Chapter 4: The Beginning

"Thank you, we have a deal," the head manager confirmed, shaking Zara’s hand. “Don’t make us regret this decision.”

“Likewise,” Zara replied, barely able to contain her smile. “My artist is excellent. You will be surprised.”

The meeting ended, and Zara walked out, completely elated. This was the win. His dream, yes, but also hers. Her first project, done without invoking her father's toxic influence. She saw Mustafa staring at a piece of art on the wall: “Keep Dreaming, One day it might become your Reality.”

She ran toward him, catching him off guard as he turned. She barreled into him, pulling him into a tight, unexpected hug.

“We did it, Mustafa! You are performing live at the AMVCA Awards Night under Gideon’s Entertainment!”

The fear, joy, and gratitude in his expression melted into a huge shout of “Yesss!” He lifted her off the floor, spinning her around before setting her down with a mumbled apology, only to hug her again, softer this time, a mutual embrace of pure relief.

Two days before the AMVCA night, Mustafa was riding a high. He was paid 200 million Naira upfront. He secured his mother a donor and flew her to one of the best hospitals in China for her kidney transplant and recovery. She deserved every single luxury.

"You're drifting off again, Mustafa," Zara’s voice pulled him back to the video call. "Mama will be fine. And you will be exceptional tonight. This is your one way ticket to lasting success.”

“Too bad you had to leave town,” he said, smiling at her through the screen.

“I promise to tell you everything when I get back,” she reassured him. Their relationship had become closer, charged with an unspoken understanding and a spark neither is willing to acknowledge.

“And Mustafa,” she added, her voice dropping, “avoid my father if you see him. He won't be able to touch you there. He knows I’m aware of his escapades with upcoming artists. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Mustafa was shocked but ultimately unburdened. He understood now: the anonymous donation for his mother’s initial treatment wasn’t God, but Zara, quietly fixing the immediate damage her family name had caused. She’d saved his dream twice.

At the AMVCA Awards, he performed three times. Each performance was a triumph. He felt connected, free, and famous. By the end of the night, the audience was chanting his name. He saw the Head Manager of Star Life rush over, smiling and offering his card, the same company that had rejected him.

His social media followers skyrocketed in minutes. It was real. This was his reality.

He pulled out his phone, intending to send Zara a selfie, but when he looked up, she was there. She was radiant, beautiful in black, standing at the edge of the crowd, smiling as if his dream was hers.

He navigated the cheering masses to reach her.

“Thank you, Zara. You are my life’s Anchor,” he mouthed, pulling her into an embrace.

She hugged him tighter, feeling the applause wash over them both. “Thank you, Mustafa. For trusting me. For being my dream, for not giving up on yours. From today, nothing is stopping us. This is just the beginning for us.”

“Cheers to that!” the show’s anchor shouted as the crowds erupted in applause and laughter, celebrating the new star and the unlikely partnership that made it possible.

The End.