July 2024. The world had been left in shock.
After the whirlwind success of Can't Stop Me and the overwhelming global reception of her third studio album, Celeste had seemingly vanished. The once unstoppable force, the queen of pop, was now a ghost. Her 4-month world tour, which had been a testament to her dominance in the music industry, ended abruptly with no explanation. The dates were completed, but Celeste herself disappeared from the public eye, leaving fans, the media, and even her closest friends scrambling for answers.
Rumors swirled—some speculated she was suffering from burnout, others whispered of a deep, personal crisis. But no one truly knew where she was, and that was exactly how she wanted it.
Her social media accounts were silenced. No posts. No updates. Her once constant feed of glamorous shots, music teasers, and personal glimpses into her life ceased to exist. The world was left wondering if Celeste had burned out, if the fame had consumed her, or if she was simply… gone.
In truth, Celeste was never too far from the life she had created. But now, she was living in the shadows, far away from the constant glare of the spotlight.
She had sold her mansion—one of the many luxurious properties she had accumulated in her rise to fame—and bought a small, secluded estate in the remote countryside of Scotland. In August of 2024, she met Liam, a quiet, humble farmer who lived just outside the city of Aberdeen. Liam was everything Celeste had never experienced. His world was simple, untainted by the glitz and glamour she had once been consumed by.
They were opposites in every sense of the word. While Celeste had built a life based on power, fame, and dominance, Liam had built a life of hard work, peace, and family. But there was something about him—something grounding—that made Celeste want to escape her old life.
For months, she lived in secret with him. In a small cottage by the sea, surrounded by rolling hills and endless skies, she found a sense of freedom that she had never known. The weight of her past—the cult, the betrayals, the manipulation—seemed distant in this peaceful haven. She slowly began to regain her sense of self, away from the chaos that had defined her for so long.
But even in her quiet escape, the world was not far behind. The paparazzi—though less frequent in the rural Scottish countryside—still managed to track her down. They were relentless, with each passing day bringing new speculation about her whereabouts.
So, Celeste did what she knew best: she used her money and resources to protect herself. A carefully placed bribe to a local contact ensured that no images of her would be sold to the press. The deal was simple—her whereabouts would remain secret, and anyone who tried to expose her would face the consequences. Money had bought her peace—at least for now.
But the questions never stopped. Despite the security, despite the silence, the world continued to speculate. Was she really gone? Had she truly given up the fame?
Her sister Rollie—now a rising star in her own right—had become a beacon of attention, garnering millions of followers and critical acclaim for her own music. She had no idea where Celeste was, only that her sister had gone into hiding. And as her fame grew, Rollie unknowingly became the link between Celeste and the world. Fans began to search for any clues, hoping that Rollie's rise would be the key to finding her sister.
Meanwhile, her mother, who had built a life of her own after moving out, kept in contact with Celeste regularly. She was one of the few people who knew the full extent of her daughter's past, and she had come to accept the secrets Celeste kept. Their bond had deepened in the quiet moments they shared on the phone, as Celeste worked to heal, to rebuild her life outside of the bubble she had been trapped in for so long.
But there was still a lingering fear that wouldn't go away.
Riot.
Though Celeste had broken free from him, she knew better than to believe that he would just let her walk away. Their bond was powerful, dangerous, and not easily severed. She couldn't be sure, but she suspected that Riot—like the cult before him—would never truly let her go.
As the months passed, Celeste began to notice subtle signs that someone was still watching. A shadow here, a glimpse of a figure there. She couldn't be sure, but her instincts told her that she wasn't alone.
It wasn't just Riot she feared. It was the life she had built. The power, the fame, the control.
Would it come for her again? Would it pull her back into the darkness?
As the world continued to move on without her, as her music remained a constant presence in the charts, Celeste knew that she could never truly escape. Not completely.
The world had moved on, yes, but she had become a legend in her own right. One whose secrets were buried deep beneath layers of fame, success, and manipulation. And no matter how far she tried to run, the past would always find its way back to her.
What would happen if the world knew where she truly was? Would they still love her? Or would they hate her for the things she had done to get here?
For now, though, Celeste had Liam. And that was enough. For a time.
But as January 2025 approached, she knew that the choices she had made—and the ones she would still have to make—would determine everything.
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