Unfading Shadows [2]

64

As the final chords echoed through the venue, Vince smoothly unhooked the guitar strap from around his neck. The fabric of his fitted black t-shirt lifted slightly, revealing glimpses of his sculpted eight-pack and V-shaped torso to the excited crowd.

The sight of his chiseled physique elicited gasps of admiration and excited whispers and whines from the audience, their eyes fixed on him with unwavering attention.

Vince's dark, tousled hair glistened slightly under the stage lights, a few stubborn strands falling across his forehead.

As Vince reached for his jacket and slung it over his shoulder, his necklace swayed gently with the movement.

Unfazed by the attention, Vince ran a hand through his tousled locks, the movement accentuating his rugged good looks.

The girl who had invited him to perform - Samantha - approached him with a bottle of water, her eyes lingering appreciatively on his toned physique. 

Vince accepted the water with a nod of thanks, his gaze meeting hers with a playful wink that sent shivers down her spine.

He downed the entire bottle in one go, the crowd and Samantha watching, their mouths going dry at the sight his adam apple bobbing visibly as he swallowed.

Noah and Kaiden were in the kitchen, washing dishes. It was the only reason Vince allowed them to work – away from the crowd where he didn't trust anyone.

As Vince made his way to the kitchen, Samantha followed behind. They were trying to escape the crowd, which had forgotten about the main singer and his group and was now pursuing him for photos and autographs, both of which he declined.

He wasn't acting arrogantly; he simply found the superficiality of people frustrating. What was the purpose of chasing after his autograph? 

It was utterly dumb.

People were dumb, and Vince hated having to put up with them.

As they entered the kitchen and the door closed behind them, the clamor of the crowd faded into the background. Vince breezed past the bustling kitchen staff, snagging an apple on the way and ignoring the scowl from the fruit tray attendant.

With an air of ownership, Vince strolled to the back of the kitchen, Samantha still in tow. 

"Hello, my loyal servants, how's the cleaning going?" he inquired smugly, taking a crisp bite of his apple and leaning casually against a stool.

Noah turned, his hands soaked with foam, and shot Vince a glare. "Could use a hand here, you know," he grumbled.

Vince's smirk widened. "Wasn't that what you were begging for? Weren't you practically on your knees, pouring your heart out about your undying love for dish duty?" he teased.

Noah muttered something under his breath and handed Kaiden a clean dish to dry.

Vince glanced at his phone, noting the time: almost midnight, precisely 11:50 PM. "Better hurry, servants. Only five minutes left before your shift ends," he declared with a smirk before his attention drifted to his messages, where he spotted Miray's name among the notifications.

With a familiar warmth spreading through him, he tapped on their chat. Her name rested at the top, as always. He'd made sure to pin it and his Alongside her were his group chats with his brothers and friends to prevent them from getting lost in the sea of messages that flooded his phone daily.