Chapter 3

Seeing my silence, Lucas unusually spoke again,

"Chloe, I'm doing this for our future. You should know that getting Summers Corporation to continue sponsoring our overseas studies is just a matter of Vanessa saying a word."

Lucas had told me before that he was a scholarship recipient from Summers Corporation.

After he finished, he looked at the canvas bag on my body and asked, "Are you one too?"

I thought for a moment and answered, "I guess so."

He was very happy to hear this and held my hand, "Chloe, we must work hard together and meet at the top."

Later, he became a rising star with his extremely high talent.

While I was still confined to a small practice room, struggling with panic attacks.

Thinking about how Lucas had encouraged me to participate in this talent show, I sighed.

Forget it, the show is tomorrow, we should indeed focus on the performance.

But I still answered him.

"If it's about studying abroad, you don't need to worry. Summers Corporation won't stop sponsoring you."

I had originally hoped that we would make a splash at this show.

But on the way to the auditorium, someone came running to tell me that there was an urgent matter and someone was looking for me in the practice room.

Lucas took the garment bag and my backpack from my hands, saying he would wait for me in the rest area and told me to hurry back.

But when I got to the practice room, it was empty.

The door behind me slammed shut with a "bang" and was locked.

I urgently wanted to call Lucas, only to realize that my phone was in my bag.

I thought Lucas would surely come looking for me if he kept waiting and I didn't show up, but he didn't come.

By the time the janitor found me, the talent show was already nearing its end.

I ran to the auditorium as fast as I could, only to see that the finale that was supposed to belong to Lucas and me had become his duet with Vanessa.

On stage, Lucas was wearing a white suit, the angled spotlight making him look otherworldly.

Pleasant and lively music flowed from his fingertips.

He played the piano while looking up at Vanessa in front of him, his eyes full of undisguised joy.

I followed his gaze, and when I saw the dress Vanessa was wearing, my pupils constricted.

That was my mother's dress.