[
BONUS
Chapter
for reaching 800PS! Thank you all! 🤍]
=== 🤍 ===
Eve's fingers hovered above the keys, her heart steady, unlike the storm brewing inside her.
She wasn't good at the piano because she lacked passion—she never found the joy others did in coaxing melodies from the instrument.
But what she did have was precision. Cold, calculated precision.
As she pressed the first key, there was no gentle introduction, no sweet prelude like Sophie's earlier performance.
Eve's playing was a force, a relentless and powerful cascade of sound that filled the room like a tidal wave. Every note struck with sharp, unyielding intent, echoing off the walls with a weight that seemed to hang in the air.
She wasn't playing for enjoyment, she was playing to conquer.
Each piece that followed was precise, measured—an exact replica of the great compositions she had memorized over the years, though she had no love for them.
The room fell silent, as if the very air held its breath, captivated by the raw energy of her performance.
While Sophie's delicate and sweet tune had charmed the audience like a gentle breeze, Eve's music was a storm, a commanding force that demanded attention.
The crowd's hearts raced in time with the surging rhythm, their gazes fixed on her as if under a spell. They had expected something softer, something more hesitant. But Eve delivered a performance that was nothing short of powerful and damning.
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It wasn't passion, it was sheer will, a machine-like execution that defied their expectations. There was no warmth in her notes, but there was undeniable mastery.
She had learned every piece, memorized every shift in tempo, every crescendo, for moments like this—just in case. And now, she was showing them.
The audience stood, eyes wide and breathless, hearts pounding as if they were all tied to her performance, unable to look away. It wasn't the kind of music that soothed—it was the kind that consumed you, pulled you into its dark current and didn't let go until the very last note.
And when it ended, the silence was deafening.
=== 🤍 ===
[EVE]
I took steady breaths as I rose from the piano bench and bowed gracefully before the audience.
Silence stretched across the room—an unsettling, drawn-out quiet that made my heart pound.
Had I failed?
Doubt crept in, even though I knew I hadn't made a single mistake. My performance had been flawless, every note struck like a machine. But still, the silence lingered, suffocating me.
My eyes scanned the crowd, desperate for some hint of their reaction. And then, finally, a single clap broke through the trance. The dam burst, and the entire audience followed, their applause thunderous and wild, as if they'd been holding their breath along with me.
Relief flooded my chest as I exhaled deeply, my body finally relaxing. I had done it.
Then my gaze landed on Sophie, standing off to the side. Her face was a storm of fury, barely hidden beneath a strained smile.
A slow, victorious grin crept onto my lips. I pointed at my own smile, making sure Sophie saw it. Others could see her, too. She quickly forced a fake, awkward grin, clapping along with the crowd. The sweetness was gone, leaving only the bitter aftertaste of defeat.
Seething, aren't you, Sophie?
I thought with a smirk.
Well, don't blame me—you were the one who insisted I should play.
As I descended the stage, Queen Emelia appeared in my path, glowing with admiration. "What a
wonderful
performance, Eve! You're not only beautiful but immensely talented as well. I want you to be my daughter-in-law more than ever now."
It wasn't just Emelia. Parents rushed toward me, eager to introduce their sons, each one desperate to claim a connection.
I felt the weight of too many hands reaching out, too many voices calling my name. The attention was overwhelming, suffocating. Just as I was about to be crushed under it all, a firm hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me back against a familiar, hard chest.
I looked up, startled, only to find myself face to face with Cole. He always seemed to appear out of nowhere, materializing from the shadows.
However, his next words? They shocked me—and everyone else around us.
"Eve is my fiancée. Do I have to repeat it again?" His voice was calm, but it carried an authority no one could ignore.
My lips pressed into a thin line, rage boiling beneath my skin.
How dare he?!
Hadn't I already broken off the engagement? What game was he playing now? We had agreed to go our separate ways, to sever the ties that bound us. And yet, here he was, declaring our engagement as if nothing had changed, as if my words had meant nothing.
I wanted to scream at him, to tell him off in front of everyone. But unlike Cole, I knew better than to cause a scene. Not with so many eyes watching us.
Rejecting him now, publicly, would only make me look bad—and it could damage the Rosette's reputation. Among the families present, the Fays were the most powerful. Severing ties with them would send investors running. But if Cole favored me, it could strengthen the Rosette Empire, a benefit I couldn't ignore.
Still, frustration churned inside me. I needed to talk to him—
alone
. This ridiculous engagement had to end, once and for all. Clearly, Cole hadn't understood the first time, so I'd just have to remind him the second time.
Cole's words had the desired effect. The crowd parted, their expressions disappointed, downcast. No one dared challenge a Fay, not even the most ambitious families.
Well, almost no one. Sophia and Sullivan, unable to contain themselves, immediately protested.
"What are you saying, Cole?" Sophia's voice was sharp, teetering on the edge of hysteria. "You're engaged to my daughter, to
our
Sophie! The deal was for you to marry
her
! To marry my daughter. Everyone knows that!"
Sullivan stepped forward, backing up his wife, and daughter. "That's right. Though Eve is adopted, it doesn't change the fact that she's just an ordinary girl I picked up from an orphanage. Are you really willing to taint your bloodline with someone of unknown origins?"