hapter37 Thediscomfortwasdefinitelyreal.Theacouldnthelpbutthinkbacktoyesterdaywhenlanhadoriginallyagreedtomeet butsuddenlysaidshehadsomethingtotakecareofandleft. up Andlookingatthecommentssection,itbecameclearthatIanandEmmaliehadaprettygoodrelationshipforawhilenow. SoitwasverylikelythatlanfavoredEmmaliebecomingNicolayswife.Thats probablywhyshedidntlikeTheaandleftcarly. TheaexitedthepostandthoughtaboutsendingtheserumorstoNicolasonWhatsApp. ButasherfingerhoveredoverNicolas avatar,Theastoppedherselfandthought,Theresreallynoneedtobotherhimwithsomethinglikethis Meanwhile,Emmalieseizedtheopportunityfrom therecentbuzzandannouncedshed betakingonstudentsatAureliaUniversity.Notonlythat,butshedalsobedoingasoloperformancethere. Innotime,thehypearoundAureliaUniversityandEmmaliesurged. SeeingthetimingofEmmaliespost.Theastartedmakingsomeplansofherown. Theuniversitypresidentwasgoingtobeattendingthiseventtoo.MaybeTheacould stillgetanotherchance.Shehadtotryeveniftheoddswerentinherfavor. Afterall,withherlittlesister,Emmaliebaskinginthespotlight,Thea,astheolderone,atleasthadtodeliveragrandgesture. Nicolasrubbedhistemplesinthemovingcartoease thethrobbingheadache.Hismindwascloudedwithbrokenmemoriesfromthepreviousnight.Hecouldnthelpbutask,WheresThea?Stillrestingatthehotel? Darwinansweredtruthfully,Ms.RowlandjustcheckedoutandsaidshesheadedtothewelcomepartyforEmmalieatAureliaUniversity.ProbablybecauseoftheuniversityspartnershipwiththeVirtuexGroup GlancingatNicolasthroughtherearviewmirror,Darwincouldntholdbackthequestion.Mr.Hendrix,areyougoing?Nicolaslookedupandreplied,hisgazeindifferent.Sheca nhandleitwell.Idontneedtobethere. Darwin hesitatedforasecondbeforefinallyspeaking.Mr.Hendrix,yourarelyfollowonlinegossip,soyoumightnotknowthe rumorthatyou andEmmalicareengaged. AfewbusinesspartnerswhoveworkedwiththeHendrixGroupforawhilehavesubtlyaskedifitstrue.Mr.Hendrix,doyou needtoclarifythismatter? AnengagementwithEmmalie?Nicolaschuckled,ahintofmockeryinhiseyes. Darwinwantedtotellhimtherumorssoundedveryconvincingonline,butseeingNicolasexpressiondarken,hedecidedto stayquiet. Nicolastappedhiskneewithhisfingers,onebeatatatime.Ignoretheserumors.Intime,thetruth willcomeout. Darwinwantedtoarguethatwhilethatmightbetrue.ButThea,asNicolasactualfiancee ,wasprobablyfeelinguncomfortableaboutit. ButbeforeDarwincouldrespond,Nicolasshiftedgears.FineArrangeforthatuniversitytoholdaseatformetonight.Yes,sir,Darwinreplied 11:40Fri,Oct25 Chapter37 68% 11 Whatwassupposedtobeawelcomepartyhadsomehowturnedintoafanmeeting.FansfloodedintoAureliaUniversity,anddespitethelimitedspace,manywerecontentjuststandingfromafartocatchaglimpseofEmmalie. Soon,Theaenteredthecampus.Thestaff,afterhearinghername,gaveherasomewhatcomplexlookbeforeleadinghertothedressingroomneartheperformancehall TheaEmmaliecalledout.Shewas surroundedbytopmakeupartists andstylistsandmaintainedherusualauraofbeingthecenterofattention EmmaliesteamhadbeenspeciallypreparedbyMaxtoensureshewasflawlessateveryperformance. Emmalieliftedherintricategown andwalkedover.Shehadpurposelychosentowearhighheelstoday,over fourinches.justtotoweroverTheaslightly