Revenge In Repose (Valerie and Aiden) novel Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

As the last note lingered in the air, the audience sat, mesmerized, utterly captivated by the performance.

Valerie gently lowered her hand from the piano, and only then did the crowd stir, slowly coming back to reality.

A single person, unsure who, began clapping, and soon, a wave of thunderous applause erupted across the room.

Even the piano technician, who had been quietly overseeing the instrument, couldn’t hide his admiration. “That was incredible,” he remarked, his voice

full of awe.

From the back of the room, a white–bearded foreigner stood, clapping enthusiastically, his eyes wide in admiration.

“Amazing!” he exclaimed. Then, trying to say something more, he hesitated. Clearly, his command of the local language was limited, and after a few gestures, he managed to ask, “Is this piece… yours? Did you write it?”

Fearing Valerie wouldn’t understand, the foreigner frantically searched for a translator in the crowd.

But Valerie, with a soft smile, responded in flawless Fosmonian, “Yes, it’s my own composition.”

Kelly, who had been watching in disbelief, stood up in shock. “You speak Fosmonian?” she asked, her voice betraying her astonishment.

Valerie shot her a playful, enigmatic smile and replied, “What? Is that a problem?”

If Kelly had been surprised before, she was now utterly floored.‘

She thought to herself, ‘Wasn’t Valerie’s life full of hardships? She was lost for years when she was young, only to be found a few years ago… Yet she’s so much more accomplished than any of us with our elite educations.

The Fosmonian man, still awestruck, gave Valerie a thumbs–up and said, “Incredible.”

Juliette, unable to understand their conversation, was nonetheless shaken by Kelly’s reaction. Her heart surged with jealousy, frustration, and shock all

at once.

Then, Kelly asked, her voice still wavering in disbelief, “Is this song really yours?”

Valerie’s response was calm and measured. “Why, is there a problem?”

Kelly’s emotions swirled. She felt a mix of incredulity and crushing defeat.

She looked down at her phone and realized the recording feature was still on. With a hesitant tap, she closed it, but not before sending the video to

Aiden.

Meanwhile, the attention of the room was still fixed on Valerie.

A man in his thirties or forties, dressed in a silver–gray suit and exuding sophistication, stood and smiled as he addressed Valerie. “Not only is this young lady beautiful, but she’s incredibly talented. To have achieved such mastery at such a young age–her future is limitless.”

His voice was clear, with a smooth, mature rasp that made it sound even more appealing.

Looking at Valerie, he asked, “May I know the title of this piece?”

“Summer in My Dreams,” Valerie replied.

The man nodded, his eyes full of admiration and said, “What a beautiful name I’m Brandon Hale, Vice President of StarDream Entertainment. Here’s my card. Let’s keep in touch.”

Valerie smiled, walking over to take the card and glance at it.

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Chapter 29

“Thank you,” she said with a gracious nod.

Everyone in the room was smart enough to understand the unspoken implication.

Brandon was undeterred, his tone upbeat. “Feel free to reach out anytime.”

Valerie nodded, then turned and walked back to her seat.

Throughout her journey back, she could feel the eyes of many on her.

Brandon sat back down, noticing the actress sitting across from him poking at her steak. In a sarcastic tone, she said, “Anyone who catches Mr. Hale’s attention must either be exceptionally talented or strikingly beautiful–looks like you have both. But girls like her? They clearly come from a background that’s not as simple as it seems. Be careful–she might bring more trouble than she’s worth.”

Brandon laughed heartily, replying, “I’m just thinking about the company’s future. If she wants to make it in the entertainment industry, StarDream would be the best place for her to shine. But you’re right, she does look like she’s from a wealthy family. A pity, really.”

Across the restaurant, by the window, a well–maintained, elegantly dressed woman sat, her gaze fixed on Valerie. There was a look of confusion and complexity on her face. Sitting across from her was a young man, noticing his mother’s distraction.

He gently waved his hand in front of her and asked, “Mom, what’s wrong?”

The woman came back to herself, her expression tinged with sadness as she smiled weakly. “Nothing… I just thought she looked familiar.”

The young man sighed. “Is it because you think she might be my sister?”

The woman took a sip of her coffee, her eyes filled with longing but saying nothing.

Camren sighed deeply, saying, “Mom, you need to let go. You’ve been seeing people who look around my age and thinking they’re her for years. How

mind.” many times have you gotten it wrong? People might start thinking you’ve lost your

The woman’s expression darkened further, and she whispered, “Let’s eat, then.”

Camren, though helpless, comforted her. “If it’s meant to be, we’ll find her. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye out. We will bring her back.”

Valerie returned to her seat, but before she could sit down, Juliette’s voice broke through. “Do you even consider me a friend anymore? A best friend? How could you hide so much from me?”

Valerie looked at her, paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Do you really know me?”

Juliette, frowning, replied, “What’s that supposed to mean? If you don’t know me, who does?”

Valerie’s voice softened. “When I was eighteen, Valentina came back. My parents, in an attempt to make it up to their biological daughter, cut off my tuition and living expenses. For an entire summer, I had to work to support myself. Do you know what kind of work I did?”

Juliette waved it off. “You never told me. I knew it was tough after Valentina came back, but I had my own problems, too. What’s the point of bringing this up now?”

That summer, Juliette had been too busy maintaining her relationships with friends to check in with Valerie, let alone know what she