Chapter 4

The news of my breakup with Damian spread like wildfire.

The moment Damian officially announced he was pulling all financial sponsorship from the orchestra, every other corporate sponsor dropped us overnight.

Our nationwide tour was cancelled indefinitely, the theater doors were padlocked, and even our private event gigs were systematically blocked.

I tried contacting investors I used to be on first-name terms with, but no one would even pick up my calls.

Nobody was stupid enough to cross Damian and his family’s fine-jewelry empire just to help me out.

With me out of the picture, Sophia grew bolder by the day. At every single new collection launch, she threw passive-aggressive shade in my direction, publicly calling for me to reimburse every single penny Damian had spent on me during our five years together.

“Name your price. How about fifty grand a month? Why play innocent? Everyone in New York knows what kind of gold digger you really are.

“I’d jump on this deal while I still care about your pretty face, sweetheart.”

Disgusting text messages flooded my inbox around the clock. I didn't reply to a single one, but I documented every single name and number.

A banking notification popped up on my phone, triggering a wave of memories.

Truth was, I had never really agreed with my father's strict arrangement. So after Damian and I started dating, I refused to take his black card.

My parents had such a beautiful, genuine marriage, and I wanted that exact same pure love for myself.

Whenever Damian showered me with extravagant gifts, I used my own performance checks to buy him high-end gifts of equal value.

However, Damian’s affection had always been so loud and grand that everyone just assumed I was a parasite draining his bank account.

Two weeks later, the orchestra finally scored a private gig.

It was a high-society charity auction packed with power players from New York’s biggest conglomerates, and Damian was on the guest list.

Sophia strutted into the ballroom on Damian’s arm, throwing a smirk in my direction.

I ignored her entirely, keeping my chin down and focusing on tuning my cello. Mr. Langley had swallowed his pride and begged for this opportunity; I wasn't going to ruin it for everyone.

Halfway through the set, a man reeking of alcohol, Richard Sullivan, stumbled up to the stage holding a champagne flute.

“Well, if it isn't the famous Anna,” he slurred loudly, “How much cash is it gonna take to win a dance with you tonight?

“Ten grand enough? Say the word and I’ll double it!”

Mr. Langley rushed over with a tight, nervous smile, trying to guide him away, but the drunk shoved him back hard. The guy slapped a thick stack of hundred-dollar bills straight against my chest.

“Stop acting so pure! The whole room knows you're for sale. Think ten grand is insulting? Give me a price!”

Down in the crowd, Sophia swirled her champagne flute with a laugh.

“Careful, sir! Our star cellist has her sights set on a million-dollar payout. How could she possibly care about your pocket change?”

A wave of cruel laughter rippled across the floor.

Damian stood on the edge of the crowd, watching me get publicly humiliated without uttering a single word.

“Stop fronting, Anna,” Sophia called out, stepping closer to the stage, “Everyone knows this room is packed with New York royalty. You’re just looking for your next rich fool to scam now that Damian dumped you! Too bad your little gold-digger act is blown.”

She walked onto the platform, running a finger mockingly over my cheek.

“Though I did hear the heir to the James family just got back from overseas today,” she added, “Maybe if you use that pretty face of yours, he’ll actually drop a million bucks to buy a dance with you?”

Richard grabbed my wrist with a slimy, suffocating grip, yanking me off the stage.

He scoffed. “In your dreams! An elite heir like that only looks at real high-society ladies. Why would he waste a glance on a gold digger?!”

I yanked my arm back with everything I had then looked at Damian one last time, and opened my mouth to speak.

“A million dollars for a dance?”

A deep, smooth voice echoed from the grand staircase, cutting through the noise. “Sounds cheap enough. I’ll take it.”

The bustling room plummeted into instant silence.

Standing at the top of the marble stairs was a guy with sharp features, golden hair, and piercing blue eyes, looking down at the crowd like they were nothing.

Sophia shot me an angry glare and bit her lip in fury, opening her mouth to interject, but the guy casually raised a hand to cut her off.

His eyes locked onto mine, a warm smile breaking across his face.

“Anna,” he said gently, “Come to your big bro.”