REBIRTH : Chasing The Limelight-Chapter 39: You are done for...

After returning from work the night of that same day, Elara lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She kept tossing and turning restlessly, she felt very uncomfortable.

After lingering like that for several minutes, she suddenly sat up. Staying in bed would only make it worse. She pushed the blanket aside, walked to the door, and stepped into the hallway.

Most of the music and training rooms in Voice were not locked. Only the important ones that held expensive instruments required special care. The small music room closest to her dorm was usually open.She walked there and gently pushed the door open.

The lights in the room were dim. A single upright piano rested against the wall. It looked very simple but it’s more than enough for Elara.

She walked toward it and sat down slowly. Her fingers roamed around the keys but she did not press them. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her restless mind.

The Rising Voice Challenge was only a few days away. She had uploaded a short clip of her singing as the basic of the necessary steps, yet there had been no feedback. No message or call at all.

Did that mean she had not even entered the top ten? Was there no hope at all?

If she thought carefully about everything since the time she arrived here, there was no major achievement to speak of. She had not won anything or stood out in any way. The only good thing she gained was a job.

She slowly withdrew her hands from the piano and stood up. She then walked to the window. She pushed the curtain aside a bit and looked at the night sky. The faint stars twinkled in the distance, quiet and unreachable.

She never understood why she had been reborn. It still felt unreal sometimes. But she knew it had to be for a reason. A second life could not be meaningless. Whatever the reason was, she had to make something out of it.

And when everything finally became stable, she would terminate the sponsorship from the Vale family. She did not want to feel indebted forever. She did not want to live under anyone’s shadow.

The moment she thought of the Vale family, Adrian’s face appeared in her mind again. She gave a soft snort.

He always behaved as if the world should follow his decisions. As if he could control everyone else’s life as he wants.

Elara turned away from the window, intending to return to the piano and finally play something to clear her thoughts. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

But she had barely turned fully before two arms suddenly wrapped around her waist from behind. Her body froze and her eyes widened in shock.

A familiar male voice spoke near her ear.

"You refused me before. That was rude. But seeing you struggle so hard, I still want to help y—"

The sentence never finished. Elara reacted faster than her mind could process. She spun around sharply and raised her hand. Her palm landed across his cheek with a loud, clear sound.

The force of the slap pushed him backward. He stumbled a few steps and grabbed his face.

It was Mr Kain.

He stared at her in disbelief, his hand still pressed against his reddened cheek.

"You— what did you just do?" he demanded, pointing a finger at her.

Elara stood where she was, her back almost touching the window. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she breathed through her mouth. Her hands trembled a bit, but her gaze was cold.

"I told you not to ever touch me again," she said through gritted teeth.

Mr. Kain’s expression darkened. His eyes burned with anger, almost crimson due to his annoyance. He looked more furious than shocked now.

"Believe me when I say you’ll regret this," he said in a low voice. "You are done for."

With that, he turned around and stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind him.

Elara remained standing there for several seconds, staring at nothing. Her mind was still trying to catch up with what had just happened. She could still feel the unwanted pressure of his arms around her waist.

He said she would regret it.

How?

If anyone should regret something, it would be him. Shameless.

Her jaw tightened.

She did not stay any longer because the room no longer felt safe. She walked out quickly, returned to her dorm room, and locked the door behind her...

_

Elara thought that what happened in the music room was the most shameless thing Mr Kain could ever do. She believed that nothing could be worse than how he had wrapped his arms around her without permission and daring to speak as if he was doing her a favor.

She was wrong.

By the next day, his attitude had changed completely. Before, even if she gave him the cold shoulder, he still guided her during practice. Though His approach had always carried hidden intentions, but at least he did his job.

Now he stopped everything. He no longer guided her. He no longer explained anything. Instead, he began throwing words that hide hidden knives at her.

"Your voice is a bit acceptable...but it lacks emotion. It’s very flat. You sing like someone reading notes. There is no soul or pain in it. You’re just average. Very average." he said one afternoon while leaning back on his chair.

Another time, he said, "I’ve heard better from lower grade singers."

Though his tone was calm and he always had a smile on his face while saying it, Elara knew every word was meant to provoke her.

She felt her fingers curl into fists at her sides, but her expression will remain unchanged. She did not give him the satisfaction of seeing her react. If this was the only thing he could do, then she had no problem in enduring it. Words could not hurt her. Not after everything she had already survived.

Surprisingly, a piece of good news came soon after.

Ziva informed her that she had entered the top ten winners of the Rising Voice Challenge.

For a moment, Elara thought she had misheard her. Top ten.

Even though this was only the first phase and not the final victory, hope bloomed in her chest again. She did not have time to waste on Mr Kain’s bitterness. There were more important things ahead.

Two days before the live showcase, she received an official email from Rye Entertainment. The message informed her that she needed to come to their headquarters for final registration verification and other necessary procedures. Ziva insisted on going with her.

The Rye Entertainment headquarters was very large and impressive, with a tall glass exterior and a spacious lobby. But as Elara observed everywhere, she still felt that compared to Voice, this company lagged behind in some other ways.

They were led to the fifth floor and then into a large verification area. When they reached the door to the office, Ziva stopped outside and told Elara she would wait there.

Elara nodded and entered alone. Inside the office, a young woman dressed in a neat blazer greeted her politely. The woman’s tone was very professional but not unfriendly. She gestured for Elara to sit down on the chair across from hers.

Elara handed over her identification card and the other required documents. The staff member scanned them carefully and began typing on her computer. After a short while, the woman nodded.

"Everything matches. You’re officially in the top ten. Congratulations."

Elara nodded lightly in response. She did not show too much excitement. She only listened as the staff member explained further details about the live showcase. Elara kept responding with quiet nods.

She expected the meeting to end soon.

Just as she thought she would be dismissed, the office door opened without warning and a woman stepped inside.

She was slender and elegant, dressed in a perfectly fitted gown.

Elara’s eyes shifted toward her face.

The moment she saw it, her breath caught in her throat...