Mystey

COMMENT

Chapter 32

This… Well Jennifer is like the hot new thing in the violin world around here. She’s got invites coming out of her ears. But I’m clueless about the bad blood between her and you two…“ Evan was on the verge of tears. Jennifer was the big–shot heiress of the Grant Group, wanting to play at his place to get in with the uppity crowd, to get noticed, and to pack the house. He just couldn’t turn her down.

“Cool it, Nora.” Selina chipped in, giving Nora the that’s enough glance. Nora caught the signal and backed off. letting Evan off the hook

Once things cooled down a bit, Nora tossed an apologetic look to Selina. “Sorry about all that, Selina. Didn’t expect to meet that kind of drama queen here. Hope I didn’t ruin your dinner.”

Selina comforted her. “No sweat. If a dog’s itching for a fight, you don’t get down in the dirt with it, right? Plus, watching her get doused in juice felt. pretty good, not gonna lie,”

“You know, Selina, you were awesome! The way you splashed that juice on Jennifer! She’s been bugging me at every party for ages, and I’ve been biting my tongue, Didn’t want to rock the boat for the Brady family. What you did? Felt like a total rush” Nora was buzzing just thinking about Selina standing up to Jennifer.

Selina smiled, “Nora, you’re definitely one of a kind. As a Brady and Trevon’s sister, if you weren’t so easy–going, she wouldn’t have the guts to mess with you.

“Selina, 1 just don’t wanna stir things up for the Brady family or Trevon. When my dad got married to my mom, it caused enough ripples in the house. They’ve got my back, let me be me without being boxed in as some heiress. That’s more than enough for me.” A shadow flitted over Nora’s face when she talked about her family–every top–tier family had skeletons in the closet, and the Brady family was no different.

Seeing Nora all sweet and understanding, Selina felt a tug at her heartstrings and reached out to pat Nora’s head gently. “Chill, Nora. If someone tries to mess with you, just holler at me. I’ve totally got your six.”“

Nora flashed a heartfelt grin. “Thanks a bunch. Selina. Trevon hit the jackpot marrying you.”

Right about then, Jennifer had spruced herself up and hit the stage. The joint was known for pairing tasty grub with live tunes, and Jennifer, with her fancy background and fresh fame, was like the cherry on top. After the tiff with Selina, all eyes were glued on Jennifer now.

Trying to shake off the scene from before, Jennifer managed a smile. She gave one last look Selina and Nora’s way, and then stride onto the stage like she owned it. Violin in hand, she nodded to the crowd, and as the room went dark, began to play. Her Violin Concerto in D major” floated through the cate, and she didn’t miss a beat with “Violin Concerto No. 2” and “Devil’s Trill Sonata, snagging a bunch of applause.

The cafe crowd, Sokovis’s finest, ate up classy music like this. Any shade thrown at Jennifer before now vanished into thin air. She was a showstopper with both the talent and a big–shot company behind her.

After her bow, Jennifer shot a smug look Selina and Nora’s way, like she had just schooled them..

Nora made a face. “Ugh, can you believe her? Showing off like, Bet you can’t top that.

“But she’s just like a clown showing off at a party, making a big deal out of nothing” Selina replied coolly

Nora cracked up at Selina’s snarky comeback. “You’re hilarious, Selina. Good thing Jennifer’s too far away to hear. She’d have a meltdown.”

Then, outta nowhere, Jennifer went into show–off mode. For my next number, I need a volunteer. Who’s willing to step into the spotlight with me? Any daring souls out there? she called out into the crowd with her mic.

The cafe went all kinds of quiet, and even Evan was caught off guard. They gave Jennifer the green light to do her thing, but no one saw this coming

-picking someone out of the crowd to share the spotlight could go sideways fast

Then Jennifer zeroed in on something. She stepped off the stage and headed straight for Nora and Selina’s table. Flashing a smile, she handed the mic to Selina and coord. “Did you want to come up here! I thought I saw your hand.”

The whole place was now buzzing, thinking Jennifer was plotting to drag Selina on stage for a face–off after their little showdown.

Nora got all fired up, “Excuse me? When did Selina signal you? Jennifer, you’re crossing the line now!“

“Oopsie. Guess I was wrong” Jennifer oozed sarcasm. “But Nora, as Mr. Brady’s better half, I’m sure she’s got hidden talents. Turning me down isn’t really an option, is it?” Her plan was to get Selina on stage, to embarrass her back and show her up in front of Trevon–clearly thinking she was the more worthy gal

“First off, Selina kept it cool, “you might wanna get those baby blues checked. Such a shame if they’re going bad so young. And second, Jennifer, no matter who you think you are, here, you’re just the performer. So trying to rope a guest into whatever you’re feeling? Not a great look for you Could make other places think twice about booking you, hurt your music reputation, you know?” Selina’s words turned Jennifer whiter than a ghost, with her finger trembling on the mic button

While Jennifer was fixing her face earlier, she’d only thought about showing up Selina and making Nora see she was top dog. The consequences. Selina laid out didn’t cross Jennifer’s mind at all. But to Jennifer, that was small fry stuff–she was the heir to the Grant Group, for crying out loud.

her reach was huge, If she rocked it on stage, she could shake into the spotlight with her

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