Superstar (The Elites Book 2)

Finale

The bright summer sun shined on Chloe as she headed to the lobby of her father's hotel. While everyone else had chosen to return home for the break, she had been staying at the flat in London and had only arrived in Paris the night before just a few days before the concert Luka had planned to help raise money to save Marinette's bakery.

Her boyfriend waited for her at the cafe downstairs. He'd secured them a table and had already ordered Chloe her favorite drink.

"Hi," she said shyly as she slid into the chair across from him. "It's so good to see your face."

They video chatted almost every day, but it wasn't the same as being together.

"I've missed seeing you, too. How long are you staying?" he asked.

"Only until the end of the week." Chloe was determined to make it on her own. As much as she loved her dad, Paris still held too many unpleasant memories.

Luka looked disappointed, but he didn't question her decision.

"How's the new album going?" Chloe took a sip of her iced coffee.

"It's good. I think it'll be ready by the fall."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Any songs you plan to perform at the concert tomorrow?"

Luka shrugged. "Maybe one or two." He brushed back some freshly dyed blue hair. "Have you seen Marinette yet?"

"No. I didn't want her to be suspicious. She knows how adamantly I wanted to stay in London for the summer."

"I feel sorry for her," Luka said. He glanced out the window behind her. "We're going to spring a lot of surprises on her tomorrow."

"She'll be fine. And she better appreciate all the hard work we've put into it!"

"Alya set up everything on her end. My sister, Rose, Lila, and Nino are going to help set up the concert tonight."

"How did you plan it without Marinette finding out? I'd think word would be all over the city."

"It's kind of an exclusive event. My dad spread the word to his friends, but the general public doesn't know."

"Good. I've set the catering order."

"Have you heard from Adrien?" Luka asked.

"No." Chloe frowned. "He said he would help but I haven't heard anything the last few days."

"Same with Kagami."

Chloe couldn't help but be irritated with Adrien. She knew he was busy prepping for university, but they really needed him.

"By the way, have you decided what you're going to do in the fall?"

She nodded slowly. "I accepted my spot at NYU's theater program."

His eyes widened. "Really? I thought you hated New York?"

Chloe had. But she was ready for a fresh start. Zoe, her younger sister, had even indicated she was excited Chloe would be moving closer.

She was hopeful this might be the year everything changed.

***

Chloe still hadn't heard from Adrien the next morning. She had hoped he would help her pick up the catering order since Luka would be busy doing a sound check with Jagged.

But she hadn't heard from him, so Nino and Lila had offered to help while Alya oversaw the concert set up.

Row after row of macaron boxes adorned every space in the bakery. Marinette's face brightened when she saw them enter. Chloe immediately gave her hug.