REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 30: Touch her...and tomorrow you won’t have a career left.

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Touch her...and tomorrow you won’t have a career left.

In a meeting room at the seventh floor of Voice, several shareholders were present. Their expression were focused as they stared at the man standing in front of a screen.

Adrian sat at the edge of the long table, back straight, hands resting calmly on the armrest of his chair. His expression did not change even once.

The man standing in front of the wide screen kept talking. But very little of it entered Adrian’s ears.

No one found his nonchalance strange. Everyone in this room already knew how he was. Adrian Vale attended meetings, but rarely spoke. When he did, it was never for small things.

The man cleared his throat and switched the slide.

"Next, we plan to organize a celebration party for our grade six singers." he said.

The screen showed three names in bold letters.

Relanie Ardent.

Thelvis Adrero.

Bunnie Swerlo.

"These three have all achieved excellent results this year," the man continued. "Relanie’s last single stayed on the Aurelia charts for months. Thelvis has been invited to collaborate with a well-known producer, and Bunnie’s stage performance video reached record views online."

"The party is meant to celebrate their success, and also to strengthen Voice’s public image. Media will be invited. Sponsors as well. It will show that Voice still produces top-level talent."

The people nod in response, in order for him to move to the next topic of discussion. But Instead of the man to move on, he hesitated. Though it was just for a second, everyone noticed and they already knew what he wanted to talk about.

Then finally, he changed the slide again and continued.

"As for the recent changes in the grade three system, not all shareholders are in agreement." he said slowly while the room turned so quiet. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Accelerating their trainings and allowing early exposure to professional guidance. Some shareholders think it was too much." he said, choosing his words carefully.

Everyone knew who pushed for the change. But they also knew no one would say that name out loud.

Adrian did not react or reply to the man’s words. He only swirled the pen in his fingers elegantly. His gaze looked bored, as if he was tired.

A few people shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Suddenly, a chair scraped loudly and the man sitting on it stood up. He looked tense. His jaw was tight and his hands were clenched at his sides. It was clear he had been holding this in for a long time, and finally couldn’t take it anymore.

"The Vale family may be the major shareholder of Voice, but that does not mean the rest of us have no right to know about every major change!" he said boldly.

The room froze instantly. Some people avoided his eyes while others stared at the table. No one spoke.

The man looked around, searching for support from them, but none of it came. He was faced with thick silence. Slowly, his shoulders dropped. He swallowed and sat back down. His face had gone pale.

Still, Adrian said nothing. Then, a moment later, he stood up.

"Anything else." he said emotionlessly but did not wait for an answer. He turned and walked out of the meeting room, the director following behind him immediately. The door closed behind him with a muted sound. Different gazes followed his back, but no one dared to stop him. It was just that not long after he left, an argument broke out immediately.

–

The director walked after Adrian the moment he stepped out of the meeting room. When Adrian entered the elevator, she followed without hesitation. After the doors closed behind them, the temperature became unbearably suffocating that the director had to hold her breath.

She glanced at Adrian from the corner of her eye. His expression was calm, unreadable as always. Because of his nonchalant nature, she couldn’t tell if he was displeased by the man’s words earlier, or if he truly didn’t care at all.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally spoke. "Sir... would you like to look around Voice, or will you be leaving immediately?" she asked carefully.

Adrian didn’t answer at once. The truth was that, he had never even planned to attend the meeting in the first place. He could have easily declined, or maybe find any excuse. Meetings bored him. Being in the same room with the shareholders bored him even more.

But before refusing, a thought had quickly flashed through his mind. And that was why he came.

During the meeting, he hadn’t replied or talk about his opinion in Voice affairs. Even when they talked about the sudden change in the grade three system.

He already expected resistance. He also expected stronger reactions once Mr and Mrs Vale hear of it.

He didn’t know why he approved the change though. He didn’t even know when he started feeling sympathy about other people’s affair, but he felt it’s not bad if the grade three singers started rising too.

The feeling was unfamiliar to him but he convinced himself it was normal. Talent shouldn’t rot while waiting.

When the elevator doors opened, Adrian stepped out and finally replied looking straight ahead, "I’ll look around."

The director blinked in surprise, then she quickly nodded. "Of course, sir."

They checked several rehearsal rooms and training halls. Adrian’s gaze swept through each one briefly but none held his interest for long.

