celine clicked her tongue. I should’ve asked what kind of guesting it is.
Her feet stopped in front of the meeting room where Skylar and Jamie were supposed to be. She didn’t bother knocking this time and simply pushed the door open.
Only to immediately regret it.
Inside, Jamie was leaning against the long conference table while Skylar stood in front of her, arms lazily draped around her waist.
Skylar was saying something in a soft, teasing voice, and Jamie—who usually had a sharp tongue and sarcastic remarks—was smiling like a lovesick idiot.
Celine sighed. Of course.
She made a dramatic motion of closing the door again.
Originally, she was here to ask Jamie what the best move was in addressing the issue. She wanted to know if Jamie thought she should just stay quiet or if she needed to say something.
She exhaled deeply, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she walked away.
She already knew what to do.
She didn’t need anyone else to tell her.
Celine leaned against the cold hallway wall, arms crossed as she checked the time on her phone.
Only a few more minutes before LUMINA had to leave for their guesting.
She had been waiting for this.
She knew her manager was probably losing their mind right now, wondering where she had gone after their earlier conversation. But Celine didn’t care. She had already made up her mind.
With a deep breath, she pushed herself off the wall and started walking toward LUMINA’s dressing room.
The moment she opened the door, multiple pairs of eyes landed on her.
Sir Kevin, LUMINA’s manager, was the first to react. His expression immediately hardened. "Celine, what are you doing here?"
Celine barely spared him a glance. "You wanted us to address the issue, right? This is my move."
Without waiting for a response, she stepped further inside, her gaze locking onto Mavis.
Arianne was right there—sitting beside Maeve, a makeup artist fixing the final touches on her face—but Celine didn’t look at her immediately.
She didn’t have to.
She could feel Arianne’s eyes on her, studying her every move.
But when Sir Kevin glanced at Arianne, she quickly averted her gaze, acting as if she hadn’t been watching at all.
Celine let out a quiet chuckle under her breath before shifting her attention back to Mavis.
"Hatid kita sa guesting niyo."
Mavis, who had been watching the exchange silently, raised an eyebrow. "Ako?"
Celine nodded. "Yeah."
Arianne straightened slightly in her seat.
Celine didn’t miss the way her jaw clenched.
She knew that look.
It was the same look Arianne had given her back then—whenever she felt something but didn’t want to say it out loud.
Sir Kevin, unaware of the tension thickening in the air, let out a satisfied hum. "Good. At least we’re making sure there are no other distractions. Let’s move quickly, we don’t have much time."
Mavis finally nodded. "Okay."
Celine smirked slightly, then turned on her heel, heading toward the door. "Let’s go, then."
As she walked past Arianne, she felt it.
That moment of hesitation.
That brief second where Arianne wanted to say something but chose not to.
But Celine didn’t stop.
Not this time.
As they stepped out of the building, the air was immediately filled with the sounds of excited chatter and camera shutters clicking.
A small crowd of fans had gathered outside, waiting eagerly for LUMINA to appear. Some were holding banners, others had their phones raised, ready to capture every moment.
Celine had expected this.
She knew people would be watching. Recording. Making their own assumptions.
And that was exactly why she was here.
Without hesitation, she moved closer to Mavis—smooth, confident, intentional.
Before Mavis could react, Celine’s hand found its way to her waist, pulling her in ever so slightly.
It wasn’t too obvious—just enough to catch attention. Enough to be seen.
Mavis stiffened for a second, surprised, but she didn’t pull away. She was quick to understand what Celine was doing.
The fans, on the other hand, weren’t as calm.
A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd, some gasping, some whispering, and others outright screaming.
Celine bit back a smirk as she caught sight of some fans already taking pictures.
Exactly what she wanted.
Beside them, Sir Kevin glanced back at Celine but didn’t say anything. This was good for them. This was what they needed.
Mavis finally leaned in, voice low enough so only Celine could hear. "You’re really going all out, huh?"
Celine smirked, keeping her gaze ahead. "Just making sure your PR team doesn’t waste their time."
Mavis let out a soft chuckle.
Celine only shrugged, tightening her hold on Mavis for good measure.
As they continued walking, she didn’t have to look back to know Arianne was watching.
She could feel it.
###
The day had been long—exhausting in ways Celine didn’t want to admit.
From the scolding, to the staged act with Mavis, to the constant buzzing of her phone—everything was just too much.
Now, in the quiet of her own room, she finally allowed herself to breathe.
With a deep sigh, she buried her face into her pillow, hoping to shut out the world, even just for a while.
But then—
She froze.
That scent.
Familiar. Subtle. Yet unmistakable.
Arianne.
Celine inhaled again, this time slower, and there it was—the lingering scent of Arianne’s perfume clinging to the fabric.
Of course.
Arianne had slept here last night.
Celine groaned, flipping onto her back and staring at the ceiling.
Great. Just great.
As if today wasn’t enough of a headache, now she had to deal with this.
With the way her chest tightened at the thought of Arianne.
With the way her mind kept replaying the way Arianne looked at her earlier—how she didn’t look at her when Sir Kevin was watching.
She clenched her jaw.
She should be used to this by now.
Should’ve been used to pushing things down, pretending like none of it affected her.
But tonight?
Tonight, it was harder to ignore.
She ran a hand through her hair, muttering, "Fuck it."
