Chapter 22
Amber arrived at the office building and immediately ran into Zach.
Zach noticed the finger marks on her cheek but didn’t mention them, only asking her to call the police station,
Amber nodded and worked until noon when she received a call from the police about settling the matter privately.
After hanging up, she noticed a new message on her phone.
These are the five songs Victoria won awards for overseas. They sound EXACTLY like the ones you played for me years ago. Amber, how long are you going to teep avoiding me?]
Amber had been completely isolated these past three years.
hree years ago, right after Amber’s wedding, Victoria had left abroad. Everyone in their social circle said Victoria was too heartbroken to stay. After that, Ambe ived alone at River Haven, almost completely disconnected from the outside world, which is why she hadn’t heard Victoria’s compositions.
Iarper had sent links to the songs, and Amber clicked on them. After listening for just three minutes, her expression changed dramatically.
hese were definitely the songs she’d written seven years ago. Back then, Blake had just been found and brought back to the Westwood family, while she had een mistakenly identified as their goddaughter. The psychological whiplash had been immense. Though many people had suggested she take money and leave he couldn’t bring herself to do it. Instead, she poured her seven years of experiences with Blake into five songs.
he songs chronicled her journey from initial confusion and bitterness, through sweet happiness in the middle, to the anxiety that came later-emotions that volved naturally over time.
ater, when she met Harper, she had shared these five songs with her.
Harper was the Lloyd family’s illegitimate daughter. Jackson was her brother in name only, but he didn’t care for her.
To family welcomed illegitimate children. Harper’s identity was kept secret, and few people in their social circle knew about her. Even her own mother only ccasionally sent her money. Her mother had successfully married into the Lloyd family just two years after Jackson’s mother passed away. If people discovered Ar. Lloyd had such a grown illegitimate daughter, it would cause an absolute scandal.
o Harper’s existence was like a rat in the gutter-hidden away. Even her own mother frequently called to warn her never to go anywhere near the Lloyd family
nembers.
imber quickly searched for information about Victoria online. Only then did she learn that after Victoria left abroad three years ago, she had written five songs hat catapulted her to fame. She was now called “Music’s Daughter”-even though she didn’t perform the songs herself, each one was of such high quality that
he’d earned the title.
The Reed family had always been prominent in the vocal arts world. Victoria’s parents were renowned Broadway talents who controlled significant resources in
he industry.
Now their daughter, barely in her twenties, had earned recognition from media outlets worldwide, making the Reed family the toast of the town.
Jefore Sophia fell into a vegetative state, she had been considered the most talented vocalist of the younger generation, capable of carrying on the family’s nusical legacy. She was the most vocally gifted person in the entire Reed family. Though Victoria had extraordinary talent for composition, her own singing ibilities were lacking. Only Sophia had been perfect-but unfortunately…
The Reed family had been in a slump these past few years because of what happened to Sophia. Every member of the family despised Amber.
So it was probably for the best that Amber stayed out of sight, avoiding the Reeds’ wrath.
Now, as Amber listened to the songs, she clicked on Victoria’s overseas interview where a reporter asked about her creative inspiration.
Facing the camera, Victoria’s eyes showed a hint of shyness. “There’s someone I have feelings for, but too many complicated things happened between us. We couldn’t be together. I could only pour all my emotions into these songs. Perhaps life is meant to have regrets-imperfect, yet unforgettable,”
Watching Victoria’s sanctimonious, nauseating face, Amber nearly threw up.
Taking a deep breath, she replied to Harper’s message:
Let’s meet tomorrow. I’m going to River Haven tonight to check my files.]
She had never published these five songs. After writing them, she had stored them in computer files at River Haven.
Only the two housekeepers who regularly looked after her and Blake had access to River Haven.
No matter how much Blake disliked her, he wouldn’t have given her work to Victoria.
♡ (2)
