Chapter 7

Emily sent me the info one by one. "Evelyn, he's crazy."

I replied, "He's not crazy."

She added, "Isn't it weird for a businessman to buy piano sheet music and listen to piano music? How is that not crazy?"

I went on, "He's trying to get on one's good side. He wants to get closer to me."

Emily pressed, "He's taking it way too seriously. If he'd put half that effort into his ex-wife, would you two have even gotten divorced?"

I was practicing the piano when my fingers froze for a second. A low string hummed. "Emily."

"Yeah?" she replied.

I said, "You're right."

*****

On the day of Alex's birthday party, Kingsford was blanketed in heavy snow.

I wore a black cotton gown, my long hair styled up and secured with a hairpin.

The Blackwood family sent three cars to pick me up.

When we arrived at the Blackwood residence, Ethan was waiting for me under the porch.

Snowflakes settled on his shoulders as he stood there without an umbrella. He must have been waiting for quite some time, because his coat was covered with a light layer of snow.

I got out of the car, and he walked over. "Ms. Hart, thanks for coming all this way."

I replied, "Mr. Blackwood, you don't have to be so polite."

He gestured for me to go ahead, stepping aside.

As soon as I walked into the main hall, I spotted a piece of calligraphy on the wall: [Piano Heart, Sword Courage.] It was my mentor's work.

I stood in front of it for three seconds.

Ethan stood next to me, speaking quietly. "This is one of Mr. Carter's masterpieces. Since you studied under him, I thought hanging it here would show my respect."

I nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself.

As we walked further in, members of the Blackwood family started coming up to greet us.

The first one was Ethan's mother, Fiona Blackwood.

She wore a dark red gown, looking elegant and well-maintained, but her smile had a cool, scrutinizing edge. "So this is Reed? I thought you'd be an old master."

She gave me a once-over and laughed. "You're quite pretty, young lady."

Sophia stood behind her, dressed in a light purple dress, her makeup flawless. She gave me a small smile. "Ms. Hart, we meet again."

I nodded in response.

Fiona took Sophia by the hand and said to Ethan, "Ethan, you take care of the guests. Sophia, come with me to check on the party preparations."

Sophia nodded and followed Fiona out.

Before leaving, she glanced back at me. It was a brief glance, but it spoke volumes.

Emily didn't come to the Blackwood family's party, but she was tracking everything in real time, sending me a message every ten minutes asking how things were going.

I didn't have time to reply, since Ethan was stuck to me like glue the whole night.

He introduced me to the Blackwood elders and showed me around the family's collection. At every stop, he'd always inch a bit closer.

He never crossed any lines, but stayed close enough for anyone to see he was looking out for me.

A few of the Blackwood cousins were whispering among themselves in the corner, shooting glances my way.

One of the older cousins walked over to Ethan and said, "Ethan, your friend is pretty accomplished for someone so young. But I heard Reed never comes to private events. How come she's here tonight?"

Ethan replied coolly, "She's being nice to me."

The cousin smiled and shot me a look. "Looks like the Blackwood family's pretty lucky. By the way, Ethan, I heard your small-town wife has finally finished the paperwork?"

He said it in an offhand way, but every syllable of the small-town wife was dripping with contempt.

Ethan's face darkened for a split second. "That's none of your business."

The cousin raised his glass, giving Ethan a meaningful look. "Hey, I'm not getting involved. You know, Grandpa had his reasons for arranging that marriage. If you ended things so quickly, he might..."

Ethan's voice went cold. "This is Grandpa's birthday, not a family meeting."

The cousin shrugged and walked away.

I stood there, expressionless the whole time.

Ethan turned and looked at me. "Sorry you had to see that."

"It's fine," I said. "Every family has its drama."

He paused for a couple of seconds. "Ms. Hart, are you married?"

The question caught me off guard.

I looked him in the eye.

His stare was so serious, it almost made my skin crawl.

I asked, "Mr. Blackwood, isn't that a bit too personal?"

"It is," he said, "but I want to know anyway."

I didn't answer. "I should go get ready for my performance."

I turned and headed backstage.

Behind me, Ethan stood rooted to the spot, his gaze lingering on my back as I walked away.