The spotlight was blinding, even though Eva had always dreamed of being on stage. She could feel the eyes of hundreds on her, their whispers like invisible hands tugging at her heart. The weight of her guitar rested heavily on her lap as she sat in the center of the stage, the lights making her feel exposed.

Eva Foster forced a smile as she spoke into the microphone, her voice shaky. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This... This is Eva Foster."

The crowd clapped, but it was faint, polite. The same way people clapped when they didn’t expect much but were too polite to remain silent. And from the corner of her eye, she saw them. Celine Jones, her former best friend, and Josh Miller, the love of her life—locked together in a way that made her heart ache.

Celine’s lips curled into a cruel smile, the kind she once reserved for gossip. She whispered something into Josh’s ear, and Eva could see him nodding. Tears threatened to fall, but she held them back. This wasn’t the time.

From the crowd, Andrew King, the cold yet enigmatic CEO of Kings Corp, watched her closely. His sister, Irene King, sat beside him, her eyes filled with empathy as she murmured to her brother, "She’s too good for this, Andrew."

Andrew’s dark eyes flicked between Eva and the couple in the corner. He could see the betrayal in every inch of her body, the way her hands trembled as she tried to hold herself together. "Disgusting," he muttered under his breath.

Irene nodded. "She loved him so much."

Eva strummed a few soft notes on her guitar, her fingers shaking. She couldn't even hear the music. Her mind was swirling with the image of Celine and Josh together. They had betrayed her in the worst way, and now they flaunted it like a badge of honor.

Evander Kane, Andrew's best friend, leaned over, his eyes sharp as he looked at the stage. "Her singing is good. But look at her... she's crying."

Eva’s tears betrayed her strength. She blinked furiously, hoping the spotlight would hide her pain. But Andrew could see everything, and so could the others close enough to care. She tried to focus on her song, on the one thing that always made her feel whole. But tonight, the music felt like glass cutting through her soul.

"I can’t take this anymore," she whispered into the microphone, the words too soft for the audience to hear, but they carried a weight so heavy it felt like it would crush her.

In the corner, Celine’s laughter rang out, loud enough to shatter whatever was left of Eva’s heart. Josh pulled Celine closer, his hands casually draped over her shoulder as if they hadn't just torn Eva apart.

Eva’s fingers slipped on the strings. The crowd murmured, wondering if this was part of the act. She squeezed her eyes shut and whispered a desperate "thank you" into the microphone before standing abruptly.

The crowd clapped, but it was hollow, just like the space inside her chest. She ran off stage, pushing past the curtains, her vision blurred with tears. The cold air of the backstage hit her like a slap, but it wasn’t enough to clear the fog of betrayal clouding her mind.

As she stumbled toward the exit, she felt a hand gently clasp her arm. She looked up, her breath hitching. It was Andrew King.

"Eva..." His voice was deep, laced with something she didn’t expect—concern.

"I can’t... I just need to leave," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I can’t be here."

Andrew's grip tightened, just enough to steady her. "You don’t deserve this."

"I don’t know what I deserve anymore," she said, shaking her head. "All I know is that I can’t face them. Not now. Not like this."

Andrew’s eyes darkened, and for the first time, Eva saw something flicker in them—anger. But it wasn’t directed at her. "You’re stronger than this," he said firmly. "And they’re not worth it."

Her legs felt like jelly, but with Andrew by her side, she managed to keep standing. He didn’t let go of her hand, and in that moment, she realized that while one part of her life had just shattered, another door was quietly opening.

"Come on," Andrew said softly, leading her out of the hall and into the cool evening air. The fresh breeze kissed her cheeks, drying her tears.

Eva couldn’t handle the kindness of this man next to her right now and she fled from him without a word or a glance his way as she rushed off.