Chapter 2 The Spark Before the Flame

Chapter 02

~~~ Velvet Ember Bar~~

Same Night

The air was heavy the moment Tessa walked in.

Every head turned. Every whisper sliced.

She didn't need to hear her name to know they were talking about her - the girl who had the nerve to turn down Kingsley Voss.

"What did you think she did to him?"

"I heard she talked back."

"Can you believe it?"

"She's finished."

"She must be stupid to humiliate the boss's favorite star."

Tessa kept her eyes down, her steps small and quiet. Her heart thudded so loud she could barely hear the clinking of glasses. She'd been at the Velvet Ember for years - worked double shifts, covered for others, smiled through exhaustion - but all it took was one moment with him to burn everything to ashes.

She slipped behind the counter, praying to at least keep her dignity. Maybe they'll just dock my pay... please, just don't fire me. I need this job. Mia needs me to have this job.

But the moment she heard her name, she already knew.

"TESSA!"

The manager's voice cracked through the air.

Everyone turned.

And in that second, she stopped breathing.

He didn't hesitate. Didn't lower his tone. Didn't even blink.

"You're fired."

It was like being stabbed without a sound. Her throat went dry. Her fingers trembled as she clutched the edge of the counter.

Laughter echoed behind her. "Serves her right."

"She thinks she's better than the rest of us."

"She deserves worse."

She blinked hard, her lips parting - but her voice refused to come out. Her chest ached with the pressure of words she couldn't say.

"Sir... please-"

"No word from you," the manager cut her off coldly. "Just leave. Now."

She froze. Something inside her cracked - the same quiet way her world had cracked when her mother died.

It was the same sound. The same emptiness.

But this time, it wasn't death - it was humiliation.

Tessa's voice trembled, low but sharp. "I've worked here for years. You know me. You know I've never disrespected anyone-"

"You talked back to a client. Not just any client - Kingsley Voss. You made him look bad. You made us look bad. You think I'd risk this bar for you?"

Her tears threatened to fall, but she swallowed them down. "You don't even know what he said to me."

"I don't care what he said to you, you lowlife. You should've smiled and kept your mouth shut."

Her vision blurred, and she let out a shaky breath - half laugh, half sob.

He didn't even see her as human. None of them did.

For a moment, she wanted to beg. But pride was all she had left.

She nodded slowly, forcing her trembling hands to gather her things. "Fine."

Her voice cracked but didn't break. "You'll remember this one day. You'll remember me - and the way you treated me like dirt - and it'll haunt you."

She didn't wait for a response.

She just turned and walked out - her back straight, her face blank, but her eyes burning.

The moment the cold night air hit her face, she stopped pretending.

Her body shook. She covered her mouth with her hand as a sob tore out of her chest.

She'd faced loss before - but never humiliation like this.

Kingsley had destroyed her without even lifting a finger.

~~~TESSA'S RESIDENCE~~~

Tessa inhaled deeply before unlocking the small metal gate, her fingers trembling around the key.

The small house she shared with her sister had never felt so quiet - so heavy.

It was supposed to be home... yet tonight, it felt like a reminder of everything she was about to lose.

Her legs dragged with every step toward the staircase.

Each one felt like it was pulling her deeper into something she couldn't climb out of.

The due rent notice taped to her door fluttered slightly in the breeze - red ink glaring at her like a wound that refused to heal. She stared at it for a long, silent second, her lips parting as if she might finally let herself cry. But she couldn't.

She couldn't - not here. Not when Mia was home.

She tore the paper down, forcing a smile onto her face like a mask she'd worn a thousand times. You can't break now, Tessa. Not in front of her.

The warm scent of garlic and butter drifted from the kitchen. It almost made her want to cry. That smell meant comfort. It meant home. It meant her little sister had cooked again, waiting for her like always.

Mia turned around at the sound of the door opening, her face lighting up instantly.

"Tessa? What the hell- you didn't tell me you'd be home early! Are you okay?" she asked, walking closer, her brows furrowing in concern.

Tessa straightened her posture, forcing her lips to curve upward. "Of course I'm fine," she lied softly. "We just finished quite early today, so I rushed home to surprise my little bunny."

Mia's eyes softened, her smile returning. "Oh, that's good! I made pasta - your favorite. Want some?"

Tessa's heart clenched painfully, but she shook her head, pretending to yawn. "Nope, I already ate with my workmates." Another lie. The taste of her own words burned in her throat.

"Okay, Tess." Mia went back to the kitchen, humming lightly, her happiness filling the room with warmth that Tessa couldn't feel.

Tessa turned toward her room, desperate for silence, when Mia's voice stopped her again.

"You won't believe it - Kingsley Voss is releasing a new single soon!" she gushed, excitement bubbling in her tone. "He hasn't released one in years! I can't wait, Tess - it's going to be damn hot and crazy."

For a moment, Tessa froze. Her breath hitched.

That name - his name - hit her like a knife sliding into an open wound.

The smile she'd fought so hard to wear almost shattered right there.

"That's... that's good," she murmured, her voice strained, almost hollow. Then she walked away before Mia could see her face.

Mia frowned. That smile - it was the same one she'd seen too many times before.

The same fragile, forced smile her sister used when she was hiding pain so deep she couldn't talk about it.

But Mia didn't say anything. She never did. Not because she didn't care - but because she knew that when Tessa broke, she broke alone.

Inside her room, Tessa shut the door gently and leaned against it, her chest rising and falling unevenly.

The air felt heavy - thick with everything she couldn't say.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her fingers gripping the sheets tightly as memories crashed over her like waves.

Kingsley's cold eyes.

His mocking tone.

His cruel smirk.

"So tell me, how much is it to have you in my bed?"

Her body trembled.

"You're fired."

"Who does she think she is?"

Their voices overlapped in her mind - haunting, echoing - until she couldn't tell which one hurt more.

She clutched her head, pressing her palms over her ears, shaking violently as tears spilled down her face.

"Why?" she whispered brokenly. "Why me? What have I ever done wrong?"

Her voice cracked, but she covered her mouth quickly, muffling her sobs so Mia wouldn't hear. But outside the door, Mia was standing silently - her hand hovering in the air.

She could hear it. Every muffled cry. Every quiet gasp for air.

Her heart ached for her sister, but she stayed still - because she knew Tessa's pride wouldn't allow her to comfort her, not yet.

Inside, Tessa fell apart completely.

She thought of the bills stacked on her desk. The tuition letters. The rent. The groceries.

All of it depended on her.

And she'd ruined it - all because she couldn't stay quiet, couldn't let that man talk to her like she was nothing.

But the worst part wasn't losing her job.

It was that she couldn't get him out of her head.

His face.

His voice.

The way he looked at her - like she was something he could buy.

"You ruined my life, Kingsley," she whispered through tears, trembling as she pressed a hand to her mouth. "You ruined everything. I'll never forgive you for this."

Her sobs grew quieter, smaller, until all that was left was silence.

The rest of the night passed with her lying awake, staring at the ceiling, tears drying on her cheeks.

Every time she closed her eyes, his words echoed back - cruel, smug, unforgettable.

And as dawn crept in, she whispered one final promise to the darkness.

"One day, Kingsley Voss... you'll remember my name."