“Since VERA’s conception, LuxeMuse Entertainment kept a tight control over every minor aspect of the brand of the group. From the way we look, the way we talk, the way we sing, what we consume, both food and entertainment. They also control who we talk to and spend time with, both privately and publicly. If they could control our thoughts, they would. That’s the level of manipulation, surveillance, and scrutiny we’ve been dealing three months prior to our debut until three weeks ago. After they dump us in our apartment in Maxwell, their tight hold got loose.”
“Did they ever introduce you to anyone from the cartel but passing as another person? Maybe a possible business partner or sponsor or donor?” I ask.
“Never. I remember everyone the same way I remember choreographies from the first run through. I’ve never seen the tattoos of a crow in anyone. Never talk or heard someone talked in the accent they have.”
“Maybe Margaret or Vivian have seen them?” I tilt my head and they shake theirs.
“Anyone worth meeting only meets Rosie. While on stage we are four members, outside of it the only face that is seen is hers. We write our songs. We stay in the studio with the producers. The only glam we do is for our concerts or special performances,” Margaret says.
I frown at how bizarre their company manages them. I use the lull in our conversation to message my twin to add VERA and their company into his search.
“Cooper, sir, can I make a request?” I look up and see how everyone, including myself, is looking and Vivian.
“Yes?”
“Can we tour Heartstone tomorrow? We don’t know when these awful people are going to try something and we have been to so many places, seeing none of it. I don’t want them to take this from me, from us. They already took our sense of security.”
I blink at her request and I realize one; I know nothing about these four girls. Two, they seem to have suffered in silence for years. Three, while annoyed, I think they deserve to experience freedom.
“We can do that.”
With that, I sealed my faith to spend the next day following four women walking around Heartstone, hold their bags as they race each other twice at Wheel Off Racers and swipe my card to get them ice cream from Good Licks Ice Cream.
After I left them in the room with takeout food, I head out in search of more information. Maybe I can bump into those who are following us thinking I haven’t noticed. What I don’t expect is Rosalie wrapping her hand around my arm dress in a beautiful yellow dress that stops just above her knees.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Exactly what you are doing.” She smiles and I ignore how my heart speed up.
“And what I’m doing?”
“Searching for information. I also think my friends are safer when I’m not around.”
“What about my safety?”
“You can keep yourself and myself, if you want to, safe.”
I frown but keep walking with her wrap around my arm. The second I saw her a few days ago, I know her beauty is one that turn heads. There’s something else today. I don’t know if is the way she styles herself or the way she moves her body, but she is not only turning heads. People can’t stop looking at her; even when we pass them, they still look at her retreating.
I know she is a celebrity. They are the four members of a worldwide sensation. Some articles are saying they have revived the pop girl group space in the music business. I learn Rosalie is the one who keeps, manages and sways the image of the group. I found so many photos, videos, and interviews where she alone is the guest, the subject of scrutiny and admiration. I also learn that an illegitimate son of the Hastings Royal Family uses her and a stunt of them dating to clean his image, but he sabotages it.
While her company deleted the post, nothing is really gone on the Internet. I got my hands on a screenshot of her message she send to her fans right after the company dumb all the blame on her. The interesting thing I think they don’t know is the timing of things. I know someone in their team, with the help of Los Cuervos de Plata; they were laundering money through the company and through the tour. I have a private contact and I know Curtis is searching for who exactly in their team is laundering money. My theory is that they got caught or because of that bastard playboy, their stint is a bust and now the Silver Crows are looking into bargaining them to the company or transfer the debt, the responsibility, or the blame to Rosalie.
“Where are we going?” Rosalie asks.
“I was going to walk around and see who looks suspicious or out of place, but with you, I don’t think I can.”
“Why?”
“You catch too much attention.”
“Why don’t you use that to weed out those who are starstruck and those who are stalking?”
I tilt my head and watch her for a couple of seconds. She has a point. If we walk around, it would be a little hard if they’re good at blending with the crowd. What if we sit down somewhere where I can look around the room while the show captivates the crowd?
“How about having dinner and watching a play?” I ask.
“Is that the building with the stunning dining tables, the stage, and the big screen?”
