She could never y the violin again. The whole world had all but abandoned her, while Ste stood center stage, dazzling beneath the lights. How could Rachel not hate her?


    All around her, people were murmuring, not just singing Ste''s praises, but openlyparing the two of them.


    "Bet Mr. Walden''s eating his heart out now, huh? Took on Rachel as hisst pupil when he was practically blind-nearly ruined his whole career in the process."


    "What was Mr. Walden even thinking? Ignored Ste-the prodigy of the century -just to pick up Rachel, thatpulsive liar?"


    "Maybe Mr. Walden''s just like Rachel, you know? Look at his protégé, Harry, and you''ll understand exactly what kind of man he is."


    "I heard Ste was even Haynes''s ex-wife. Can you believe that? He let a woman that brilliant and beautiful walk away, just to fool around with Rachel. Must''ve lost his mind."


    "What do you know? To a jerk like Haynes, anything forbidden looks appealing."


    "Divorced Ste for a fraud like Rachel? Haynes has to be regretting his choices now."


    Rachel bit down hard on her lower lip, fury boiling inside her. She wanted nothing more than to storm the stage and tear Ste apart with her bare hands.


    Her hand ruined, abandoned by the entire world-her mind had twisted into something bitter and dark.


    She simply couldn''t stand to see anyone else living better than her.


    If she hadn''t noticed something was wrong when Simone''s people came for her, if she hadn''t sent that desperate message to Jasper Wilkinson and been rescued just in time, her face would be nothing but a scarred ruin now.


    She hated Ste. She hated Haynes. She hated Walden. She hated everyone.


    But most of all, she hated Simone.


    Simone, born with everything, could strike at her in broad daylight, while Rachel was left to plot and scheme in the shadows.


    Simone had destroyed her-so Rachel would make sure Simone suffered too.


    As for Ste... Rachel would deal with Simone first, then turn her wrath on Ste. At that thought, she nced down at the small bottle she clutched in her hand. Inside was a vial filled to the brim with high-concentration acid.


    Simone had ruined her hand? Then Rachel would destroy Simone''s face.


    This was Neo-Vespera. The Lerman family''s reach didn''t extend this far.


    If it came to it, she could just stay in Neo-Vespera forever, never set foot abroad again.


    ...


    Ste''s performance was a smashing sess, more so than she''d ever dared to hope. Even she was amazed at how perfectly the concert had gone.


    Afterwards, as the apuse faded and the stage lights dimmed, Ste couldn''t resist hugging Abby Murphy, who''d lost weight from all the stress these past weeks.


    "Abby, I know it''s been rough on youtely. Thank you for everything."


    Abby grinned and teased, "Rough? Please. We''re friends, and besides, it''s not like you don''t pay me!"


    Steughed too. "After tonight, I''ll bump up yourmission by another ten percent."


    Abby''s eyes widened and she shook her head quickly. "Star, you''re


    already paying me more than enough couldn''t take a penny more it wouldn''t be right for me to earn more than you, not when you''re the one pouring your soul out on stage."


    Pne


    As Ste''s manager, Abby handled everything personally. At the start, Ste had suggested they split the earnings fifty-fifty, but Abby had stubbornly refused. She insisted that with all the costs of running the studio, that split would mean she''d end up making more than Ste without doing the real work.


    Ste still had to pay staff and buy instruments, which took up about thirty percent of her ie. Abby only wanted ten percent, but Ste had insisted she take twenty. Later, Ste added another ten, so Abby now took thirty percent. Any more and Ste would be left with nothing for herself.


    They were still talking when Antoney and Candida walked in, both of them


    wearing easy smiles-obviously in high spirits.