SuperStar!

Jessica, seated in coach on a flight to Texas, was engrossed in her phone. Her assistant had booked the last available flight at the last minute, leaving her stuck in economy.

Not that she cared. She wasn't even fazed by the kid behind her who found it amusing to keep kicking her seat or the elderly man who kept dozing off onto her shoulder. No, Jessica was too focused on the situation unfolding online.

She had called Tree Taylor's PR manager just before takeoff, getting a full update. But now, with no Wi-Fi on board, she was flying blind—literally and figuratively.

All she could do was hope. Hope that everything had been sorted out. Hope that no disaster awaited her when she landed.

Closing her eyes, she sighed as the old man's head slumped onto her shoulder once again.

Arriving in Dallas, Texas, at Fort Worth International Airport, Jessica walked with measured steps, relieved to finally be off that flight. The moment she reached the terminal, she quickly switched her phone off airplane mode.

Just as she did, a voice rang out.

"Jessica! Jessica! Jessica!"

She turned her head and spotted Bill Miller—Ethan Jones' agent—rushing toward her, waving his hands frantically and drawing more attention than necessary. Jessica simply placed a hand over her forehead, exhaling. Weeks had passed since they last saw each other, yet Bill hadn't changed one bit.

Reaching her, Bill bent over, catching his breath.

"Hey, Jessica," he panted.

Jessica raised a brow. "Bill, that was fast. How are you?"

Still breathing heavily, Bill straightened. "Yeah, I was in L.A. when you called. I tried calling you back right away, but your line was busy the entire time."

Jessica's eyes widened. "Wait—you were in Atlanta. When did you get to L.A.?"

Bill grinned. "I got there last night. Someone really important sent me a message, so I had to leave the Atlanta deal unfinished. And guess what?" He leaned in, his excitement barely contained. "I flew in on a freaking private jet."

Despite his success, Bill had never flown on a private jet before—let alone the kind he had just experienced. He still couldn't believe it.

Jessica felt her lips twitch in mild frustration. She had endured a cramped coach flight, while Bill had been cruising in luxury.

"How?" she asked, crossing her arms. "And why would you just abandon the Atlanta deal? You said it was super important. Also, who the hell put you on their private jet?"

Before Bill could answer, a sleek car pulled up in front of them. The tinted window rolled down, and a voice called out.

"Hey, Bill, aren't you in a hurry? Let's go already—I need to talk to Ethan."

Jessica turned her head, her words forgotten. When she saw who was in the car, her jaw dropped.

"Bill… Bill—" she stammered.

Bill grinned. "Yes?"

Jessica pointed at the car, still in shock. "That's—"

Bill's smile widened. "Yes, it's him." His excitement was almost infectious as he tugged at her hand. "Well, let's go."

As they started walking toward the car, Bill hesitated for a second. His tone turned uncertain.

"Wait… where are they now?

Using the address from Tree Taylor's publicist, Jessica and Bill arrived at the hotel. After parking, they made their way inside.

Bill sat beside Jessica, grinning at the man sitting across from them. The man had his headphones on, nodding along to the music, completely in his own world.

Bill leaned forward. "We're here."

The man didn't react.

Bill tried again, a little louder. "I said we've arrived at the hotel."

This time, the man noticed them and pulled off his headphones. "Oh, sorry. What was that?"

Bill repeated himself.

"Oh, yeah, yeah. Cool," the man said, waving them off. "I've got this hook in my head right now—some ideas flowing. You guys can go ahead. I'll find you when I'm done."

Jessica and Bill exchanged a look before nodding and stepping outside.

The moment they were out of earshot, Jessica turned to Bill and smacked him lightly in the stomach.

"Are you serious? What are you even doing with him?"

Bill clutched his belly, laughing. "Well, the Atlanta deal hit a stalemate. Neither side was budging. Then he called me and said it was urgent, so I figured, hell, why not?"

Jessica narrowed her eyes. "And? What does he want?"

Bill opened his mouth, his lips stretching into a wide grin.

"He wants…"

Reaching the reception, Jessica and Bill approached the front desk, asking for the suite. The receptionist handed them a key card, and they made their way up.

As they arrived, the door opened to reveal Rebecca, Ethan's PR manager.

"Jessica! It's great to see you," Rebecca greeted warmly.

Jessica wasted no time, slipping into business mode. "What's the damage? Do we have a plan to fix it? What can we do?"

Bill cleared his throat. "I'm here too, you know."

Rebecca barely glanced at him. "Hey, Bill." Then, she turned right back to Jessica.

Before they could continue, another woman entered the suite.

"Jessica, this is Taylor—" Rebecca began.

Jessica finished for her. "Tree Paine, I know. I'm Jessica. I was the one who called you. Sorry for all the mess."

Tree sighed. "No, it's me who should be sorry. I had no idea Taylor took the car. I apologize for all the chaos."

Bill stepped in, extending a hand. "I'm Ethan's agent."

Tree simply smiled and shook his hand before Jessica refocused the conversation.

"This isn't about blame—it's about the way forward. So, what's the plan? And where is Ethan?"

Rebecca hesitated, looking awkward. "About that…"

Tree finished for her. "Ethan and Taylor are in the room. Taylor always carries a small portable recording setup, and, well… they're working on a new duet."

Jessica blinked. "A… recording setup?"

Bill looked just as baffled. "Wait—what?"

Rebecca let out a small laugh. "Yeah, they decided to write a song together."

Jessica and Bill both shouted at the same time, "What?!"

Before they could even begin to process that, both Rebecca's and Jessica's phones buzzed with a unique notification tone—the kind reserved for major news about Ethan.

Their heads snapped down to their screens.

Bill, noticing their expressions shift, leaned in. "What is it?"

Tilting his head, he caught sight of the headline, bold and unmistakable, from Vanity Fair:

ETHAN JONES' TOUR CANCELED?