Haynes''s dark eyes were unreadable. "Are you sure about this?"


    "What, did you think I was joking?"


    "There were steak knives at the party. You could''ve tried one."


    Ste let out augh, but it was as cold as winter rain. "You want to provoke me into stabbing you in public, then have me thrown in jail?"


    He met her gaze, resentment simmering in his eyes. "You''re overthinking it. I just wanted to give you a chance to get even."


    She gave a bitter, mocking smile. "And what-one stab would make up for everything you cost me? Since when is life that easy? Don''t you think that''s letting you off far too lightly?"


    She hadn''t pped Haynes in front of Mr. Walden, not because she didn''t want to, but because she refused to give anyone ammunition against her. In that kind of crowd, it wouldn''t matter who was right or wrong; if she struck first, she''d be the one to me in the end.


    Throwing away her reputation over someone like him-utterly pointless.


    Haynes seemed to realize he was in the wrong. He stood in silence for a long time before finally saying, “I''ll make it up to you."


    "Make it up?" Steughed, as if she''d just heard the punchline to a bad joke. "With what? That so-called pensation''-your charitable little two million?"


    Right now, even looking at him made her skin crawl.


    She took a few steps back, turned, and walked away.


    Haynes stayed rooted to the spot, watching her retreat until she disappeared from view, not moving an inch.


    ***


    A light knock sounded at the office door. Benson stepped inside.


    "Mr. O''Brien, we''ve finally tracked down Star''s location. Would you like to go there yourself?"


    Benson had spent days investigating Star. After hisst contact with Star''s friend, the person immediately deactivated their phone number. When Benson traced the number, it turned out to be registered under apletely unrted name.


    He suspected the number was one Star used exclusively for outsidemunication. Once Star realized Benson was closing in, they''d cut off all contact without hesitation.


    That detour had wasted precious time. In the end, Benson hired a hacker and finally managed to pinpoint the phone''s location.


    Haynes happened to be free at that moment. He nodded. "Take me there."


    ***


    In the studio, Ste and Abby Murphy werepiling a list of the equipment that had been smashed to pieces.


    "The instruments in the rehearsal


    room are basically all trashed-we''ll need to rece everything. The floor''s been covered in paint, so that have to be redone. Curtains, windows, walls..." Abby trailed off.


    Anyone who''s ever renovated a studio knows how exhausting andplicated it can be. And thanks to Jasper''s rampage, everything was right back to square


    one.


    Blood-red paint scrawls still screamed from the walls. They hadn''t even started cleaning them up.


    A shadow passed over Ste''s expression. "Abby, start looking for a new studio as soon as possible."


    Abby nced at her. "Are you really just going to hand this ce over to Rachel?"


    Ste replied, "Now that Haynes is involved, I''m not worried he''lle after me. I''m worried he''ll go after Antoney. Right now, he holds the lease to this ce."


    Abby knew Haynes had turned down Mr. Walden for Ste''s sake—and that he''d somehow managed to get Rachel epted as Mr. Walden''s student.


    "Rachel, that conniving old


    snake-she''s the queen of


    backstabbing. She grabs everything she can get her hands on! And as for Mr. Walden, the older he gets, the worse his judgment bes. Taking Rachel on as a student? He''s going to ruin his reputation for good!"