Aurora''s expression remained calm. "If Sellers decided not to tell, he must have
his reasons. If I remind Karl, wouldn''t that just make Sellers resent me?"
Simone considered this and realized Aurora had a point.
For a moment, she couldn''t help but admire Aurora.
"Aurora, with your poise and strategy, even Jonathan might not be your match. It''s
almost a shame you weren''t born a man in this world."
Aurora just smiled, as if something else had crossed her mind. She turned to
Simone. "That earring I gave you- have you had it customized yet?"
Simone nodded. "I''ve already sent someone to take care of it. But... are you sure
this is safe?"
Aurora''s eyes darkened for a moment, deep and unreadable.
"I''m not sure why he''s so fixated on my earring, but maybe he''s seen one just like
it before and is looking for its owner."
Simone remembered the earring Aurora had handed her. "Didn''t you say your
earrings were custom-made-only you and Ste have them? So maybe..."
Simone frowned slightly. "Maybe the person he''s searching for is Ste."
Aurora replied, "That''s very likely. But he''s been with Ste for ages, and he''s still
asking me about the earring. That means either he and Ste haven''t recognized
each other, or the person he''s looking for isn''t her."
She paused, then continued, "Either way, this is an opportunity for you. Better to
try and get nothing than to miss a chance altogether."
Simone looked at Aurora. "But... what if-just what if- the person he''s looking for
is you?"
Auroraughed softly. "Even better. Then you''d have nothing to worry about-
you''d be safe."
Simone stared at her for a moment, understanding finally dawning.
Aurora wanted her to take this chance.
Simone asked again, "What if the person he''s looking for really is Ste, and they
just haven''t figured it out yet?"
Aurora''s smile was faint. "We''re best friends. Is it so strange for us to wear the
same earrings? If he''s mistaken, how could he me us for owning something
identical?"
Simone couldn''t help butugh. "Aurora, only you could make it sound so simple."
Aurora said, "Fortune favors the bold. If you''re always afraid to take risks, you''ll
never achieve anything. Every investment carries some risk. The only question is
whether it''s worth it."
She took a sip of tea, then added, "I can''t make this decision for you. It''s up to
you."
Simone found herself growing ever more curious about Joshua. She thought for a
moment, then made up her mind.
"You''re right. This is such a minor risk-it''s not worth hesitating over."
She hesitated, then asked, "So, do you really think the person Joshua''s searching
for is Ste?"
Aurora replied, "There''s a fifty-fifty
chance. Those earrings were
custom-made by our father. If I
remember correctly, Ste only wore
them once before losing one. When
she left the Williams estate, she
didn''t take anything with her. Her
room was left untouched after she
left, because Dad hoped she might
Just a few days ago, Aurora had flown back to Solmaris and found the second
earring in Ste''s room.
She added, "She might not even remember the earrings at all."
The Novaris regionalpetition had wrapped up quickly.
Ste took first ce. Rachel was runner-up, and the third spot went to a male
violinist.
The three of them would represent Novaris in the internationalpetition three
months from now.
In the meantime, Ste was to hold a concert.
Her poprity had soared so high that tickets sold out almost instantly. Fans who
couldn''t get seats were moring for her to add another date.
Ste discussed it with Abby, and they decided to schedule an extra concert after
the internationalpetition.
Abby said "Star, you should think
about a world tour. With your skill
and reputation now, you could fill
concert halls anywhere. Sponsors
would be lining up for you-you
could pick and choose."
Ever since she''d defeated Harry, Ste''s fame had skyrocketed.
Endorsement deals, private gigs, invitations from renowned maestros-she was
flooded with offers.
Even Candida Fletcher was being swamped with business cards.
Ste simply nodded. "It''s worth considering."
Abby continued, "After this concert,
Antoney will be heading back to the
Watsons. He''s leaving his music
team with us, so we won''t have to
go through the hassle of new
auditions."
Ste agreed that was for the best.
They chatted a while longer until Abby''s phone rang. Whatever was said on the
other end made Abby''s face turn serious.
"I''ll be right there," Abby said, hanging up quickly.
Ste noticed Abby''s somber expression and asked, "Abby, what happened?"
Abby''s face was unusually grave.
"It''s Joshua. Something''s happened to him."