REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 55: What’s wrong?... Did Adrian bully you again.

Chapter 55: Chapter 55: What’s wrong?... Did Adrian bully you again.

When Elara returned to her room that night, her mind was still in a mess. She closed the door behind her and stood there for a long time without moving. Mr Kain’s words kept echoing in her head.

Your grandfather... an ex-convict.

She shook her head, as if trying to push the thought away. She couldn’t believe it. Since all the years she had spent with her grandpa... he had never mentioned anything like that. She hadn’t even heard anything from any other person.

Elara walked slowly to her bed and sat down on it, her hands tightening on her clothes. There were only two explanations she could think of.

It was either Mr Kain was lying to frame him... Or her grandfather had been hiding something from her all these time.

But the latter was very much different to believe.

Her grandfather had never kept secrets from her. He had told her everything. About her grandmother. About her parents. Everything about their past. There was nothing he had ever tried to hide. So how could something like this exist without her own knowledge of it?

But then... Elara’s expression changed again. From what she had seen about Mr Kain, he was not the kind of person who would lie without reason. He was the type who would find something real and use it against anyone he wished to trouble. Like her.

That thought made her chest tighten. A quiet fear began to grow inside her.

If what he said was true... Then everything she had worked for in Starfall could fall apart. Her reputation that had just started to grow. People that were beginning to notice her.

And the Vale family... An elite family like theirs would never continue to support someone with that kind of background.

Elara lowered her head. She had always wanted to break free from their sponsorship. But not like this. Not now.

If she lost their support at this stage... She would have to start all over again in another place. And even then, no music institution might be willing to accept her.

Her fingers clenched tightly. The more she thought about it, the heavier everything felt.

That night, when she finally fell asleep. She had the same nightmare as the one last night. She saw the girl again. But this time. The girl said something different.

But when Elara woke up suddenly, her heart pounding, she couldn’t remember a single word the girl had said no matter how hard she tried. It was like the memory had slipped away.

The next morning, Elara had got up before Ziva’s arrival.

Even though she had been promoted to grade four, the official process was not complete yet. So for now, she still had to stay with the grade three singers.

As she walked through the hall, still lost in thought. A figure suddenly passed by her.

It was Mr Kain.

He didn’t stop walking but as he passed her, he leaned closer a little and lowered his voice into a whisper. "I’m waiting for your answer."

Elara froze in her steps, her hands clenching at her sides.

–

In the regal dinning room of the Vale’s mansion, soft lights shone from the chandeliers, reflecting gently on the long table.

Mr Vale and Mrs Vale sat side by side, while Adrian and Relanie sat across from them, next to each other. A few maids stood at a distance, stepping forward every now and then to serve food or refill their drinks.

Mrs Vale reached forward and picked up some meat from the bowl at the center of the table. She placed it gently into Adrian’s plate. "I know work has been stressful for you lately, and you might not be eating well." she said in a soft voice. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Adrian did not respond, nor did he even look up. He simply continued eating, his expression calm and distant.

Mrs Vale watched him for a moment, then turned her attention to Relanie. "You’ve been very quiet today, what’s wrong? Did Adrian bully you again?" she asked with a small teasing smile.

Relanie shook her head, her hand pausing over her plate. "No, I’ve just been thinking about my party." she said calmly.

Mrs Vale let out a quiet sigh.

"Sorry, darling, it’s understandable that you’re stressed." she said and placed her cutleries down. "Aurelia’s great singers will be attending. You’ll need to make sure everything is perfect. They must be properly received." she sighed again.

"There’s a lot to prepare." She added, then gently reached out her hand. "Come, let me have your hand."

Relanie placed her hand in hers, but her gaze was still lowered.

Mrs Vale looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds.

"Is that all?" she asked while Relanie nodded, slowly raising her head.

"Don’t worry too much. Adrian will be there with you. You won’t have to face everything alone." she said again giving a warm smile.

Relanie paused at those words. She did not reply, but her eyes shifted toward Adrian.

Just as she expected... His face showed no reaction at all.

After pulling her hands from Mrs Vale’s, Relanie lowered her gaze again, a quiet, bitter thought passing through her mind.

What would they say... if they knew?

If they knew their son was involved with one of their sponsors...

At that moment, Mr Vale finally spoke. He had been silent the whole time. "This girl... Elara Veyne, are you inviting her?" he asked curiously.

Relanie’s hand clenched at her side, but she flashed him a smile. "Yes, I’ve already told her." she replied.

Mrs Vale nodded with satisfaction. "Good. I really like that girl, she’s quite talented. And even though she came from Lorien, it feels like she had grew up here in Starfall."

There was a hint of curiosity in her voice. "But I do wonder..." She stopped, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Why doesn’t she look Aurelian? She looks more like someone from the west." She said turning to Mr Vale. "Don’t you think so?"

"Yes," Mr Vale answered nodding. "Her features are quite different.

"Still, she always appears very calm, no matter who is around her. That kind of charm is rare. She might go far." Mrs Vale said in admiration while Mr Vale gave a small hum of agreement.

"Yeah," he said calmly.

At that, Relanie’s fingers tightened again. But her expression remain unchanged.

Mrs Vale’s gaze then drifted to the side and landed on a portrait resting on the wall at a corner of the room. Her expression dimmed for a brief moment, but just as quickly, she looked away. Then she turned back to Adrian.

"Adrian, your father is going to Solmere for the—" Before she could finish speaking, Adrian had suddenly moved. He picked up a handkerchief and wiped his hands calmly. Then he stood up, shifting his chair slightly to the back.

"I’ll leave first," he said calmly. And without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away. Not looking back.

Mr Vale paused and looked up. His gaze following Adrian’s retreating figure.

Mrs Vale turned to Mr Vale with a small stiff smile. "I guess the workload has been affecting him a lot, he probably needs more rest." she said.

Mr Vale let out a loud snort, but he did not say anything else. He simply returned to his food...