Chapter 26
Chapter 26:
Willa’s eyes lit up, and she quickly stepped forward, trying to hide her earlier mood. “Ms. Tucker! I wasn’t expecting you backstage. Is there anything I can help you with p>
Amaya gave her a polite smile but nothing more. “No, thank you.” The coldness in her tone made Willa’s smile falter slightly.
Amaya scanned the area as if searching for someone. Her eyes swept over the space before she turned to a nearby staff member. “Excuse me,” she asked, “do you know where Noelle went p>
The staff member paused to think. “She changed after returning backstage. Then she took a phone call and left the venue p>
Amaya smiled faintly, a hint of amusement in her eyes. “That girl sure knows how to disappear. Missed her again,” she murmured to herself.
Off to the side, Willa watched the exchange. Though she couldn’t hear every word, she caught enough to know Amaya was looking for someone. Her brows drew together. Was Amaya… looking for Noelle? No. That didn’t make sense. Noelle had grown up far from the Moss family. She didn’t have the background, the connections, the sophistication. There was no way she could ever earn someone like Amaya’s interest.
Meanwhile, Noelle was already far from the venue. She had changed quickly and left. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she answered immediately. “Hello p>
A low, smooth male voice came through the speaker. “Noey, congrats p>
Noelle stared at her phone, her brows tightening slightly. The caller ID didn’t lie—it really was Ethan.
He was calling to congratulate her? Did he somehow know she’d taken first place in the semifinals?
𝘚a𝘷e 𝗒𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝖿а𝘃𝗼𝗋𝘪𝗍𝖾 ո𝗼ve𝘭𝘴 𝘰𝗻
She slowly raised the phone back to her ear, her voice touched with surprise. “You watched the competition live p>
Ethan’s response was brief. “Yeah p>
Noelle frowned, even more surprised. “Seriously? You’re interested in watching a dance competition? On livestream p>
He didn’t answer. The silence lingered, heavy and deliberate.
Noelle blinked, a flicker of curiosity lighting her eyes. “I remember when we were kids, you didn’t care at all about dance. Guess people really do change p>
On the other end, Ethan finally spoke—his tone lower, almost as if he had to force the words out. “Noelle, I’m not into dance p>
Noelle looked even more puzzled. “Then why did you watch it p>
She waited, but Ethan said nothing.
She glanced at the screen again. The call was still connected. He hadn’t hung up, yet he wasn’t saying a word either. Was it the signal? Or was he just being difficult again?
She let out a quiet sigh, more confused than irritated. “Hello? Are you busy? If you are, that’s fine. I’ll hang up p>
Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call with a firm swipe.
Of all the people to congratulate her first—who would have guessed it would be Ethan, someone who had always gone against her?
On the other end, Ethan stared at his phone, still holding it even after the call ended.
At Scenery Estate, Noelle walked straight to her room and headed for the shower.
The warm water flowed over her skin, easing the tension in her muscles and washing away the exhaustion of the long day.