Holly moved like a ghost through the thrumming crowd. A pop star cried into a potted fern. A director shouted at a producer. Holly didn't intervene. That was security's job. Her domain was the trace .

She knelt beside a velvet couch where two A-list leads had been "deep in rehearsal" moments ago. Her gloved fingers found a forgotten prop—a USB drive shaped like a stiletto. She didn't plug it in. She didn't need to. She recognized the engraving: TMZ Exclusive . A plant. She slipped it into her lead-lined pouch. Crisis averted.

The Curtain Call Cleanup

As dawn bled over the city, Holly Garner filed her final report: Three digital threats neutralized. One physical leak contained. One existential crisis deferred. All media assets secured.

Holly nodded. She pulled out a microfiber cloth and a specialized solvent. She wiped the mirror until it gleamed, but while doing so, she also placed a small, mirrored disk on the table—a white noise generator that scrambled all audio recording within a six-foot radius.

She worked for Apex Artists , a titan of entertainment and media. Officially, her title was "Hospitality Specialist." Unofficially, she was the industry’s last line of defense before a scandal went supernova.

"I see a clean slate," Holly said softly, gesturing to the mirror. "Ready for the next scene."