For the rest of the day, Aria tore her studio apart.
She wanted to know how it was possible.
How the new artist was able to steal her music, who the new artist was.
It is one impossible task she was unable to know in her previous life.
She overturned her chairs, yanked her drawers open, scattered papers like broken wings.
She ripped through every corner, every shelf, as if the walls themselves were hiding secrets.
There had to be something.
A camera.
A recorder.
Anything.
How else could her music have been stolen?
She had recorded alone last night, she wrote the songs alone, it wasn’t even possible for two people to think of the exact same thing.
She searched until her hands shook, until sweat clung to her skin.
She even brought out a metal detector, waving it across the floor, the walls, the instruments, desperate for the faintest beep, the smallest clue.
But there was nothing.
The studio was as clean as a grave.
It’s almost like their minds were linked together.
Aria had made little money so she ordered new equipment and took the old ones out.
She called her assistant Evelyn, who helped with the arrangement of the new studio setup.
She would never let the mistake of her past life repeat itself.
If nothing else, she would make sure she found the thief and brought justice to her old self.
“It’s all done.
Please come see your studio.” Evelyn’s voice was bright.
Aria walked calmly behind her and was in awe of everything inside.
It looked beautiful, breathtaking even.
“We can start arranging the plaques and trophies in….”
“No,” Aria said almost immediately.
“Send the plaques and trophies over to Mr.
Graves’s office.
He’ll make better use of them.
I don’t need them,” she said softly, keeping her tone calm as she walked toward a chair.
Evelyn froze, staring at her with her mouth open.
“Are you sure, Mrs.
Graves?”
Aria nodded with a small smile.
“Yes.
A thousand and one percent sure.”
Evelyn blinked, like she had something more to say but didn’t want to upset her.
Aside from being her assistant, Evelyn was almost like a friend.
She knew how to read Aria in ways others couldn’t.
“I couldn’t get the tape you asked for Miss Aria.
It seems someone else got to it before I did.” Aria nodded.
Just like in her last life.
Thank goodness she was smart this time to cover her face with the pillow.
“It’s alright Evelyn.” Aria said gently.
“Miss Aria… w…
What happened?
H…
how are you able to cope with all the rumors?
And with…
Mr.
Graves?” She lowered her voice when she said his name.
It had only been a day since Aria and Caspian got married, and already there were rumors flying around that Aria had cheated.
It wasn’t supposed to be out yet, and Aria knew who must have released those headlines.
She leaned back in her chair.
“Everything you’ve read is true, Evelyn.” She smiled faintly and Evelyn’s eyes turned wide.
Everyone around the world knows Aria Monroe is obsessed with Caspian.
She’s shamelessly fought with both big and small artist for him, claiming him to be hers publicly.
Some people mocked her for it, but others applauded her boldness.
Either way, she hadn’t cared.
At that time, all she’d wanted was him.
And somehow, she got her wish.
Everyone wanted to be Caspian’s wife, she had the opportunity and had given it away?
The news that she had cheated and was leaving him shocked everyone.
Her fans were in an uproar.
They couldn’t believe it.
After all, Caspian and Aria had been painted as the perfect couple.
The internet called them the next Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
She was the rising star with the golden voice, and he was the powerful label owner who had become a billionaire quickly.
Little did they know those accolades were all fakes.
He had bribed news outlets to make him seem bigger than he was so that he would be respected more.
Aria and Caspian were supposed to be untouchable.
A match made in heaven.
But that was the old story.
That was her past life.
The truth?
Caspian had killed her long before the world thought she was dead.
He gave away her place, her dreams, to a newer artist who stole all her songs.
And when she complained, he silenced her.
“Being my wife is enough, Aria,” he told her.
“You don’t need anything else.
Let her shine, it’s her turn.”
She wondered why Caspian always stood up for Leah.
What was so special about her?
Or did he fuck her too?
Aria smiled at her thoughts.
“Let’s just say, Caspian Graves is my ex husband, for now, we need to focus on me and my career.”
….
“You asked for her to be investigated further, Mr.
Vaughn, and here you have it.”
The maid’s voice trembled as she clutched the phone, reading his assistant’s message from his cellphone.
“The news about your scandal is all over the net.
It seems… it’s not the first time she’s been accused of such.”
Sebastian swirled the last drop of wine across his tongue before setting the glass aside.
Then, without hurry, he rose from the tub.
Water streamed down his chest in thin, glistening trails, catching on every hard line of muscle.
Droplets slid lower, dripping from his waist, hitting the marble floor like the ticking of a clock.
He didn’t bother reaching for a towel.
The maid’s throat bobbed as she swallowed.
Her cheeks burned red, but she didn’t dare look away.
She was both frightened and… spellbound.
Her master was like a sculpture, a sculpture even the best crafter could never craft.
Sebastian’s gaze shifted to her, cool and sharp.
“What else is written there?” His voice was calm, deep, and commanding, the kind that left no room for hesitation as he picked a mob and started cleaning the floor.
Her knees almost gave way.
She gripped the phone tighter, fingers trembling as if the device weighed a ton.
“S…
She’s trouble.
A woman who begs men for attention…”
“Hm.” He hummed with a smile.
“So…
she’s a chaser…” He paused.
“I love being chased.”
“She has a bad reputation,” the maid continued quickly.
“You cannot be seen with such a woman, Mr.
Vaughn.
She’s a whore, that’s how she got to fame.
And most especially, she’s your nephew’s wife.
It’s going to cause a commotion.”
“Hm… is that all?” Sebastian asked, finally wrapping a towel around his waist as the maid continued reading.
“She’s an artist, one of the rising stars of our time, but her name trends for scandals rather than music these days.” She hesitated.
“She has a sister and is an orphan.
It seems she’s been with your nephew for a really long time.
They…
are…
inseparable…”
“But Master Vaughn,” the maid read softly, “why are you suddenly interested in that woman?
There are many other women to want.”