After ending the call, Edric turned to her with a tense expression. "Rosie, Sierra's grandmother fainted. I need to go see her right away."

"What? How's she doing?" Before Rosetta could even respond, Elliot interjected.

"The situation doesn't look good," Edric replied, his brows knit in concern. "Sierra sounded shaken. Her voice was trembling. She must be really scared."

Almost as soon as he finished, Elliot leaned forward and spoke in a low voice, "Stop the car."

Once the vehicle halted, Elliot turned toward Rosetta. Usually composed and unruffled, he now appeared a bit flustered. "Sierra needs us, Rosie. Do you mind if you go to the dinner on your own? When we're done, we'll come find you. Is that alright?"

You'll come to find me when you're done? Really?

She managed a calm smile and nodded. "Of course, I don't. Go on ahead."

Relieved by her understanding, Elliot sighed, looking momentarily reassured. "All right, then. Let's go."

As they hurried off, Rosetta's smile faded. Turning to the driver, she spoke with a cool detachment, "Let's go."

The awards ceremony was teeming with prominent figures from the entertainment industry. Rosetta was not particularly skilled at small talk, so she kept her interactions brief, then slipped away to a quiet seat near the back.

No sooner had she settled than a light, mocking voice sounded beside her.

"Well, look who it is. The famous violinist Miss Rosetta Murphy."

Rosetta lifted her gaze and her expression immediately hardened at the sight.

Standing before her was Jared, the notorious son of the Sterling family, the one person she had once offended. Behind him was a group of equally smug young men.

The smirk on Jared's face grew wider as he noticed her reaction, looking every bit the villain enjoying his small triumph.

"Miss Murphy, all by yourself tonight? Where are the Sinclair brothers?"

Rosetta met his gaze briefly and then looked away without saying a word.

“Oh, silly me. I almost forgot that Elliot and Edric have a new lover now. What's her name again? Sierra Harris?”

Rosetta shot him a frosty look, her patience wearing thin. She stood, intending to walk away without further interaction.

Jared grabbed her hand before she could take a step and said, "Where are you rushing off to. It's only polite to chat with old friends for a while, don't you think?"

Rosetta yanked at her hand, but the strength difference between them was too great and her attempts to break free were useless.

"Jared, let go of me."

“Well, I'll let go. Call the Sinclair brothers. The moment they ask me to release you, I'll do it."

Rosetta glared at him, but the man casually raised his eyebrows.

She took a deep breath, reluctantly pulled out her phone and dialed Elliot's number. The call was immediately connected, yet no one answered and it eventually disconnected on its own.

Refusing to accept defeat, she tried Edric next, but this time, the call was swiftly declined.

She clutched her phone tightly, the sting of disappointment spreading from her heart to her entire body, an ache so deep it left her nearly breathless.

Of course. The only one who mattered to them now was Sierra Harris. She, on the other hand, was no longer a priority.

Jared watched it all with satisfaction, a smug grin stretching across his face.

"Well, would you look at that. Seems like the Sinclair brothers don't care enough to answer Miss Murphy's call anymore."

"Let go of me."

"Why should I?"

"You should think this through carefully, Jared. Haven't past lessons taught you enough?"

"Oh, Miss Murphy is still acting so impressive. But you seem to have forgotten something. You used to have the Sinclair brothers protecting you by your side. What do you have now? They've long since abandoned you."

Rosetta's face turned instantly pale at those words.

However, she did not want to waste her energy arguing with Jared. "Let go."

"Don't be so cold to me. The Sinclair brothers don't want you, but I do," Jared replied, refusing to release his grip. His tone and movements were laced with contempt as he raised a hand, aiming to brush her cheek.

Her complexion drained even further. She struggled with every ounce of strength, but Jared's hand drew closer and closer.

Just when he was about to land his hand on her cheek, a pair of long, slender and sharply defined hands stopped him.

Rosetta turned her head, only to meet a handsome face, almost flawless in its features, with deep-set eyes and a strikingly defined profile. A cold glint shone in the stranger's gaze.

"Who are you?"

"Someone you can't afford to offend." The man's voice was low and unyielding. "Get lost."

Jared wanted to retort, but the person standing next to him leaned in, whispering something into his ear. Within moments, Jared and his group hurriedly left.

Freed from the confrontation, Rosetta turned to offer her thanks, but the man was already walking away.

"Please, wait a moment."

The man's tall frame came to a slight halt, though he remained silent.

"Thank you so much for helping me."

"You're welcome." He left her with just those words before disappearing from view entirely.

Rosetta stood frozen, her mind still whirling, until the sharp ringing of her phone broke her trance.

She looked at the screen and found it was Elliot calling.

After staring at the screen for a long time, she finally decided to answer and Elliot's deep voice came from the other end. "Rosie, why did you call? Sierra has been crying and I'm comforting her."

A wave of exhaustion instantly swept over Rosetta.

