Jasper was still in the dark. “Lauretta? You mean the eldest daughter of the Chapman family? How on earth would she know Ste? Rachel, are you sure you''re not mistaken?"


    Rachel replied, "If Ste hadn''t shown up with Lauretta when they came to see me and Haynie, I wouldn''t have believed it either. But it''s true—they actually know each other."


    Since Rachel was so certain, Jasper had no choice but to ept this bizarre fact.


    He couldn''t help but blurt out, "Why would Lauretta go out of her way to help Ste? Do you think Ste has some kind of leverage over her?"


    Rachel rolled her eyes at Jasper''s cluelessness. "Seriously? What kind of dirt could Ste possibly have on someone like Lauretta Chapman?"


    Jasper scratched his head, realizing he was reaching. Then a thought struck him. "Maybe Ste saved Lauretta''s life once, and Lauretta''s just repaying the favor?"


    Rachel''s gaze flickered. That... actually made the most sense.


    At this point, Rachel would rather believe Ste had once saved Lauretta than ept the idea that Ste, like Lauretta, was part of the Hall of Fame circle.


    She nced at Haynes, who had been silent all this time, her expression clouded with a trace of sorrow.


    "Haynie, forget about inviting Ms. Chapman. We can''t get the other two either... If they don''t want to help me, fine, but I just saw the news-Ms. Chapman is already promoting Ste''s concert. With her on Ste''s side, who''s going to bothering to mine?"


    Jasper''s face turned red with anger. "That Ste-she''s unbelievable! It''s bad enough she scheduled her concert at the same time as Rachel''s, but now she''s even poaching Rachel''s special guests. She really doesn''t want you to seed, does she?"


    He turned to Haynes. "Haynie, I say we stop ying nice with Ste. Go talk to Jonathan-cash in that favor he owes you. If Lauretta won''t respect us, I doubt she''d dare turn down the Williams family or her own fiancé."


    Rachel''s eyes flickered at the mention of donathan''s debt to Haynes. She''d heard about it before, but had never considered asking Haynes to use it on her behalf, She''d hoped to save it forter-maybe after she married Haynes, she could use it to get close to Aurora, the Williams family heiress.


    But now, Ste hadpletely overshadowed her. Rachel couldn''t stand it.


    If burning that favor meant making things difficult for Ste, so be it.


    Her gaze lingered on Haynes, almost expectant. She knew she''d need to give him


    a little push to make it happen.


    The next day, Ste received a call from Rachel.


    "Ms. Cameron, about that performance I mentionedst time-the rehearsal''s tonight. Are you stilling?"


    Ste had been so caught up nning the concert with Lauretta and the others that she''d nearly forgotten about Rachel''s invitation. The reminder brought it all back.


    There were still three months to go before the concert. She couldn''t just focus on that and nothing else-she was starting from scratch, unlike Lauretta or even Antoney. The only reason she''d managed to get Lauretta and her friends involved was because of personal


    connections and favors.


    But favors only go so far.


    At the end of the day, she''d have to rely on her own abilities.


    With that thought, she agreed without hesitation.


    "Of course."