Chapter 3

The night before the concert, June hosted a private dinner party at home.

She claimed it was to welcome Pearl back.

The guest list was full of Salazar relatives and Joseph's business associates.

I handled the menu, checked the seating chart, and kept an eye on the kitchen to make sure the dishes came out right.

I was busy from the afternoon till the evening, so I didn't have time to fix my makeup.

Guests trickled in one after another.

Pearl was the last to arrive, making a grand entrance in a red velvet gown. A diamond necklace rested on her collarbone, throwing shards of light everywhere under the chandelier.

Every eye in the room locked onto her.

"Pearl, it's been ages!"

"Oh my, you look more stunning than on TV."

"I bet the concert tickets for the day after tomorrow are already sold out, right?"

Pearl smiled, handling each greeting with effortless grace.

Joseph stood beside her, his hand resting lightly on her lower back, guiding her to her seat.

That gesture was so natural that I almost thought he'd done it a thousand times before.

June was grinning ear to ear. "Pearl, stay a little longer this time, okay? I'll cook your favorite food for you."

"Thank you, Mrs. Salazar," Pearl said.

I came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of appetizers.

June spotted me and frowned. "Willow, what are you wearing? Go put on something decent. You are embarrassing yourself."

I looked down, still wearing my apron, sleeves rolled up to my elbows, hands wet.

"I'll go change," I said.

As I walked past the dining room, I overheard one of the Salazar wives whisper to June, "Why does Joseph's wife look like a maid?"

June lowered her voice. "That's how she is, not the kind we can show off. If her father hadn't helped the Salazar family, Joseph never would've married her."

I paused for a moment and then kept walking.

When I came back after changing, the dinner party was already underway.

There was only one seat left, all the way at the end of the long table.

Joseph was sitting next to Pearl, the two of them chatting quietly, sharing smiles from time to time.

I sat down and ate quietly.

Halfway through the meal, Pearl suddenly looked up at me. "Willow, I heard you used to play the piano a bit?"

The whole table went silent.

I set down my fork. "Yeah, a bit."

Pearl smiled, swirling her wine glass with her index finger. "So, what do you think of Moonfall, the piece I'll be playing at the concert? It's tough, you know. Even most pros won't dare to play it."

Her tone was casual. But there was something in her eyes I knew all too well, probing, with a touch of superiority.

"It's great," I said.

"Right?" Pearl set down her wine glass. "That piece was written by a composer named VEGA.

"Everyone in the music world has been searching for VEGA, but nobody knows who they are. And I'm the only one with an exclusive license to perform it."

She looked at me, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You probably haven't heard of VEGA, right? But that's okay. You're not in the business."

Joseph stayed quiet, but the way he looked at Pearl was nothing but pure admiration.

June jumped in. "Pearl, getting the exclusive rights to VEGA's work is a huge deal. So many people around the world would kill for that chance."

"You're too kind, Mrs. Salazar." Pearl stood up with her wine glass. "But honestly, being able to play VEGA's music is the proudest achievement of my life."

As she said that, she made a point of glancing at me.

Everyone at the table started clapping.

I clapped along too. Then I lowered my head and kept eating.

A faint smile tugged at my lips. 'Pearl, tthe thing you're most proud of is the one thing I couldn't care less about.'

After the dinner party, I was in the kitchen washing glasses.

Pearl walked in, alone.

She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Willow, you worked hard today."

I didn't look up. "It's nothing."

"You don't mind about Joseph and me, do you?"

The water was running loudly.

I turned off the faucet, dried my hands, and turned to face her.

There wasn't a trace of apology in her eyes, only pure confidence that said, "You don't deserve to compete with me."

"Does it matter if I do?" I said.

Pearl tilted her head. "Yeah, true. After all." She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "Joseph's heart is never yours. You know that better than anyone, Willow."

I looked at her. "You're right."

Pearl blinked, clearly surprised.

She hadn't expected me to admit it without a fight.

I stepped around her and walked out of the kitchen.

My phone buzzed in my pocket.

It was a message from Hudson. [The agreement is ready. I'll bring it over tomorrow morning. Also, I finished checking the copyrights for Pearl's concert.

[Out of the seven songs on her setlist, five are yours, and the other two borrow your unpublished harmonies. Technically, those are yours too.

[So, basically, all seven songs are under your control.]

I read the message and tucked my phone away.

Passing through the living room, I saw Joseph saying goodbye to the last guests.

He glanced at me. "You did well today."

See? In his eyes, I was a maid.

I nodded. "Thanks."

I went upstairs, locked myself in the study, and booted up my computer.

The VEGA dashboard flickered to life.

Pearl's list of authorized songs lined up neatly on the screen.

Tomorrow, once the papers were signed, that would be the day Pearl's "proudest moment" turned into her most embarrassing one.