MARCO'S POV

Business had been dragging. Ever since Melissa and Xavier left, the energy at the studio had dulled. People still came and went, we still had shoots, but the buzz wasn’t the same. For weeks now, work felt like going through the motions—editing a few things here and there, reviewing schedules, managing assistants.

Nothing thrilling, just routine. That was why, when one of the studio assistants walked in with his face pale and his voice tight, I immediately felt something ...