27. Hunter

HUNTER

T hepersistent glint of silverin the rearview mirror mocks me.It isn’t just one car anymore, there are apack of them. Some are sleek and flashy,otherswith boxy silhouettes. Some are with paparazzi, some are with normal people. All bound by the desire to uncover if there are two Stellas. Practice,errands,even a fucking coffee run—I’m constantly followed.

It’s stifling.

It’s infuriating.

It’s terrifying.

Just yesterday, someone tried to run me off the road when I was on my way to Jake’s house.

My security detail,two hulking guys named Grant and Tank, suspect they wanted to check my car in case Stella’s impersonator was hiding inside. People are becoming more bold, and I’m terrified to leave Minnie alone, afraid someone will hurt her in their efforts.

At least Elodie is safe at her mom’s house and she’s not having to deal with this. That’s the only thing making this bearable. Stella’s on complete lockdown, having a far more difficult time than me. She’s had over twenty break-in attempts at her penthouse within the past couple days, and her houses nationwide were also targeted.

“All right,let's get this over with,” I mutter to my security,grabbing my gym bag.It’s the first practice since shit hit the fan and I welcome the escape from this hell.

Except,even getting to the arena causes my stomach to churn. I bring Minnie with me to the arena, and the drive there is tense as a string of cars follow us.

“Ready?” Tank asks once we arrive.

I nod once, and he jumps out, opening my door. I cradle Minnie in my arms and hunch over her so that no one touches her. There’s at least fifteen people surrounding us, pushing to get to me. Tank and Grant form a human wall to get me to the arena entrance. It’s only ten feet away, but it’s ten feet too far.

“Just tell us where she is,” someone shouts, jostling Grant.

“I’ll share the money with you,” someone else says, pushing into Tank.

“There is only one Stella,” I say loudly. “You’re wasting your time. ”

“That’s what someone would say who’s hiding something,” a woman scoffs.

I shake my head as Tank booms, “Back off,” his voice cutting through the frenzy.

Despite their efforts,a few particularly aggressive people shove forward, as if expecting me to be hiding Stella under my shirt.

Grant and Tank hold steady, guiding me through the gauntlet of bodies and threats shouted my way until we are safely inside the building.

“We need more security here,” I say, putting Minnie back on her feet.

“Already on it,” Tank says. “We’re in discussion with Evren’s people.”

“I’ll watch over her.” Grant nods toward Minnie.

I pass him the leash. “Thanks, man.” I bend down and scratch Minnie behind her ears before patting her on her side. “I’ll come get you after my practice ends.”

She leans into me, and I pat her again before heading into the locker room. When I step inside, the tension I’ve been carrying loosens. I’m ready to get back into the routine of everything.

“What the hell did I just walk past outside?” Marcus asks, walking to his locker.

“My own personal hell,” I mutter.

“The TikTok video, right?” Quincy asks. “That shit’s messed up.”

“Tell me about it.” I sigh. “I even brought Minnie to practice so she doesn’t get hurt. ”

“How’s Stella doing?” Jake asks.

“Not well. I’m going to visit her in a couple days, but she’s on lockdown. It’s getting dangerous.”

“Shit, man,” Trey says. “Let us know if we can help you in any way.”

“Thanks, I will.” It still surprises me that he’s offering, that he’s serious. My dad hasn’t even messaged to check in with me, and I know for a fact that he has an alert on his phone to inform him of any news about me. It’s becoming glaringly obvious that he doesn’t really care about me. This is the time where I’d expect some support from him, and there’s nothing but silence. I always thought we had this great relationship, but apparently, we don’t.

Shaking off my thoughts, I suit up and welcome the grueling practice ahead of me.

“How are you doing?” I ask Stella. She’s sitting across from me at her favorite Italian restaurant in Tribeca. Kai rented out the entire thing to ensure it’s secure. But the shouts from the crowd of people waiting outside can be heard from our table. Every time someone bangs on the windows, her shoulders hike to her ears. Stella wanted to show that we’re still going strong, that we’re a united front. Even if our lives are being turned upside down because of Jax. Jax who’s been fanning the conspiracy flames since those videos went viral .

“Fine.”

“I know we don’t know each other much, but there’s no need to lie.”

Stella glances at me and sighs. “It’s been horrible. I’m constantly terrified someone’s going to get to me.”

“This is escalating too much. We need to find a solution; we can’t live like this.”

“I don’t know what to do,” she whispers. “I don’t know how to fix it.”

“What does Brianna suggest?”

“She’s been working on getting the videos removed, and insists I need to come out with a statement, but I don’t know what to say.”

“What about the truth?” I suggest. “A lie got us into this mess, but maybe you can be honest and get personal.”

“I can’t do that. I never share personal things with the public.”

“Don’t you think it’s time to change that? Jax is controlling the narrative right now, increasing speculation every day.”

“I don’t know… I’m used to the wait-and-see approach. That’s what Rachel did, and it used to work. But now it’s like I’m paralyzed with indecision. I don’t know Brianna enough to trust her yet, but logically, I know Rachel’s approach isn’t correct. I’m supposed to be taking charge of my life, and yet I’m hesitating during the worst possible time.”

“I get that, but we can’t let this escalate any more. Have you talked to Aria? Or someone else you trust? Maybe they can help. Maybe you should also think about pressing charges against Jax.”

“I’ll think on some possibilities, but I don’t want to press charges.”

On one side, it’s frustrating, her inaction. But on the other, I can also empathize with her. It’s easy to judge her, but she’s also suffering.