Grabbing her phone, she stared at the screen for a few seconds—hesitant, uncertain.
Then, before she could stop herself, she opened her messages.
Her fingers hovered over Arianne’s name.
Celine exhaled.
What the hell was she even doing?
She was about to type a message—maybe something sarcastic, maybe something she’d regret—when her phone suddenly buzzed.
Arianne.
She answered immediately. "Ari—"
"Celine," Arianne cut in, her voice soft.
Celine frowned. Something was off.
"What’s wrong?" she asked, instantly on alert.
There was a pause. Too long.
Then—"Nothing."
A lie.
Celine sighed. "Ari, don’t do that."
"Do what?"
"Lie to me."
Silence.
Celine leaned back, pressing her phone closer to her ear, waiting.
Then, she heard it—Arianne’s unsteady breathing.
A small, shaky inhale.
A quiet exhale that sounded too much like she was trying not to break.
"Kabisado mo pa rin talaga ako," Arianne murmured, her voice barely holding together.
"Of course I do," Celine whispered back. "So tell me, what’s wrong?"
A deep, exhausted sigh followed.
"Sir Kevin talked to me," Arianne admitted, her voice laced with frustration.
Celine’s grip on her phone tightened. "And?"
"He told me to lie low." Arianne exhaled sharply. "Especially with you."
Celine clenched her jaw.
Of course.
"Then?" she asked, her voice unreadable.
Arianne hesitated, but when she spoke again, her tone was steadier.
"Celine… I know you also have a career. You have a name to protect. You have an upcoming movie to shoot. You can’t afford unnecessary issues like this."
Celine shut her eyes.
She understood.
She really did.
But it still stung.
"So what now?" she asked, her voice quieter this time.
Arianne didn’t answer right away.
Then, in the softest voice—almost a whisper—she said, "I don’t know."
And that?
That hurt the most.
Celine let out a deep sigh, staring at the ceiling as the weight of Arianne’s words settled in her chest. Sleep felt impossible. No matter how much she tried to shake off the conversation, her mind kept replaying it—Arianne’s hesitant voice, the way she tried to act fine, the way she acknowledged Celine’s career and the name she had to protect.
"With you. With us."
Celine shut her eyes tightly, gripping her blanket as if that could silence the emotions stirring inside her.
She reached for her phone, the brightness of the screen momentarily stinging her tired eyes. Her fingers hovered over Arianne’s name in her contacts, but instead of calling, she went to social media.
And there it was—her name all over the trending list.
#MaveanneEraOver
#MavisXCeline
#CelineAndArianneSpotted
#ArianneMoveOnNaPlease
Celine scoffed at that last one.
She scrolled through the posts, her brows furrowing at the mixed reactions. Some fans were excited about her supposed chemistry with Mavis, hyping up their upcoming movie. Others were still holding onto their theories, dissecting every interaction she had with Arianne, making assumptions that stung more than she wanted to admit.
"Mavis and Celine make a perfect on-screen couple! Can’t wait for their movie!"
"Arianne and Celine were just at the same place at the same time. Stop overreacting, guys."
"Celine looked at Arianne like she still loves her. Don’t tell me you didn’t see that."
"This is why idols shouldn’t be seen with actors too much. Nakakasira ng career."
"Arianne should focus on her group and stop interfering with Celine’s rise in the industry."
Celine clenched her jaw, feeling an unexpected wave of anger bubbling inside her.
"Interfering?"
She turned off her phone, tossing it to the side before burying her face into her pillow. But the scent of Arianne still lingered there—subtle yet unmistakable.
It made her chest tighten.
"Damn it."
She flipped onto her back, staring at the ceiling again. She hated this. She hated how Arianne still had this much power over her emotions. She hated how the past kept creeping into her present.
And most of all—
She hated how much she still cared.
Would she ever be able to stop?
Celine let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head.
Not tonight.
Not ever.
Celine exhaled sharply, staring at the dark screen of her phone before unlocking it again. The notifications were endless—mentions, retweets, and comments flooding her timeline.
She knew how the industry worked. She knew how fickle public perception could be. Today, they loved her. Tomorrow, they’d tear her apart. And right now, the narrative was spinning out of control.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.
Should she really do this?
Yes.
Not for herself. Not for Mavis.
For Arianne.
No matter how much things had changed, Celine knew one thing for certain—she didn’t want Arianne to be the one taking the hit for this.
She started typing.
Celine’s Twitter:
Hey, everyone. I just want to take a moment to clear things up.
Arianne and I have known each other for a long time. We happened to be in the same place, and that’s all there is to it. Please don’t drag her into unnecessary narratives.
Also, about Mavis and me—please continue to support our upcoming project. We’re working hard to bring you something amazing, and we hope you look forward to it.
I appreciate all the love and concern, but let’s all be kind. That’s all I ask. Love you all.
She read it twice. Once as Celine, the woman who still felt too much. And once as Celine, the actress who had a name to protect.
It was careful. Polite. Measured.
But more than anything, it was meant to shield Arianne.
With a deep breath, she hit post.
Almost immediately, the engagement skyrocketed. Likes. Retweets. Comments. Some were supportive, others still clung to their theories, but at least she had done something.
Celine locked her phone and placed it on her bedside table. She stared at the ceiling once more, exhaling slowly.
"This is my life. This is the world I live in."
And right now, the best thing she could do—was endure.