"Next," he said more than once while the director kept guiding him to several rooms quietly.

When they reached another corridor. They hadn’t walked far before they heard loud voices. The director’s expression changed instantly.

"I’m very sorry sir, some grade three singers have become... overconfident since the new support system." she said quickly.

Adrian’s eyes narrowed slightly. Then he nodded briefly.

"Let’s go," he said.

The director nodded quickly, almost nervously, and followed behind him. The door to the rehearsal room was half open.

From where Adrian stood, he could already see what was happening.

The first thing that caught his attention was a voice.

"If I were acting, I’d be tired by now."

The words were confident and a bit cold. It made Adrian’s steps slow down.

He recognized that voice immediately. Even with her back to him, even without seeing her face, he already knew who it was.

The thoughts in his head disappeared instantly when the woman sitting at the piano in front of Elara stood up suddenly and lifted her hand towards Elara’s face.

Adrian knew what she intended to do. And he couldn’t understand or believe his own reaction. He had always ignored things that is not related to him. But seeing someone wanting to slap this ’pretentious lady’ made something burn in his chest.

He did not even know when the word slipped from his mouth.

"You dare."

If not for years of restraint, he might have walked over to that lady and strangle her to death.

The room had frozen instantly and all attention had turned to Adrian. When the singers saw him, they shrunk back immediately.

Then Adrian came back to his senses and realized that he’d almost lost control. After forcing himself to calm down. He wondered why he care anyway. At most, he could have just told the director to speak to them.

But then he thought again. Elara was under his sponsorship. And it was normal for him not to tolerate any bullying tied to his name.

He found this reasoning convincing enough. He returned his attention back to the room.

The director was already trembling, ready to scold the trainees.

But before she could speak, Adrian’s cold voice sounded again...

Elara stared at the man standing coldly by the door, the director beside him. The rehearsal room had gone completely silent for no one dared to speak. Even Perri, who had been so loud a moment ago, didn’t dare to move now.

Elara wondered why he was here. But she quickly pushed the thought away. Of course he had a hand in Voice. It was normal for him to appear here. She thought he would leave everything to the director and walk away. But he didn’t.

His gaze settled on her and he didn’t look away for a long time. Elara felt her scalp tighten. She resisted the urge to look away. Then his eyes moved to Perri, but it was only for a brief second, before returning to Elara again.

"What happened?" he asked coldly, staring at her as if she was the only person in the room.

Elara was stunned. Her mind went blank. On top of everything, the memory of their argument weeks ago rushed back to her head. She hadn’t even finished gathering her thoughts when Perri stepped forward.

"She started it, I was sitting here with my friends, and she came over and demanded that I stand up." she said quickly turning to the two girls beside her. "It’s true, right?"

They nodded immediately, adding words here and there, trying to push the blame on Elara.

But Adrian didn’t look at them even once. His eyes never left Elara.

When Perri saw that she had been ignored. Her gaze sharpened as she stared at Elara with open hatred.

Finally, Elara spoke. She explained everything that had happened in one calm breath. From the seat. To the laughter. To the insults.

Adrian didn’t speak immediately she finished. Elara’s heart tightened, wondering if he would say something hurtful again. As he always do.

But Adrian suddenly shifted his gaze to Perri, his expression colder than before.

"Touch her, and tomorrow you won’t have a career left."he said.

The words landed like thunder in the room. But no one whispered.

Elara’s jaw dropped and for a moment, she couldn’t even breathe. That wasn’t a joke right.

Perri’s face drained of all color instantly. Fear filled her eyes. She had spent so many years at Voice, and now she had reached grade three. She couldn’t imagine being sent away. Then all the years of effort and other things she’d done in secret would be wasted.

"No... no, I won’t—"

But Adrian had already turned around and left without another word.

Elara stared at the doorway long after he was gone. Her thoughts tangled together. Why did he help her?

Did he finally feel guilty for the way he’d treated her before.

No.

Though she’d only met Adrian not long. That didn’t feel like him.

But then she thought again. Of course. She was his sponsored singer. He wouldn’t allow anyone to bully someone under his name. That’s it.

The moment Adrian disappeared, Perri turned back to Elara. She didn’t say a single word. But the way she stared at Elara before walking away was venomous...