Chapter 4

Nina had already decided to withdraw her funding for the next quarter, and since Martin had asked her to come in to discuss the theater's investment plans, she figured it was best to break the news to him in person.

She entered through the back door, only to hear Ian's familiar laughter coming from somewhere down the corridor. She hesitated at the sound but continued toward Martin's office.

As she passed the rehearsal room, she noticed light spilling through the half-open door and caught sight of Ian standing inside.

With a snap of his fingers, a rose blossomed in his palm. He offered it to Willa, who accepted it with a shy, blushing smile, only to gasp when another snap transformed the flower into a dove that fluttered out of her hands.

"You're amazing, Ian!" Willa exclaimed, clapping.

Ian grinned. "You haven't seen anything yet."

He pulled a coin from his pocket, rolled it deftly between his fingers, and closed his fist around it. Then he took Willa's hand, turned it over, and bent to kiss the back of it.

Watching from the doorway, Nina couldn't help remembering the last time she'd seen him perform that trick. He'd held her hand just as gently, slipping a ring onto her finger before dropping to one knee beneath a shower of snow he'd conjured onstage.

"This is a trick I'll only ever perform for my future wife," he'd told her.

Now he was performing it for someone else.

Nina looked away, but before she could leave, the rehearsal room door swung open. Ian appeared, still smiling from his exchange with Willa, though the smile faded the moment he recognized her.

"What are you doing here?"

He stood in the light while Nina remained in the shadows of the corridor, giving her a clear view of the shirt she'd bought him and the custom cuff links she'd given him. His collar was slightly open, exposing his collarbones. Somehow, the sight struck her as almost funny.

"I'm here to discuss some business with Martin."

Ian studied her for a moment, then stepped closer, looking as though he'd figured something out.

"You came to see me, didn't you? Have you finally made up your mind?"

Nina didn't understand what he was getting at until he continued.

"About apologizing to Willa. If you're ready to do that, go talk to her. She's got a soft heart. As long as you're sincere, she won't give you a hard time."

Somewhere farther down the quiet corridor, Willa was humming to herself.

"Apologize for what?" Nina asked.

Ian frowned, but before he could answer, a young theater employee, Emily Parker, approached with two cups of coffee.

"Oh, Ms. Shaw! You're here!"

Her face brightened when she spotted Nina.

"Did you bring Mr. Xavier something to eat again?" Emily asked, smiling as she tried to peek behind her. "What did you bring this time? He absolutely loved those sausage biscuits you brought last time. We were all saying how lucky he is to have such a thoughtful wife..."

Emily's voice trailed off when she realized Nina hadn't brought anything. There was no insulated bag, no food container, none of the packages she used to arrive with.

Ian noticed too. His gaze dropped to Nina's empty hands, and for a brief moment, his expression changed.

Nina remembered how his face used to light up whenever she arrived backstage, usually carrying something she'd gone out of her way to get for him. His favorite sausage biscuits came from a bakery ninety minutes away, but she'd happily made the drive. Whenever he had a sore throat, she'd ask Mrs. Walker to spend four hours simmering a homemade cough remedy for him. And because he was prone to catching colds whenever the seasons changed, she always kept medicine in her purse.

For two seconds, Ian said nothing. Then he stepped back, his expression hardening as though that brief flicker of surprise had never happened.

"Fine. Then don't bother coming in," he said coldly.

Nina continued to Martin's office, where she got straight to the point: she wouldn't be funding the theater next quarter.

Martin was stunned. He immediately tried to change her mind, reminding her that the theater had depended on her financial support for the past two years. But no matter what he said, Nina wouldn't budge.

When she finally left his office, she opened the door to find the entire corridor plunged into darkness.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The hallway was so black she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. She switched on her phone's flashlight, but its narrow beam barely illuminated the floor at her feet. Far ahead, the green emergency exit sign glowed faintly, the only other visible light in the long corridor.

Nina forced herself forward, but after only a few steps, her hands were trembling so badly that the flashlight beam shook across the floor. Her heart raced, each breath coming shorter than the last, while the darkness seemed to close around her like rising water.

She'd grown up surrounded by every imaginable comfort, but she'd never been able to stand complete darkness. Now there was no escaping it. Curling her trembling fingers into her palm, she quickened her pace, desperate to reach the exit.

Halfway down the corridor, a burst of cheering caught her attention.

Nina stopped and turned toward the sound. Moving cautiously through the dark, she followed the voices until she reached the side of the stage.

From behind the curtain, she could see Ian standing beneath a spotlight. He snapped his fingers, and snow began drifting down from above the stage.

Willa stood in the middle of it, dressed in white, her face tilted toward the falling snow. She let the flakes settle on her cheeks, smiling with the innocent delight of a little girl while everyone around her applauded, laughed, and called out, "Happy birthday!"

Another snap of Ian's fingers, and a cake appeared in Willa's hands. She closed her eyes and made a wish as the snow continued falling around her, covering her dress in white.

Nina remained hidden in the darkness, watching the scene unfold with an unbearable tightness in her chest.

Eventually, she turned away and pushed through the side door. A gust of cold night air swept across her face, carrying away the last of the bitterness she'd been feeling.

She remembered how Ian had once accidentally switched off the lights while she was still in a room, leaving her alone in the dark. She'd told him afterward how much she hated darkness, and he'd listened so earnestly, promising he would never forget.

Apparently, when it came to Willa, nothing else mattered to him. Not even the promises he'd made to his own wife.

Nina looked up at the night sky, forcing down the emotions that had briefly threatened to overwhelm her.

"Nina!"

Ian came running toward her. "What's wrong?"

When she didn't answer, he seemed to remember something. He glanced back at the pitch-black corridor, then turned to her again.

"Why are all the lights off? Hang on. I'll get someone to turn them back on."

He was about to leave when someone caught his arm.

Willa had emerged from the darkness behind him. After a quick glance at Nina, she lowered her eyes and spoke softly.

"Ian, we haven't finished the last trick yet. Everyone's still waiting..."

Ian hesitated, and Willa looked up at him with bright, pleading eyes before turning to Nina.

"Why don't you stay and watch the rest, Nina?" Willa asked, stepping closer and reaching for her hand.

Nina instinctively pulled away, knocking Willa's hand aside. Willa cried out as she lost her footing and stumbled backward off the edge of the raised loading platform.