pleading

Gina's POV

I wasn't sure how I left Prime Entertainment that day.

 "I'll give you twenty-four hours to prove your innocence. Otherwise, your contract invitation will be cancelled,"

The director had said before ending the event.

Those words became the only fuel that carried me back to my apartment that night.

Three days had passed since graduation, and during those days, I'd been searching desperately for any piece of evidence I could present. The silence inside my apartment was deafening.

Just days ago, this room had been filled with laughter, melodies, and the soft hum of my violin. Now, only the faint buzz of my laptop kept me company—the last fragile link to the life I'd built before everything crumbled.

I clicked through my folders one by one, my heart pounding faster with every empty file.

The videos I had taken while composing—gone.

The recordings from my studio practice—gone.

Even the drafts I had titled "Maybe Hit?" and "My Young Diva Hit"—gone.

"No, no, no…" My voice cracked as I opened the recycle bin. Empty.

Every trace of my work—every proof that those songs were mine—had been erased.

I slumped back in my chair, trembling fingers covering my mouth. I'd checked this laptop a hundred times already, but I kept hoping against hope and checked again. I had kept everything here. Ethan had even helped me back up the files—he'd bought me the drive himself.

The realization hit like a blade twisting in my chest. He must have deleted everything.

"But why?" I whispered to the empty room. I couldn't understand his actions. Did three years of love and trust mean nothing to him?

A soft notification tone broke the silence. I reached for my phone with shaking hands. The screen lit up with a flood of news alerts.

 "Prime Entertainment welcomes its newest couple — Emily Greenwood and Ethan Cole."

"Superstar Ethan Cole proposes to his secret girlfriend Emily Greenwood."

"Emily Greenwood shows off her diamond ring."

"Emily Greenwood releases her practice video."

"Wonderful performance by Emily Greenwood."

The headlines blurred as tears filled my eyes. I clicked one at random—and there it was.

Emily, smiling for the cameras, wearing the ring Ethan once promised would be mine.

He stood beside her, his hand wrapped around her waist, looking every bit the perfect man in love.

Behind them, the logo of Prime Entertainment gleamed like a cruel reminder of everything that should have been mine.

My chest tightened as I scrolled through the comments.

 "So Gina really was the copycat."

"No wonder she vanished after graduation."

"Emily deserves the spotlight—she's always been the real talent."

"I can't believe I was ever a fan of Gina."

"Mount Wing should revoke her certificate. She's not worthy."

"Even the Young Diva trophy should be taken back!"

I wanted to stop reading, but I held on to the faint hope that someone—anyone—might still believe me.

The more I read, the clearer it became: the world I had worked so hard for, the name I had built, was gone in a matter of days.

I pressed a trembling hand to my mouth, trying to stifle the sob rising in my throat.

Then, my phone rang. For a moment, I wanted to ignore it—nothing good had come since graduation—but when I looked at the screen, my heart froze. The call was from the hospital.

"Miss Gina," the nurse's urgent voice came through. "Please hurry. Your mother's heart condition has suddenly relapsed."

The phone slipped from my hand. I didn't care how I looked or what I was wearing. I threw on the nearest jacket and ran out the door.

Although my mother had a heart condition, it had been managed well over the years. She'd been admitted recently for a major surgery—thankfully not a transplant—and her condition had been stable. The operation was supposed to take place in five days. Why was there a sudden issue?

My chest tightened as I rushed into the hospital. The sharp scent of disinfectant hit me as I pushed through the emergency doors.

"Miss Greenwood?" A nurse hurried toward me, her face drawn. "Your mother just got out of critical condition. The doctors stabilized her."

I exhaled shakily, relief flooding me. "Thank God," I whispered. "I don't know what I'd do if she—"

The nurse lowered her voice. "Her surgery has to be moved forward. The sooner it's done, the better."

"So she's okay for now?" I asked, my relief faltering.

"For now, yes," she said softly. "But we can't proceed with the surgery without completing the final payment. The hospital accountant said you still have a balance."

I froze. My stomach twisted painfully.

The payment.

I had planned to settle it as soon as I received my welcome bonus from Prime Entertainment. But that was gone now.

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag. "How much time do I have?"

"Not long," the nurse answered. "We need the funds before tomorrow morning, or we'll have to postpone again—and that would be too risky for her current condition."

I nodded numbly, thanking her before making my way down the corridor. My mother was asleep inside her room, pale and fragile beneath the white sheets. I stood there for a moment, my throat tightening.

"I'll fix this, Mom," I whispered, brushing her hair gently. "I promise."

She was the only family I had left. I couldn't lose her too.

After a long silence, I swallowed my pride and made the one decision I never thought I would—I went to see my uncle.

Although we didn't have the best relationship, he had always treated my mother and me decently. Maybe he would help, if not for me, then for his late brother. Mom said my uncle and father had the best of relationships.

I took a cab straight to their mansion on the east side of the city, clutching my bag like it held my last bit of dignity.

The moment I stepped through the gates, I heard music—cheerful, bright, and cruel. The house was glowing with lights and laughter. Guests filled the garden, glasses raised, photographers snapping pictures.

I didn't need to ask what the celebration was for.

Banners with Emily's name and Prime Entertainment's logo said it all.

Welcome, Emily Greenwood – Prime Entertainment's Newest Star.

My chest tightened as I forced my way through the crowd. Some people recognized me immediately; their whispers were sharp and venomous.

"Isn't that the cousin who stole her songs?"

"She still has the nerve to show up here?"

"If I were her, I'd disappear."

I ignored them and pushed forward until I reached my uncle. He was standing beside Emily and Ethan, proudly shaking hands with a reporter. Emily looked radiant in her diamond-studded dress, Ethan's arm wrapped possessively around her waist.

My uncle's smile vanished the instant he saw me.

"Uncle, please," I said, my voice trembling. "I need your help. It's about my mother… she needs emergency surgery. I just need to borrow some money. I'll pay you back once—"

Before I could finish, his wife cut in sharply. "You have some nerve showing your face here, Gina. After everything you did to our daughter?"

"I didn't do anything!" I cried, desperation cracking my voice. "I was framed! I swear I—"

"Enough," my uncle snapped, his face darkening. "This is not the time or place for your lies. You've caused enough shame to this family."

I turned to Ethan, hoping—foolishly—that he'd show even a flicker of sympathy. After all, we'd been lovers for three years.

Instead, he gave a small, mocking smile.

Emily stepped forward as if to shield him. "Why are you looking at my fiancé, Gina? Do you plan to steal him too, like you stole my songs?"

"Don't worry, baby," Ethan said coldly, his gaze filled with disgust. "I only have eyes for you."

"Shameless!" someone in the crowd hissed, throwing their wine at me.

Laughter rippled through the guests. Someone even clapped.

My throat tightened as my uncle gestured to the guards. "Please show Miss Greenwood the way out. And do not let her in again."

The guards didn't wait for me to move. They grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the gate.

"Uncle, please—just this once!" I begged, tears blurring my vision. "She could die!"

But my words were drowned out by the music, by Emily's laughter, by the flash of cameras capturing her perfect moment.

The gate slammed shut behind me.

I stood outside, the night wind cutting cold against my skin. My chest ached as the muffled sound of celebration echoed from behind the iron bars.

A few moments later, the gate creaked open again, and Ethan stepped out.

I swallowed hard, forcing down my pride.

"Ethan, please," I said, my voice trembling. "For the sake of the years we were together… just lend me some money. I have to save my mother."