Aurora''s brow furrowed slightly. "Violence? Simone, you''re being reckless. I''ve heard Seymour''s been a fighter since he was a kid-nasty, ruthless. There are rumors he''s killed more than a few people.


    To keep him from causing even more trouble, the Chapman family shipped him off


    to a military camp in Solmaris, hoping it would straighten him out.


    But instead of reforming him, it just made him even tougher.


    After getting discharged, he put quite a few rich kids in the hospital-some barely


    walked away.


    What if he gets carried away and actually kills someone?"


    The light, girlish shyness in Simone''s face vanished, reced by an icy indifference.


    "If Seymour really beats someone to death or maims them, that''s just fate. Survival of the fittest. If he''s eliminated, maybe he was meant to be. I don''t waste my time caring about people who can''t keep up."


    It wasn''t surprising that Simone and Aurora had be close friends; deep down, they both admired strength.


    The difference was, for Aurora, men were tools for her ambitions.


    For Simone, any man who couldn''t impress her wasn''t worth a second thought.


    Aurora looked Simone in the eye. "So, what about now?"


    Simone''s mind wandered back to the moment Joshua had swept in to save her, a smile tugging at her lips. "Joshua''s wonderful."


    Aurora shot her a reminder. "Don''t forget to repay Seymour."


    "I know."


    They chatted a little longer before Simone took her leave.


    Half an hourter, Simone''s assistant brought over her violin.


    She settled herself in the back garden and began to y "Moonlight."


    When thest note faded, Simone turned and asked, "Joshua, does this sound


    like the violin music you remember?"


    Joshua frowned, lost in thought.


    "There are some simrities, but..."


    A strange tension knotted in Simone''s chest. "But what?"


    Joshua looked at her, unable to hide his disappointment.


    vet


    "The woman I heard before yed with a mastery even greater than Rachel''s Right now, your ying doesn''t even measure up to Rachel''s... Maybe I got the wrong person after all."


    Simone, who had always been the object of admiration, had never seen anyone look at her with such disappointment. Herpetitive spirit red instantly.


    "Maybe I''m just out of practice. Give me a few days I''ll get back into form and reach out to you."


    Joshua agreed without hesitation.


    After parting ways with Joshua, Simone threw herself into relentless violin practice, day and night.


    She even turned down invitations from Aurora-a rarity in itself.


    She simply couldn''t ept being outyed by Rachel.


    When she couldn''t get hold of Simone, Aurora decided to visit in person.


    She was shocked to see Simone''s fingers, red and swollen from hours of practice.


    "Simone, weren''t you always the one who hated pain? How did you let your hands end up like this?"


    Simone waved off her concern, stretching her sore fingers. "I want Joshua to know I''m better than Rachel."


    "But-"


    Simone''s focus was absolute; nothing else mattered but the violin.


    "There''s no but.'' Besides, I''ve got


    nothing better to dotely... get


    Aurora, enough talk-help me


    here. Tell me where I''m messing up."


    Aurora had no choice but to guide her through the finer points of the piece.


    It''s hard to make huge


    improvements in violin technique


    overnight, but ying a single piece well? That was possible-especially


    with Aurora, a skilled violinist herself, coaching her. Simone''s progress was swift.


    Time passed.


    With Simone''s sharp instincts and single-minded dedication, mastering one song was hardly a challenge.


    It had been a while since Aurora hadst seen her, and she was curious-she wanted to catch up, and maybe hear about how things with Joshua were progressing.