on showed a woman in a deep emerald velvet gown, skin pale as porcelain, makeup flawless

steadily, hands pointing to t

still hadn

one screen, only to watch i

t him was yesterday-show

'd dropped a stone into wat

ng up?" her assistant pe

just another milestone in her career-it was also a h

iced smile. "All good. Jus

toward the restroom-needing space from that dressin

stroom was lavis

door, voices floated o

tian actually went to the airport today

for that 'accident,' she would've been Perry'

l has the nerve to play the loyal girlfriend for six years? Gimme a brea

orknob-just a twitch. Then she open

h

omen inside, touching up their makeup, turned sharply. Their

flicked on the faucet at the sink and held her hands u

r eyes met theirs

omeone else's love

hed, scrambling,

bbed her hands slowly. Then she turned around, calm

, not once, gotten between anyone's relatio

olin performance at this opera house not because of anyone else-but because I earned it.

iefly-it looked calm, almost indifferent, yet somehow made them feel t

f of what I'm capable of. I don't need your

tissue into the nearby trash can with precision, turned around, lifted h

sharper-voiced one finally mumbled under her breath, clearly not over it, "What's with her attitude? So what if she's good? She chased afte

he was already

them, it wouldn't have made the s

hts stretched her shado

hat calm front she'd put on crumbling in seconds,

lightly, and used the last of her emotional s

long time before i

bit by noisy background sounds, and there was th

breath and tried to keep her voice steady. "Hey

et voice cut in, smooth and flirtatious, lo

're so busy with all your work stuff-why come pick

as A

eaker, it twisted around Clarissa's throat

trying to say so

dn't even

Can't get away." Sebastian cut her

et another word in

beeep-

there, unmoving, her

breath, and slowly let it out. Then, with her back ramrod straight l

*

rt hall w

r on the stage. There stood Clarissa, holding the violin th

g, disappointment, stubborn hope, and now, this unbearable c

at others fierce and desperate. Her playing wasn't about impressing

ey sat there, completely gripped by the

hall, a few seconds of stillness reigned-then, a

ce members surged forward, surroundin

congrats! Tha

t moving version of Chac

title of the best among

, while Clarissa wore a polite smil

ough: "Wait... did Sebastian really go to the airport to pick up A

seemed

ned to her i

ow she had chased after

rd silence. People started to drift away, until she was left

and tapped on the news notificat

ckground of passersby. In sharp focus were Sebastian holdin

oy. One hand was lightly covering her l

going on" he ment

st. Her whole body ached, and she stumble

ly. "Natalie Harris"

could say a word, Natalie's vo

fetch that two-faced witch Aria from the airport! What the hell is wrong with him?! You'v

on the other end, the wall she'd be

y sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. Her

ugh around the edges. "Natalie... don't. I promised Mom

almost brittle. "Tha

other end-only the sound

terile and cold. "I'll give him one more chance.