Chapter 3

Freya's POV

The afternoon before the gala concert, the theater manager assigned me to clean Daphne's private dressing room.

I pushed open the door. Daphne was seated in front of a priceless Stradivarius cello, plucking at the strings.

When she saw me walk in, a malicious smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

"Clean up the broken glass on the floor."

I kept my head down, took the broom, and walked silently to the corner.

My body had weakened to its breaking point. Every movement felt like my bones were being sawed through with rust.

"I've always been curious, actually." Daphne stood and walked toward me. "How much money did it take for you to sell Valerian out back then?"

I didn't respond. I just kept sweeping.

"Do you know how much Valerian hates you now?" She leaned in close suddenly, lowering her voice. "Every night when he holds me, he says the most disgusting thing he ever did in his life was love you."

My movements froze.

It felt like a blunt knife had been driven straight into my chest. The pain made it almost impossible to breathe.

"The room's clean. I'll leave now."

I didn't answer her. I only prepared to leave this suffocating room.

"Stop right there!"

Daphne's eyes flashed with irritation when she saw me ignoring her.

She spun around suddenly, grabbed a crystal vase from the table, and hurled it violently at the expensive cello.

A loud crash.

The cello's front panel split open in a long, jagged crack, and shards of crystal exploded across the floor.

I stared at her in shock, still trying to process what had just happened, when Daphne grabbed a sharp piece of broken glass and, without hesitation, slashed it across the back of her own hand.

"Ahhh—!"

She let out a piercing scream and collapsed to the floor.

The dressing room door flew open.

Valerian burst in.

When he saw the wreckage scattered everywhere, the ruined cello, and Daphne sitting in a pool of blood, sobbing, his eyes instantly turned red.

"Valerian... I only asked her to help me fetch some sheet music. She lost her mind—she smashed my cello and cut my hand with the glass..."

Daphne threw herself into Valerian's arms, weeping pitifully.

Valerian's entire body radiated terrifying fury.

He lifted his head, and in his eyes burned a rage that looked ready to tear me apart.

"It wasn't me..." I instinctively took a step back.

"Shut up!"

Valerian lunged forward and grabbed me by the collar.

"You betrayed me for money before, and now you want to destroy Daphne's hand out of jealousy? Do you have any idea how important a hand is to a cellist?!"

He roared, spittle hitting my face.

I looked at him, and tears finally welled up in my eyes, threatening to spill over.

Valerian, do you remember? I used to be a cellist, too.

My hands are already ruined. But you never once asked why.

"A selfish, vicious woman like you doesn't deserve to live in this world!"

Valerian shouted, and with a violent shove, he pushed me backward.

My body—already weak beyond its limit—couldn't withstand such brutal force.

My head slammed hard into the corner of the vanity.

Everything spun. Blood immediately streamed down my forehead, blurring my vision.

It hurt.

It hurt so much.

I collapsed to the floor, my sight flooded red with blood.

Through the haze, I saw Valerian carefully lift Daphne into his arms.

He didn't even glance down at me, lying there in a pool of blood.

"You dared to hurt my woman, didn't you? Today I'll make you pay for what you did to her." Valerian's cold voice came from above me. "The cost of that cello will be deducted from your wages. You can spend the rest of your miserable life rotting in the gutter, paying off your debt."

With that, he carried Daphne and turned away without a shred of mercy.

The door slammed shut.

I lay on the cold floor, my blood slowly draining the warmth from my body.

I stared up at the ceiling, and suddenly I felt so tired.

Valerian, I don't want to watch you conduct anymore.

I give up.