When we finish eating in stilted silence, we head to the front of the restaurant, surrounded by a team of bodyguards. Kai, Grant, Tank, Brian, and a few I don’t know are all with us.

The roar of the crowd is less a human sound and more a hungry beast baying for blood. A bolt of fear shoots through me. There doesn’t appear to be enough bodyguards to keep the mass of what must be fifty people at bay.

Sandwiched between Kai and me, Stella’s face is washed in white panic.

“Can we get through them?” I yell to Kai, my voice barely audible over the din.

“Hold tight,” Kai says, gripping Stella’s arm in a steel vise before pushing, a slow methodical process, against the surging tide of bodies. Cameras are shoved into Stella’s face, microphones grazing her lips.

“Back off!” I roar, pushing against these assholes, needing them out of the way. I use my body as a human shield, snapping arms away from Stella’s face. Her eyes meet mine, a flash of fear and gratitude mixed in .

“Thank you,” she mouths, voice lost in the noise.

When we finally reach the car, Kai flings open the door, creating a temporary shield with the other bodyguards. “Hurry up,” he shouts, straining to keep the door open.

Stella dives inside and I jump in after her, the door slamming shut behind me. Kai makes it into the passenger seat just as the car is swarmed, bodies banging into the tinted windows.

The car lurches forward, and I cling to the oh-shit bar. Hands press against the glass and faces distort into a grotesque caricature. Stella jumps every time someone bangs on the car, and I grip her hand in mine.

The car lurches again, finally breaking free, before speeding off.

“Are you okay?” I ask Stella.

She swallows twice before nodding, then shaking her head. “I’m scared.”

“That was too close,” Kai says. “We need to do something to stop this.”

“They’re escalating,” I say for what feels like a million times tonight.

“I know,” she whispers. “I know, all right? Let’s get Brianna and Aria to the penthouse right now and make a plan.”

“Are you sure you don’t want some note cards?” Brianna asks Stella as she fiddles with the tripod.

“I’m sure,” Stella says, smoothing down her black suit and taking a seat on her couch. “We need this to feel natural. To pull back my mask a little.”

I stand off to the side, next to Aria, providing moral support more than anything. After an hour of discussion, it became clear that Stella should release her own video statement, to control the narrative that’s gotten out of control.

Stella fluffs her hair before nodding at Brianna to start recording and smiles into the camera. “Hey, everyone. I’m sure you’ve all seen the conspiracy theories Jax started about me, and it’s time I address it all.” Stella takes a shaky breath. “I…I don’t even know where to even begin. Thanks to the rumors, there have been over one hundred break-in attempts in my homes over the past five days. I’m living in a constant state of fear because of it; I’m being hounded to the point where I can barely leave my house anymore. Nowhere is safe, and I can’t continue like this.”

Stella’s voice cracks, and a sob escapes her lips. She takes a moment to compose herself before continuing, “All I ever wanted to do was share my music and connect with my fans through my songs. Now, my life feels like a tabloid story—dissected, analyzed, twisted. I get that this is part of the job, trust me, I do. But it’s never been on this level. ”

Stella wipes at the tears falling down her cheeks. “So, you want the truth? Well, here it is. In the past six months, I’ve found out I’m adopted, have been dealing with burnout, and I married Jax in secret. I know you’re probably more interested in that last one, especially since Jax has been spouting so many rumors about me, so let me explain it a little more. My marriage to him lasted less than a week before I found him in bed with another woman and annulled it. The worst part is, I thought he was the one, my happily ever after. And honestly? I’m still not over the pain he caused me, and I still haven’t even begun to process the fact that I’m adopted.

“So, am I acting differently?” She shrugs. “Yeah, I guess I am. I don’t have someone impersonating me. Instead, heartbreak, stress, and major life events have changed me. I’ve been pushing myself for so long to achieve more and more success, but I didn’t realize how close to burnout I was until recently. And yeah, some of my performances might have been wobbly, but I still showed up. My fans are the most important people in my life, and I refuse to disappoint them.”

Stella pauses before trying to continue, but the words catch in her throat like smoke caught in a chimney. She clears her throat and chokes out, “So even if Jax doesn’t like who I am now, I do. I’m the same Stella Wilde as I’ve always been, just more tired and heartbroken than when you first met me.” Stella glances at me. “Because I haven’t processed the hurt from my relationship with Jax ending, it’s unfair to Hunter to continue our relationship. He’s been my rock since we started dating, but we’re better off as friends. He’ll always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m so lucky to have gotten to know him.”

Stella huffs out a breath. “So, I guess that’s me, messy and imperfect, heartbroken and stressed. All I’m asking…no, all I’m begging is for you to please stop with the conspiracies, please stop trying to find a nonexistent impersonator. Instead, I challenge you to question why Jax is stirring up all this drama. I have multiple theories on that, but I’d be more interested to hear yours.”

Stella nods briefly and Brianna stops recording.

“Was it okay?” Stella asks, wringing her hands.

“It was perfect,” Aria says. “I love that you made your own Jax-focused challenge for people to latch on to.”

Stella nods and stands, looking completely lost. I’ve been frustrated with Stella for a while now. For not sticking up for Elodie. For lying. But I can’t imagine what she must’ve been dealing with being in the public eye. Because what she mentioned in her video? That’s just the tip of the iceberg from the past months and it makes me wonder, what has she been dealing with for the past years?

I reach out for Stella, my touch hesitant, before pulling her into an embrace. She clings to me, and I pat her back.

“I’m so fucking proud of you,” I say. “What you did was so brave.”

“Thank you,” she whispers. “I hope it’ll help.”

“It will,” I say confidently.