The cameras were relentless, their flashes turning the night into a strobe-lit spectacle. Ava adjusted her grip on Leo’s hand, squeezing it gently as they walked the red carpet. His first major premiere. Her hundredth.

Leo’s grip was clammy, his smile tight. He looked stunning in his designer suit, but Ava could feel the tension radiating off him. She leaned closer, whispering, “You’ve got this. Just breathe.”

The reporters shouted questions. “Ava! Over here! Are you two official?” “Leo, what’s it like dating one of the most famous women in the world?” “Ava, are you helping Leo’s career?”

Ava smiled serenely, ignoring the chaos, but Leo’s jaw clenched. He hated this part—the speculation, the invasive questions. He was an actor, not a tabloid headline.

Inside the theater, away from the cameras, Leo finally exhaled. “I don’t know how you do it,” he muttered, collapsing into a plush seat.

“Do what?” Ava asked, passing him a bottle of water.

“All of it. The attention, the noise, the… pressure.” He waved a hand toward the glowing screen where his name was about to roll across for the first time as a lead.

“It’s not easy,” she admitted. “But you get used to it. The trick is knowing who you’re doing it for. Them”—she gestured vaguely toward the crowd outside—“or yourself.”

Leo stared at her, his expression softening. “It’s definitely not for them.”

She grinned, resting her head on his shoulder. “Good answer.”

As the lights dimmed and the movie started, Ava reached for his hand again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Throughout the film, she laughed at his jokes, clapped at his big moment, and teared up during the emotional climax.

When the credits rolled and the audience erupted into applause, Leo turned to her. “You think they’ll like it?”

She didn’t hesitate. “They’ll love it. But even if they don’t, I’m so proud of you.”

Leo nodded, his tension easing for the first time that night. “Thanks for being here.”

“Always,” Ava said, smiling.

As they stepped back into the chaos of the cameras and questions, Leo felt steadier. The noise didn’t seem so loud, the flashes less blinding. He wasn’t doing it for them. He was doing it for himself—and for the woman who believed in him, no matter what.