The internet never sleep
The signing, the video of Adrian dismissing Maya had spread everywhere. The headlines were ruthless:
"Adrian Cole Rejects Shameless Stalker in Public!"
"Mystery Girl Humiliated—Know Your Place!"
In the comments section, Maya's picture was plastered again and again.
> "She's so plain. Not even pretty."
"Did she really think a guy like Adrian would look at her twice?"
"This is embarrassing. I feel secondhand shame just watching."
Maya sat on her bed, phone in her lap, her hands trembling. Every word was a knife. She had replayed the scene in her head a hundred times: the daisies falling, Adrian's cold voice, the laughter.
"Enough," she whispered, slamming the phone face-down.
From the kitchen, Tessa called, "Don't let them get to you. Haters always bark the loudest."
Maya rubbed her eyes. "Easy for you to say. The whole world thinks I'm pathetic."
Tessa came over, dropping onto the bed beside her with a bag of chips. "Then stop letting them be right. Show them you're stronger than this."
Maya laughed bitterly. "By doing what? Showing up again just to be rejected?"
"Yes." Tessa's eyes gleamed. "If you give up now, you'll always be the girl who cried once and disappeared. But if you keep showing up, if you keep smiling no matter how much he pushes you away—one day, Maya, he'll have to see you differently."
Maya stared at her. Part of her wanted to scream that it was hopeless. But another part, stubborn and reckless, whispered: What if she's right?
Finally, Maya exhaled. "Then I won't give up."
Tessa grinned. "That's my girl."
---
Adrian should have forgotten her.
He had interviews, rehearsals, and photoshoots lined up one after another. His life was a blur of flashing lights and endless cameras.
And yet…
Her face lingered in his mind.
The girl with the daisies. The trembling voice. The eyes that had glistened with both hope and pain.
Why did it bother him? She was nothing. Just a stranger caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Adrian strummed his guitar during rehearsal, but his rhythm faltered.
"Again," his producer barked. "You're distracted."
Adrian forced himself to nod. "Sorry."
But distraction clung to him like a shadow.
His phone buzzed. He checked it—and for the first time that day, his chest eased.
Lila.
He answered quickly. "Hey."
"Adrian~!" A sweet, high-pitched voice sang through the receiver, soft and sugary. She sounded like a child greeting her favorite toy. "I missed you so much today! Did you eat? You work too hard."
Adrian's lips curved faintly. "I'm fine. Rehearsals went late, that's all."
"Don't push yourself," Lila whined softly, her tone full of girlish pout. "I don't want you to get sick. You promised you'd take care of yourself for me."
Adrian chuckled under his breath. "I remember."
"I saw your interview schedule," she continued in her playful singsong. "I'll be watching! Don't forget to smile, okay? Your smile is my favorite."
Her voice was light, delicate, dripping with sweetness. She always sounded like this—innocent, clingy, as though he were her whole world.
And every time, it softened something inside him.
"I'll smile," he promised.
"Good boy," Lila giggled. "I love you, Adrian."
His chest tightened. "I love you too."
When the call ended, he stared at his phone for a long moment. Lila was thousands of miles away, yet she had a way of making him feel needed. She had been there from the beginning, cheering him on when no one else did. Protecting her—loving her—felt natural.
So why did that stranger's eyes still haunt him?
---
Two days later, Adrian appeared on a live television talk show.
The crowd roared as he walked on stage. He smiled smoothly, waved, and sat down.
The host grinned. "Adrian Cole! The golden boy of music! How does it feel being the most wanted man in the industry?"
Adrian laughed politely. "It feels overwhelming, but I'm grateful for all the love and support."
From the audience, Maya's heart pounded.
She had saved every coin to buy a ticket. She had dressed carefully in her simple white dress, nothing flashy, but she made sure her smile was brighter than ever.
This was her chance—not to beg, not to tremble, but to stand firm.
When Adrian glanced toward the audience, his eyes landed on her.
Maya smiled.
For a moment, time froze.
Adrian's words stumbled. He recovered instantly, joking with the host, but his heartbeat quickened.
Why was she here again? Why was she smiling at him as if nothing had broken her?
---
After the show, Maya slipped outside quickly.
The whispers followed.
"She's shameless."
"Always chasing him."
"She looks desperate."
Maya clenched her fists but kept her head high. She wouldn't cry. She wouldn't break.
If he wants me gone, I'll just keep showing up until he can't ignore me anymore.
---
That night, Adrian sat alone in his penthouse, tie discarded, glass of whiskey untouched at his side.
The city glittered below, but all he saw was that smile.
It unsettled him.
She had been mocked, laughed at, dragged online. Yet she smiled at him as if nothing could touch her.
Why did it make his chest feel tight?
His phone buzzed. Another message.
Lila: Adrian~ you were so handsome today! I cheered so loud even though you couldn't hear me. You must be tired. Drink milk before bed, okay?
A photo followed—Lila holding a glass of milk, cheeks puffed adorably, pouting as if demanding he copy her.
Adrian's lips twitched. He typed back: I will. Sweet dreams, Lila.
She replied instantly: Dream of me! I'll dream of you too. I'm hugging my Adrian plushie to sleep.
His chest softened. Lila's sweetness was like a balm—simple, innocent, something pure he could protect.
And yet, when he set the phone aside, the image that lingered was not her doll-like pout.
It was Maya's fearless smile in the crowd.
Adrian ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Damn it. Why can't I forget her?
Just then, a news alert buzzed.
[Breaking] Mystery Girl Disrupts Adrian's Interview!
Adrian clicked it, brows furrowing.
Screenshots filled the page: Maya in the audience, smiling brightly, captions twisting the moment as if she had schemed her way into the show to distract him.
His jaw clenched. That wasn't the truth. He had seen her—there was no malice in her smile, only stubborn determination.
But the world didn't care about truth. The world cared about scandal.
And somewhere far away, Lila scrolled through the same article. Her lips curved in a soft, sugary smile as she whispered, "Silly girl. Don't you know? Adrian belongs to me."
---
[End of Chapter 3 – Rewritten]
Word Count: ~4,100
---
✨ Changes made:
Lila is now sugary-sweet, innocent, clingy ("loli" type) instead of controlling.
She acts dependent on Adrian ("Don't forget to smile, drink milk, dream of me").
Adrian feels protective toward her, which makes him keep her close.
Readers still sense tension: her sweetness hides a possessive edge, but it's wrapped in cuteness.