Chapter 14

At 8:00 pm, Whitney's phone lit up with a call from her friend, Lara Powell, who excitedly said she was taking Whitney somewhere amazing that night. Lara mentioned that there was a popular singer from Cliador—Whitney's home country—and claimed that she was going to love him. Whitney was in the middle of unpacking and casually asked, "What's his name?" "I think it's Kieran Pearce. Have you ever heard of him?" Whitney's hands froze mid-unwrapping. "Kieran?" "Yeah, Kieran." Lara was practically bouncing with excitement on the other end of the line. "It was seriously difficult to get a table. Are you coming or not? I promise you won't regret it, won't be bored, and definitely won't want to go home!" Lara's barrage of over-the-top promises made Whitney laugh. "Alright, I'm in." … The bar was tucked away in a quiet alley, its entrance lit by a string of warm yellow fairy lights. The moment Whitney stepped inside, a wave of pounding music and the sharp scent of alcohol hit her. Lara