Chapter 1 " And this year's Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance goes to ... " Seated in the front row , Talin Swann smoothed her designer gown and prepared to rise . Those around her had already begun offering early congratulations . Last year's winner , Adeline , stood at the podium with the golden gramophone in hand , her smile bright under the stage lights . She scanned the audience with flair , building the suspense . " You know , when I look out at all these incredible artists tonight . Adeline's eyes swept across the room before landing directly on Talia . " Some of you have been nominated multiple times , showing such incredible persistence and growth . " The camera followed her gaze , zooming in on Talia's face . A knowing smile spread across the venue as murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd . " This year's nominees have all delivered exceptional work , but one artist in particular ... " Adeline paused again , her eyes still fixed on Talia , " has truly raised the bar for what pop music can be . " The audience e was practically vibrating with anticipation . Several people in Talia's row were already reaching over to pat her shoulder . -Ivana Petrov ! " The announcement hit like a physical blow . Talia's face drained of all color as she froze halfway to standing her body slightly trembling with shock . Amid the applause and stunned murmurs rippling through the audience , she sank back into her seat with rigid embarrassment , her fingernails digging crescents so deep into her palms she could feel the sting of broken skin slowly , she turned toward the back of the auditorium . There , barely visible in the shadows of the last row , sat a familiar broad - shouldered figure . Trevor Kense . Former NFL All - Pro linebacker turned media mogul . What had started as sports commentary deals after his retirement had exploded into an empire spanning entertainment , tech startups , and half the music industry . Also her fiancé of two years . But he wasn't here for her tonight . He was here for Ivana , now glowing on stage with her Grammy . Heated whispers swirled around her : " Are you kidding me ? Who even is Ivana Petrov ? " This is such bullshit . Talia's been nominated four times - this should've been hers . " " Something's not right about this ... " While everyone else was confused , Talia knew exactly what had happened . Trevor was one of the Recording Academy's biggest donors , and Ivana wasn't just anyone - she was his brother's widow . His precious first love . 23:06 You Wanted Her Happy WITH MY GLORY ? I Made You Childless WITH YOUR BLOODLINE 0.0 % Chapter 1 They'd dated in college until some stupid fight tore them apart . Years later , when they reconnected , she was already married to his older brother Caleh . Three months ago , Caleh died in a car accident , and Trevor had basically appointed himself Ivana's devoted savior . Just yesterday , she'd mentioned over dinner casually , " You know what would be crazy ? If I actually won a Grammy . Can you imagine ? " Today , Trevor had made her dream come true . Seven years . Seven years of grinding of rejection , of clawing her way to the top - and some newcomer who'd released exactly one indie EP had just stolen her dream . The dream she'd sacrificed everything for . The Irony y was suffocating . The humiliation was unbearable . After the ceremony , Talia stumbled backstage , still in shock . Her hands were shaking . Heavy footsteps approached . Trevor She looked up at him with eyes full of devastation , her voice barely a whisper . " Why ? " He shrugged like they were discussing the weather , without a trace of guilt . " You've got plenty of other awards . What's the big deal ? Ivana needed this . " " Caleb screwed her over when he was alive - cheated on her , treated her like crap . Now that he's dead , somebody's gotta make it right . That somebody's me . " His casual tone was like salt in an open wound . Talia's composure finally shattered completely . Tears spilled down her cheeks as her voice erupted with raw fury : " You fucking know damn well what this meant to me ! Seven years , Trevor ! Seven goddamn years of my life ! What I gave up , what I sacrificed - my family , my friends , my sanity - all for this moment ! " Her voice was shaking with rage and heartbreak . " You can't just hand away someone else's dreams like they're fucking party favors ! This was mine ! MINE ! " Her whole body was shaking now , seven years of dreams crumbling to dust . For the first time , Trevor looked uncomfortable . He reached out to brush away her tears, his voice softening slightly : " Hey , come on . It's just a stupid trophy , right ? I'll make sure you get it next year , I promise . " Talia jerked away from his touch like it burned , her eyes blazing through the tears . " Go to hell . " She'd built her entire career on her own talent , her own relentless work . Not on handouts from some guy who thought he could play God with other people's lives . Before Trevor could respond , Ivana came bouncing over , practically glowing with joy . " Trevor ! Oh my God , I can't believe this actually happened " She was clutching the Grammy like it might disappear , grinning ear to ear . " I mean , I literally just put out my first album and now I'm a Grammy winner ? This is insane ! " Trevor's whole face softened , his voice warm with affection . " You deserved it , babe , Talent like yours doesn't stay hidden for long . " Deserved it The words were a final twist of the knife . The woman who'd been in the industry for six months and whose album had sold maybe three thousand copies total had " deserved the award Talla had been chasing her entire adult life . 23:06 You Wanted Her Happy WITH MY GLORY ? I Made You Childless WITH YOUR BLOODLINE Chapter 1 Something inside Talia broke completely . The pain was so overwhelming she could barely breathe , barely think . She felt utterly destroyed , betrayed by the one person who was supposed to support her dreams . She couldn't bear another second of this nightmare . She turned and walked away , leaving pieces of her shattered heart scattered behind her .