"It's fine." She decided to keep silent about what had just happened.

But she had not expected Elliot to ask again, "Rosie, your voice sounds strange. Did something happen?"

Rosetta felt a twist of emotions at his question.

When she had needed him most, he had been busy prioritizing Sierra's needs, ignoring her calls. And now, when she no longer needed him, here he was, asking if anything was wrong. How ridiculous.

"Nothing."

On the other end, Elliot sensed something off. He wanted to ask Rosetta directly, but in the background, she could faintly hear Sierra's voice calling him anxiously.

"That's all. You go on. I'm hanging up now." Rosetta closed her eyes, spoke in a cold tone and then ended the call.

The following days passed without any sign of Elliot or Edric. She assumed he was at the hospital, keeping Sierra company.

In the meantime, Rosetta had almost finished packing her belongings, with only two days left until her final performance.

After the last rehearsal, Rosetta returned home and briefly called Riley. As soon as she hung up, she heard a car pulling up outside.

It was Elliot and Edric returning.

In the past, she would have waited to greet them, but today, she only felt an overwhelming weariness, too drained to face anyone.

So she stood and started to go upstairs.

But before she could make it far, Elliot stopped her.

"Rosie."

She turned and there, between Elliot and Edric, stood Sierra.

For a moment, Rosetta was caught off guard, forgetting to guard her emotions as she looked at the two brothers with questioning, puzzled eyes.

Edric stepped forward, gently taking her arm. "Rosie, Sierra's grandmother is in the hospital. We didn't feel right about leaving her alone, so we'll have her stay here at the villa for a while."

"She will stay here for a while?" Rosetta almost wondered if she had heard wrong.

"It's a large house. If we clean up a guest room for Sierra, it won't affect anything."

It won't affect anything, he said...

Rosetta could not hold back any longer. She looked at Elliot and Edric with an icy gaze. "This villa holds so many memories for the three of us. And now you want her to live here? Have you really thought it through?"

Elliot met her gaze, silent for a few moments before finally saying, "I told you, it's only for a while."

"Yes, Rosie," Edric added. "It's just for a while. Can you stop being so unreasonable?"

What? Unreasonable?

That word made Rosetta's heart sink. It made her realize the truth once again. To them, Sierra was the priority now. Those cherished memories they once shared did not mean anything anymore.

If that was how it was, why should she care if Sierra stayed here? She would be leaving soon and this villa would no longer be part of her life.

Without another word, Rosetta turned around and walked away.

Elliot watched her retreating figure, a trace of regret flickering across their faces. Perhaps they had not thought about her feelings enough.

At this moment, Sierra looked at them hesitantly, saying softly, "Rosetta seems upset, doesn't she? Maybe… maybe I shouldn't stay here after all."

"There's no need for that," Elliot replied. "You can stay here. It's fine."

"Yes," Edric added. "Rosie is just a bit spoiled by us."

Hearing their reassurances, the sadness in Sierra's expression faded, replaced by a grateful smile. "Thank you."

That night, Sierra settled comfortably into the villa. Meanwhile, Rosetta reminded herself over and over not to let it bother her, but she still could not sleep.

The next morning, she packed her things and headed downstairs.

As soon as she reached the stairs, Rosetta saw Sierra seated in the living room, giving countless orders to the butler.

"These decorations here are kind of outdated. Hey, replace them all."

"But these are Miss Rosetta's favorites."

"Oh, really? Well, she does, but I don't like them. Or should I get Elliot or the others to handle it?"

The butler hesitated, clearly uncomfortable. Unable to bear it any longer, Rosetta stepped forward and intervened. "It's fine. Just do as she says."

The butler gave her a reluctant glance, but Rosetta nodded and he complied. Sierra immediately noticed her presence, so she quickly changed her demeanor, standing up with a soft smile, far from the arrogant tone she had just used.

"Morning, Rosetta."

Rosetta skillfully avoided her extended hand without any expression on her face. "There's no need to act familiar. We're not close enough to hold hands when we talk."

The merciless words made Sierra froze briefly, but she recovered quickly. "Rosetta, are you upset with me? I only thought the decor didn't suit the living room's style. I didn't mean anything by it."

Watching her feigned innocence, Rosetta found herself growing weary of the pretense. "It's just us here now. No need to act like this. You're happy enough being allowed to stay here, aren't you?"

"Of course, I'm so happy to live here with you, Rosetta."

"Let's not kid ourselves, okay? You would prefer if I moved out and made room for you in this house."

"Will you, then?" Sierra's tone was almost innocent as she tilted her head and widened her eyes.

Rosetta looked at her for a moment, unable to suppress a wry smile. "Maybe I have underestimated you."

"Rosetta, Elliot and Edric have taken such good care of me. You've had your time with them. Honestly, it might be best if you left. Otherwise, staying here might only make it harder for you to accept things as they are."