Isolde's POV

I gritted my teeth. “This is her fault to begin with!”

Nicholas paused. Then, he suddenly reached up and unclasped Alicia’s necklace.

“Isolde, change clothes with her,” he said.

For a second, I thought I’d misheard. “You want me to admit I played that kind of piece?”

He gave a curt nod.

My mother was a revolutionary musician. I would never play that music. If Alicia messed up, that’s her mistake. What does it have to do with me?” I snapped.

“She just made a momentary oversight, that’s all!” Nicholas raised his voice and pulled her closer. “She didn’t train in a conservatory. She doesn’t know as much about music as you do, so don’t be so hard on her. I promise, just this once. After it’s over, I’ll marry you.”

“I don't want to!” I stepped forward and lunged for the necklace.

But he was taller and faster. He dodged me easily and pushed the pendant out the nearby window.

“No!” I reached, but he had one hand outside the window and the other holding me steady.

“Do you want her to shoulder the rumors?” he asked.

My eyes burned. “So I can just take them?”

For the first time, a flicker of pity showed in his face. “I’m sorry. I will marry you, and no one will dare bully my wife.”

I clutched at his jacket, desperate.

Then he changed tone as he added, “But if you still refuse, then I’ll destroy the necklace.”

“Wait!” I cried. The pendant dangled from his fingers, drifting in the wind. My hand trembled as I said, “I’ll go out—”

Before I could finish, the backstage curtain ripped open, and I was shoved into the light wearing Alicia’s gown. Before I could react, a microphone was smacked against my forehead with a thud, followed by angry shouts from the hall.

“Traitor! How could you disgrace your mother like this?”

“If your mother could hear that music now, she’d never rest!”

Tears blurred my vision. I clamped my jaw. “I’m sorry—” I began.

“What good is ‘sorry’? If you were truly ashamed, you’d go die!” someone screamed.

“Yeah, go die!” others echoed.

I trembled. Teeth clenched, I bent forward. “I’m sorry,” I said again.

They threw garbage, wilted program sheets, an old shoe, even a phone, and everything hit me. Blood soon slicked my forehead where something struck.

Then, at the edge of the crowd, I saw him. Nicholas stood back there, watching. For a heartbeat, I thought I saw concern in his eyes. Maybe I’d actually been knocked out.

Shortly after that, he turned and walked away.

When I stumbled back backstage, the necklace lay intact in the red velvet box, cleaned, shining like new.

“Here,” Alicia said, and unwillingly pushed the box toward me.

My hand shook as I reached for it. But before my fingers could touch, another hand snatched it away. Alicia’s cold smile flashed like a blade.

Then, with a sharp crack, the necklace hit the floor and shattered into pieces.

“You think I’d actually give this to you?” she sneered. “Dream on.”

Before he could catch on, a bloody handprint had already flashed across her face as I slapped her, causing her to collapse to the floor.

“Bitch!” I yelled and raised my hand again. But someone wrenches my wrist so hard I cried out. Then it was followed by a stinging slap, sending my cheek burning, and I hit the floor.

Nicholas never struck a woman, not even when he openly disliked me before. The worst he’d do was mock me. Even when I’d slapped him once, he hadn’t hit back.

Isolde's POV

But this time, for Alicia’s sake, Nicholas raised his hand against me.

His leather shoe came down hard, grinding the shattered pieces of the necklace onto the floor.

“I already gave you the necklace,” he snapped. “Why did you have to hit her?”

“Nicholas…”

“Enough!” His voice cut through the air like a whip. “I thought you were just a little spoiled, but I was wrong. You’re worse than I imagined! It’s a blessing your mother isn’t alive to see how despicable you’ve become.”

“You—” A sharp pain tore through my chest. I coughed, and blood spilled from my lips. My body was already weak, and anger sent my heart racing until the world went dark.

“Isolde?” His voice sounded distant and frantic. “Isolde, wake up!”

I could feel that I was in his arms, and somewhere in the fog, I heard Alicia’s voice crying out, “Nicholas! Where are you going? Don’t leave me!”

The next time I opened my eyes, a warm hand was brushing gently against my cheek. The moment I stirred, that hand pulled back.

“Once you’re better,” Nicholas said, his tone cold again, “go apologize to her.”

I frowned.

“She’s still hurting from that slap,” he added. “Apologize… and then we’ll—”

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “We’ll get married.”

His eyes were red, proof he’d stayed by my bedside for a long time. But all that concern wasn’t for me. It was just so I’d bow my head to his precious Alicia.

“Nicholas,” I said quietly, “what makes you think I can’t live without you?”

He froze.

I laughed bitterly. “That slap? I regret not hitting her harder.”

His brows drew together when he saw my clenched fists, veins bulging beneath my pale skin. Even the IV line darkened with blood.

He bent down, gave me a mocking smile, and said coldly, “Fine. Let’s see how long you can keep pretending.”

Then he turned and stormed out.

By the time the nurses rushed in, the IV had already backflowed with blood.

Worried that Spencer would start looking for me, I discharged myself that same night.

Third Person's POV

Meanwhile, at the airport, Nicholas and Alicia were about to embark on their round-the-world trip.

But Alicia couldn’t help noticing how distracted Nicholas seemed. Ever since they’d returned from the hospital, he’d been distracted.

'Could it be because of that woman?' she wondered, but immediately brushed it off. 'No, impossible. Nicholas despised her more than anyone.'

But right before boarding, Nicholas pulled out his phone.

Alicia’s eyes flicked toward the screen and saw that the top contact in his favorites wasn’t her.

He tapped that contact and called, only to hear that it was turned off.

Nicholas frowned.

“Nicholas,” Alicia said softly, “who were you calling? You don’t look happy.”

“It’s nothing.” He forced a small smile. “Just someone unimportant.”

'Unimportant. Then why is she pinned at the top?' she fumed inwardly.

Alicia frowned slightly. But when Nicholas took her hand and smiled, saying, “You’re the one who matters most,” she chose to let it go.

They walked toward the gate together.

At that exact moment, a woman in a mask brushed past them, dragging her suitcase toward a flight headed in the opposite direction.

But neither of them noticed the other.

Unbeknownst to them, that was the moment their story truly ended.