•Characters•

Some connections don't burn. They ache. Quietly. Constantly.

Onika Maraj has never had to fight for attention. Born into generational wealth, her life is all curated elegance and effortless charm. But at 21, the glimmer is starting to dull. She's bored with privilege, numb to men who talk too much, and tired of being told who she's supposed to be.

Until brunch at Nobu.
Until a woman she's only heard of walks in-quiet, composed, untouchable. Beyoncé Knowles.

At 37, Beyoncé is all legacy and silence. A name, a presence, a mother, and a woman who doesn't look twice. But for the first time in a long time, someone looks at her like they see the parts of her she's buried.

They don't speak.
Not yet.
But something settles under the skin.
And when fate brings them face to face again-at a gala neither of them wants to attend-the ache deepens.

This isn't a story of falling fast.
It's about holding back.
And wanting anyway.

This is the beginning of the yearn.