Nowthattheywerealone.Emmaliedidntbotherwiththepretense.ShesmiledatTheamaliciously.Itmustvebeenroughforyouthesepastfewdays,huh?RealizingthatnoschoolwantstoworkwiththeVirtuexGroup? Thealookedathercalmly,hervoicesteady .So,itreallywasyou Emmaliecoveredhermouthandgiggled.ImabouttomarryNicolas.MarryintotheHendrixfamily,meaningthatsoon.everythingthatbelongstothemwillbemine So,ifIneedtoremovesomeinsignificantemployeefromoneofmyfuturecompaniesalittleearly,thatsnottoomuchtoask,right?Butyouknow … EmmaliepretendedtoadjustTheascollar, herwords drippingwithcold malice.IfIwereyou,IwouldntevenhavethefacetostaywiththeHendrixfamily Icantbelieveyouresoshameless.Nowondertheycantgetridofyou.ItsnofunifIdontuse a littletricktomakethingsuncomfortableforyou. Theadidntrespond,hergazedriftingtothesheetmusicEmmaliewouldbeperforming.Thenshesaid,hervoicecalm.Soitsthatpiece,huh. Hearingthat,Emmalieletoutalaugh.Shewavedthe musicsheetinTheasface,andthensaidindifferently,Yeah,itstheonethatyourmasterwrotejustforyoubackthen. ButwhatcanIsay?Thefamilyalwaysadoredme.Soeveniftheyknew thispiecewaswrittenforyou,whatdoesitmatter?AslongasIask ,theyllhanditovertome. Itschildish,really,butalotofpeopleseemtoloveit.Ofcourse,theydratherhearmeplayit.Not you . Isthatso ?Thearaisedaneyebrow,hervoicesoft.Butdidntthemaster sayyou couldbehisstudent,butundernocircumstanceswereyou allowedtoperformthispieceinpublic?Doyouforget ? Forasplitsecond,Emmaliesperfectlypoisedfacetwistedwithrage.She wasrememberingthedayswhenshecouldntmatchuptoThea Backthen,Theahadbeenatrueprodigy,whileEinmalichadmerelybeenaproductofwealthandresourcespiledonher.Whentheinternationalmaestrowaschoosing astudent,heinsistedontaking onlyTheaflatly.Enumaliehadcriedforthreedays straightand e venwentonahungerstriketoforcehishand . Intheend,therewasnochoice.TheRowlandfamilyhadpressuredTheatokneelandevenwentsofarastothreatentoharmherhandtocoerce themaestrointoacceptingEmmalie. Fromthatmomenton,Theaknewthatherjourneywiththepianowasover. 2/A 11:40Fri,Oct25 Chapter37 米68% 68%1 Foolishly.TheahadoncebelievedthatgivingEmmaliethisonceinalifetimeopportunitywouldatleastearnhersomepraiseforbeingconsiderate. Sure,theypraisedher.ButwhenEmmaliefellillfromherhungerstrike,Ivysgazeturnedcoldandresentfulonceagain. Icantbelieveyouresoselfish,Thea.Ivysaid.Youcouldhavestudiedanythingelse.Whydidyouhavetofightwithyoursisteroverthepiano?Ifyoudgiveninearlier,shewouldnthavesufferedlikethis. ThemaestrohadbeendeeplydisappointedinThea,buthehadstilllaiddownarule:thepiecehecomposedforhercouldneverbeperformedbyEmmalie. ThatdidntstoptheRowlandfamily,though.TheyeventuallyfoundsomeonetoreworkthecompositionsoEmmaliecouldplayit.Anditwasthatperformancethatskyrocketedhertofame. Emmaliescoffed.What,tryingtogetundermyskinwiththat?Evenifshelikedyoumorebackthen,lookatyounow.Haventyouturnedintoexactlythekindofpersonshewoulddespise?Aplain,ordinarywomanwithnothingspecial TheasfaceremainedexpressionlessasshepointedatthemusicEvenso,youstilllost.Youlostfromtheverybeginning.Emmaliegrittedherteeth,herfacelivid.Thensheliftedherchin,glaringdownatThea.Wellseewhoreallylostaftertonight