Chapter 27
At the bar, Jessica and Nathan were running around like headless chickens, frantically trying to get in touch with Daphne.
When Jessica saw Daphne walk over, her face lit up. She rushed over to her, almost tripping over her own feet. “Daphne, don’t you play the piano?”
“Just a little, Daphne replied, her voice surprisingly calm.
Daphne casually sat down, accepting the hot milk van handed her. She took a sip, savoring the sweetness as the warmth spread through her. The tight knot in her chest started to loosen, and the tension slowly melted away
Jessica and Nathan hurried over to her, practically begging. Their eyes were wide with panic. “Daphne, please, we need your help!”
Daphine propped her chin on her hand, looking up at them with a raised eyebrow. “What’s going on?”
Jessica shot Nathan an exasperated look. She quickly filled Daphne in. Nathan invited this guy. Jasper, to come sing tonight. But now the jerk backed out at the last minute. He said he wasn’t happy with the pay, and now he’s ghosting us
“Not happy with the pay?” Daphine frowned, clearly surprised. “How much did he ask for?”
Jessica hesitated for a second and then held up three fingers. “300 thousand.”
Daphne went quiet for a beat, processing the number. Then, she smirked. Three hundred thousand for a gig! He’s got some nerve.”
Jessica was on the edge of losing her mind. “He didn’t say a word about the pay when we first talked! But now, he pulls this stunt? He’s doing it on purpose to mess with us!”
Daphne put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder, trying to calm her down. “Hey, don’t stress. We can figure something out. It’s not like we need him. What’s
the situation now
Jessica took a deep breath, laer voice shaky. “Well… If he’d told us earlier he wasn’t coming, we could’ve found someone else. But now, with less than ten minutes before the show, there’s no way we can find a replacement that fast”
Jessica threw her hands up, exasperated. “This is insane!”
The regular singer was still on his way, but he wouldn’t be there for at least another half hour. She needed someone to take control of the stage before he arrived.
“So..” Daphne paused, thinking for a moment. “You want me to go up and play the piano!”
Jessica nodded earnestly, her face pleading. “Didn’t you used to play at bars all the time! I was thinking, if you could just help us out for ten minutes until the regular singer got here, thuat would be amazing”
Tonight, some big–name business people were at the bar. If they didn’t make a good impression, Starlit Bar could be in serious trouble.
That was when Jessica and Nathan both thought of Daphne–her plano skills were exactly what they needed.
Back in the early days of the bar, she’d often played piano for the singers. The piano she uschi was still here, and every time someone wanted to play it, Ivan would refuge, worried it might get damaged because it was Daphne’s favorite.
““Just ten minutes” Jessica begged, clasping her hands together and pulling Nathan into her plea. “Once the singer arrives, you’re done?”
Nathan jumped in, his voice filled with excitement. “You’re amazing at playing! Come on! Show us what you’ve got. Just a little performance, please!
Daphne sighed and rubbed her temples. “I just got divorced. I don’t want to make a scene.”
Lately, she had been trending on social media, and anything she did seemed to blow up. It was a far cry from her usual, low–key lifestyle.
Nathan practically dropped to his knees, begging. “Please, just this once! If you don’t, Jessica’s gonna kill me! Can you really let me die?”
Daphne chuckled and teased, “Honestly, I’m okay with that.”
Nathan groaned dramatically, Tm dead!”
Daphne patted his shoulder. “Alright, alright. Stop whining. 111 help you guys our
As soon as she said that, Jessica and Nathan both jumped up, nearly hugging each other with tears in their eyes. But when they locked eyes, they squickly turned away, embarrassed.
Jessica was ready to rush Daphne backstage to change into something more stage–appropriate, but time was running out. So, she let Daphne keep
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Chapter 27
her casual clothes on.
Nathan quickly directed the crew to move the piano onto the stage, and the crowd started whispering.
“Wait, isn’t that piano off–limits! This is the first time I’ve seen it on stage,” a man asked, his eyes
wide.
“That piano is called Starlit. I heard it’s one of the owner’s personal pianos. No one else is allowed to play it. Even a famous pianist came in once, and they turned him down?” another person added, whispering excitedly.
“Whoa, so the person playing tonight must be someone specialf a third voice chimed in.
“Wait, it’s a woman!” someone else pointed out, surprised.
Under the dim lights of the bar, a tall figure walked up to the piano. Her long fingers gently hovered over the keys, slowly gliding across their smooth surface.
Her silhouette was faint, hidden in the shadows, her outline barely visible.
Ten’t this a mistake! She’s dressed so plainly?” someone muttered.
The comment sparked a wave of mummurs around the room
Yeah, the looks so young!” another voice added.
“She’s probably just someone they got to fill in a third person said.
Nathan quickly stepped up, his feet pounding the floor as he grabbed the microphone.
“Alright, everyone, we have a very special guest tonight. Not only can she play, but she can sing, toot She’s the owner of Starlit, the star of our bar Now, let’s have her play White Horse‘ for us!” he declared.
The room buzzed with chattier, everyone still curious about the mysterious person at the piano.
A sudden thump echoed from the stage as the piano keys clacked, a few notes offbeat and stumbling.
“Wait, what’s that?” someone asked, laughing loudly.
“Are you sure she can play! She can’t even find the right note,” another person sneered.
“Oh, my God. Even I could do better than that someone else scoffed.
But then, with a resonant chord from the piano, the music suddenly smoothed out, flowing effortlessly. Daphne’s delicate fingers danced over the keys, and a soft, gentle voice began to sing.
“Say you’re sorry. That face of an angel… Comes out just when you need it to.. Each word and each note resonated, completely captivating everyone’s attention in the bar.
The music echoed through the bar, and just like that, the lively chatter died down into a peaceful silence. Everyone was drawn in, completely captivated by Daphne’s music, savoring the moment like it was a rare treasure.
Warm light washed over her delicate features, giving her an almost ethereal beauty.
In one corner of the bar, Yancey leaned back against a plush sofa, quietly watching Daphne at the piano. His long fingers drummed absently on the armrest, the rhythm slow and unhurriedl
Beide h
hm, his fr
friend Nick Sharpe suddenly cursed under his breath. “Damn, isn’t that your ex–wife?”
Nick had been Yancey’s friend for years and knew everything about his marriage. There was even a time when Nick thought about digging into Daphne’s past, but he dropped the idea after Yancey’s assistani Charles stepped in
Vanery shot him a sideways glance, his voice cold as he responded, “We’re divorced.
“I know you’re divorced” Nick clicked his tongue, “When you two got married, no one even knew. But when you splict Everyone found out. Classic Yancey
Before Yancey could respond, Nick let out a low whistle. “Man, she’s got you beat. You’ve been divorced for two days and are still hung up on Hannah, your ‘ideal woman. Meanwhile, Daplane’s already got rumors spreading From Chester and Philip to here. It’s wild”
Yancey’s frown deepened. “Hannals is not my ‘ideal womun..”
