Episode 15
Part 71: The Spark
Within a relatively short space of time Reverie was finally taking shape. The first tranche of funding had come through from Cyrus, and the momentum was undeniable. Jadon had expected support, but Cyrus’s enthusiasm exceeded anything he had anticipated. He wasn’t just an investor, he was involved. Dinners, premieres, gallery openings, after-parties, Cyrus made sure Jadon and his artists had access to every pulse in New York’s creative scene.
Tonight was no different. They had just left a high-profile networking event and were now at an intimate after-party in SoHo, where the drinks flowed as freely as the conversations. The energy was electric, and Jadon could see it in his protégés; the excitement, the hunger. This was what Reverie was meant to be.
Midway through the night, Cyrus led the group to a sleek, dimly lit lounge where a cluster of industry insiders had gathered. Jadon recognized a few faces; directors, producers, talent scouts. Then, his eyes landed on one in particular.
Lena Whitmore.
His former colleague from Skyline.
The moment their eyes met, an awkward pause settled between them. It was brief but noticeable, like a silent acknowledgment of unfinished business. Jadon forced a polite nod. Lena hesitated before offering a cool smile.
Nikki, ever perceptive and already a couple of drinks in, clocked the exchange. She leaned over to the others, whispering just loud enough for them to hear.
“Okay, so either they used to date, or he stole her lunch from the office fridge. Either way, drama.”
Roach smirked. “I’m betting on the lunch theory.”
Lyric chuckled. “Nah, that was definitely tension. The spicy kind.”
Jadon shook it off and re-engaged with the conversation, but Nikki, emboldened by the alcohol and the atmosphere, was just getting started.
At one point, the group started discussing a recent independent film that had been making waves. The conversation drifted to the performances, and Nikki, suddenly inspired, stood up, her smile fading as something sharper took hold. Her voice dropped, steady and raw.
“You think I’m afraid because I stayed?” she said out loud. “Because I didn’t run when the door was wide open?”
At first, people humored her, expecting a tipsy recitation. But as she continued, the entire room fell silent.
“No. I stayed because someone had to remember what this place was before you stripped it bare. Someone had to carry the weight of every promise made here, every lie told in the dark and called love in the morning. You get to leave and call it survival. I stay, and you call it weakness. But don’t mistake endurance for surrender. I know exactly who I am. And when this finally collapses under the truth you’ve been avoiding, don’t look for me in the wreckage. I won’t be buried by what I chose to face. And may God almighty help you on that fateful day.”
She let the last word hang, breath controlled, eyes burning, utterly still as the silence swallowed the room.
She wasn’t just mimicking the lines, she embodied them. Every inflection, every pause, every ounce of emotion was delivered with an intensity that outshone the original cast.
The room erupted in applause.
Cyrus clapped the loudest. “Now that,” he said, raising his glass, “was a goddamn performance.”
Nikki beamed, eating up the attention, but Jadon wasn’t just impressed, he was fixated.
And he wasn’t the only one.
Across the room, Lena was watching too, her expression unreadable.
Part 72: Missing Pieces
Jadon sat at his desk in his apartment, scrolling through email with little focus. The soft hum of the city outside did nothing to settle his restlessness. His phone buzzed, vibrating across the desk. The name on the screen… Cyrus.
Jadon picked up immediately. “Hey, Cyrus. What’s up?”
There was a pause on the other end before Cyrus asked, “Hey, Jadon. Quick question, have you heard from Nadia?”
Jadon frowned, leaning back in his chair. “Yeah, she texted me yesterday. Why?”
Another pause, this one heavier. “You seen her?”
Jadon’s frown deepened. “Seen her? No. I’m in New York. She’s in Barbados. Come on man, you know that.”
Cyrus cleared his throat, his voice cautious. “Jadon, she’s not in Barbados. Nadia’s here… in New York. She’s been here for the last few days.”
Jadon sat upright, his heart thudding. “What? That doesn’t make any sense. She messaged me yesterday. She would’ve told me she’s here.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Cyrus explained, his tone apologetic. “She got her visa and flew up a few days ago. I thought she was with you.”
Jadon’s pulse quickened. “I haven’t seen her, Cyrus! Are you sure about this?”
“Positive. She mentioned wanting to surprise you, but now I’m getting a lil worried… and you haven’t checked in with her today?”
Jadon’s grip tightened on the phone. “No, I told you I texted her yesterday. Everything was fine! She said she was busy. I figured we’d catch up today. Why wouldn’t she tell me she’s here?”
“I don’t know, man,” Cyrus said. “It’s odd. That’s why I’m calling you.”
Silence hung between them, heavy and suffocating. Jadon’s mind raced with possibilities, none of them good.
“I’ll try to call her,” Jadon said, his voice tense. “If you hear anything, let me know immediately.”
“You too,” Cyrus replied. “Let’s figure this out.”
Jadon ended the call, staring at his phone as if it might provide answers. The gnawing sense of dread grew stronger.
Later that day, Jadon reached out to Roach, Crystal, Nikki, Marcus, and Lyric, asking them to meet at his apartment that evening. When they arrived, unease hung heavy in the air as Jadon paced the confines of the small living room. “Nadia’s in New York,” Jadon began, his voice tight. “Cyrus told me she’s been here for days. And I had no idea.”
Crystal leaned forward from her spot on the couch. “She didn’t call you?
Jadon shook his head, frustration etched into his face. “Not a word. Just a random text yesterday saying she was ‘busy.’ I assumed she was in Barbados.”
Nikki crossed her arms, her expression skeptical. “That’s weird, Jadon. Why wouldn’t she tell you she was coming up?”
