Chapter 53
From the audience, Arman shot up from his seat, his face twisted in anger and disbelief. “Sofia, you’re crazy!” he shouted.
He leapt toward the stage, but before he could reach me, a figure appeared, blocking his path. It was Lirian. Tall and composed, he stood like a wall between me and Arman.
“Shouldn’t you let the lady finish what she has to say?” Lirian’s voice was calm but firm, leaving no room for argument.
I felt a wave of relief wash over me. Lirian’s support gave me the strength I needed.
With a deep breath, I approached the piano, pushing Linda aside without hesitation. I sat down, my fingers hovering over the keys. The familiar notes of Beethoven’s “Symphony of Fate” filled the hall, each sound resonating with the weight of my story.
The audience fell silent, captivated by the music. No one had known that I, Sofia, had studied piano. for years. My talents weren’t just limited to dance. But I had been overshadowed for so long, always stepping aside for Linda’s light to shine.
As I played, I could feel the eyes of the audience on me, their expressions shifting from shock to awe. But it was Lirian’s gaze I felt most strongly. His dark eyes were locked on mine, filled with something I couldn’t quite name. Admiration? Curiosity? Or something deeper?
Linda, on the other hand, was frozen in place. Her hands clenched at her sides, her face pale as a ghost.
I finished the piece with a flourish, the last note echoing through the hall. Then, with calm. confidence, I stood and faced Linda.
“You sabotaged Moonshadow’s party,” I began, my voice steady and clear. “You provoked my brother’s hatred against me and spread vicious rumors about me to my family and friends.”
The audience was silent, hanging on my every word.
“All of that,” I continued, “was petty, and I’ll deal with it in my own way. But,” I paused, letting my gaze burn into hers, “you went too far when you instructed Ryan to push me down the stairs. All to make sure I wouldn’t stand on this stage.”
Linda’s face drained of color. She looked like she might faint.
„The Alpha’s Substitute Lunur. A Heart Claimed, A Soul Reborn
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Look a step closer, my voice growing cold. “The piano is the thing you’re most proud of, isn’t it? But do you even have the confidence to compete against me on the same stage? Or are you too afraid?”
It was chaos both on and off the stage..
The teacher in charge of the school assembly finally intervened, guiding Linda and me off the stage. The host rushed to regain control of the situation, awkwardly filling the silence with a forced smile and generic praise for the students. I barely heard him. My head was spinning, and every step felt
heavier than the last.
The adrenaline that had kept me upright moments ago was now ebbing away, leaving nothing but
pain and exhaustion in its wake.
As soon as my feet touched the ground offstage, my body gave out. Pain surged through my swollen ankle, sharp and unforgiving, while a wave of dizziness blurred my vision.
I closed my eyes, fighting the darkness threatening to swallow me whole, but it was no use. My consciousness slipped away.
Just before I lost myself completely, I felt a strong pair of arms wrap around me, holding me upright. It was the last thing I registered before everything went black.
I woke up to the sterile scent of disinfectant and the steady beep of a heart monitor. Blinking against the harsh fluorescent light, I realized I was in a hospital bed. My ankle was wrapped tightly in bandages, and a dull ache pulsed through my entire body.
It took a moment for the events of the assembly to come rushing back. The confrontation with Linda, the piano, the blood… My fingers twitched as I remembered the melody of *Symphony of Fate* echoing through the auditorium.
Later that evening, the door to my hospital room burst open. Arman stormed in, eyes blazing with
fury.
“Crazy! Sofia, you’re a lunatic!” he shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. His face was twisted in rage, but beneath it all, I saw something else–frustration. His perfect plan had crumbled before his
eyes.
Arman had always been methodical, calculating. He wanted to nurture Linda like a prized flower, to watch her bloom under his care and bask in the glory of her success. But now, that dream was shattered, and he blamed me for it.
was going to take Linda step by step, to the top,” he raged. “But you… you ruined everything!”
The All
Clained. A Soul Reborn