Lyric raised a hand, his tone calm but measured. “Maybe she really wanted to surprise you. It could be something sweet that just... went wrong.”
Jadon stopped pacing, spinning to face him. “Sweet? Something’s off!”
“Hope ICE didn’t nab her!” Roach chimed in.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions,” Marcus interjected, trying to keep the conversation grounded. “You tried calling her?”
Jadon held up his phone in frustration. “Dozens of times. No answer. Straight to voicemail.”
Nikki’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t add up. She’s hiding something?”
Crystal shot her a glare. “Seriously? That’s all you can come up with? I hope nothing bad happened to her.”
“I’m just saying, it’s suspicious,” Nikki replied defensively.
“Stop,” Jadon said sharply, rubbing his temples. “I can’t think like that. I just need to find her.”
Lyric leaned forward, his voice steady. “We’re all here to help, Jadon. Whatever you need, we’ll figure this out.”
Crystal nodded in agreement. “Let’s start with what we know. And you should call the authorities.”
Jadon shook his head, his voice low and pained. “It’s just one thing after another… I don’t even know anymore.”
After everyone left, Jadon sat in the quiet of his apartment, staring at his phone. The earlier conversation with his friends played in his mind, intertwining with every interaction he’d had with Nadia in recent weeks.
He typed out a text, his fingers trembling slightly:
Nadia, what’s going on? Please call me. I’m worried about you. I know you’re here in New York.
He stared at the screen before hitting send. The message delivered instantly, but no response came.
Jadon leaned back, the weight of the silence pressing against him. Something wasn’t right, he could feel it in his bones. The woman he loved was there, in his city, and yet she felt further away than ever.
Part 73: Cracks in the Plan
Jadon stared at the envelope sitting on his kitchen counter. It was marked with the logo of the lender he’d been working with for Reverie Entertainment. He’d been putting off opening it for days, too consumed by worry over Nadia’s disappearance. But something about its presence gnawed at him now, insisting on his attention.
Sighing, he grabbed it and tore it open. His eyes scanned the letter quickly, the words sinking like stones in his chest. We regret to inform you that your application for funding has been denied due to discrepancies in your credit report.
“What the hell?” Jadon muttered, dropping into a chair.
He picked up his phone and dialed the customer service number listed on the letter. After several minutes of navigating through automated menus, a representative finally came on the line.
Representative: "Thank you for calling, Mr. Jarvis. How can I assist you today?"
Jadon: "I just received a letter denying my funding application, and I’m trying to understand why. My credit score is near perfect. There must be some mistake."
Representative: "Let me pull up your file. One moment, please."
Jadon waited, tapping his fingers impatiently against the table.
Representative: "Okay, I see the issue here. It appears there’s an anomaly on your credit report… some discrepancies in your recent activity."
Jadon: (frowning) "What kind of discrepancies? I’ve had no issues with my credit."
Representative: "Unfortunately, I can’t see the specific details. You’ll need to contact the credit reporting agencies directly to dispute or clarify the information."
Jadon: (voice tight) "This is ridiculous. There’s nothing wrong with my credit."
Representative: "I understand your frustration, Mr. Jarvis. Once you resolve the issue, you can reapply."
Jadon: (pinching the bridge of his nose) "Fine. Thanks."
He hung up without another word. Jadon slumped in his chair, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. Reverie was his dream, his fresh start, and now it felt like it was slipping through his fingers. But even with this new problem, his thoughts drifted back to Nadia.
He grabbed his phone again and scrolled through his contacts. Harper. If anyone could help him track down Nadia, it was him.
The line rang twice before Harper’s familiar voice answered. “Jadon? What’s going on?”
Jadon: "Hey, Harper. I need your help. It’s my girlfriend Nadia."
Harper: (concerned) "What’s wrong? Did something happen?"
Jadon: "She’s here. In New York. She’s been here for days, and I had no idea. She hasn’t called, she hasn’t texted back… nothing."
Harper: "Wait. Your girl from Barbados, in New York? And didn’t contact you?"
Jadon: (shaking his head, even though he couldn’t see it) "I don’t know. The guy Cyrus I told you about said it was supposed to be a surprise, but now no one’s heard from her."
Harper: (pausing) "That doesn’t sound right. Did you call the police?"
Jadon: "No. That’s why I’m calling you. I’ve tried everything… calling, texting. Nothing. I’m losing my mind over here."
Harper: "Okay, let’s take a step back. Do you know where she might have gone? Hotels, friends, relatives, anything?"
Jadon: "No idea. She didn’t tell me she was coming, and Cyrus didn’t mention any details."
Harper: (sighing) "Alright. Let me see what I can dig up. If she booked a flight or a hotel, there’s a trail. But Jadon…"
Jadon: "What?"
Harper: (gently) "You have to prepare yourself.”
Jadon: (snapping) "What are you saying?”
Harper: " I’m saying we don’t know what’s going on yet, and although jumping to conclusions won’t help, these situations often end badly."
Jadon exhaled sharply, forcing himself to calm down.
Jadon: "I need to know she’s okay."
Harper: "We’ll figure it out. I’ll call you as soon as I find anything."
Jadon: "Thanks, Harper. I owe you."
As the call ended, Jadon leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling. The weight of two crises; his missing girlfriend and his potentially collapsing business felt unbearable.
His phone buzzed again, but it was only a spam email. Nadia’s silence, the funding denial, the mysterious anomaly on his credit report… it all felt like too much. For now, he decided to push the financial issues to the back burner. Reverie could wait. Besides, he knew he had already secured money from Cyrus.
Right now, finding Nadia was the only thing that mattered.
