Chapter 164 

Holt chuckled lightly, trying to downplay her skepticism. 

“Good? No, Aria, it was beyond that. You wouldn’t understand–it’s something only a true connoisseur could grasp 

“Excuse me?” Aria straightened up, crossing her arms defensively. “I play plans row, you know. I’m not a layman.” 

Holt looked mildly amused but didn’t respond, choosing instead to pull out his checkbook 

He uncapped his pen and began to write my payment. 

re he could finish, Aria snatched the pen from his hand. 

Her voice was cold as she spoke. 

“Elizabeth is our enemy, Uncle. You can’t be supporting her, not when she’s done so much damage to our Oceanheart Tribe. If you choose her, I’ll tell my father everything.” 

Holt hesitated for a moment, visibly troubled as he paced the room, before returning to the study. 

His face wore an apologetic smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes as he said, “I’m terribly sorry, Miss Elizabeth. It appears that my client just called me… He’s not too happy with the performance.” 

The words hit me like a cold slap. 

My eyes dimmed, and the hopeful smile on my lips faltered. 

A wave of disappointment washed over me, so heavy it felt like my chest might cave in. 

**The fruits of years of practice and passion, dismissed so easily.** 

There are few things more devastating than pouring your soul into something, only to have it rejected. 

I forced a small smile, trying to keep my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. 

“I see… In that case, forget it.” The words were empty, like an attempt to brush off something that couldn’t be ignored. 

AI left the villa, my footsteps felt heavier with each step, as though the weight of my unspoken frustrations and shattered expectations pulled me deeper into the earth. 

The grandeur of Holt’s fancy villa, the pristine lawns and manicured bushes, faded into the background as my heart sank lower. 

I had poured everything into that performance. 

I had practiced for endless nights, playing until my fingers ached, refining every note until it resonated with the depth of emotion I wanted to express 

**It was my best work, a piece that carried my dreams, my passion, and my pain. ** 

Yet, it had been dismissed so easily by Holt and the mysterious client behind him. I couldn’t help but begin to doubt my own abilities. 

Perhaps, after all this time, I wasn’t good enough. 

By the time I arrived home, the sun had already set, casting shadows across the empty rooms. 

I entered the piano room, but instead of turning on the light, I sank into the darkness, allowing it to envelop me. 

**Maybe the darkness understood how I felt–lonely and unappreciated. ** 

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. 

It was the maid, her voice tentative. “Miss, dinner is ready.” 

“I’m not hungry,” I replied quietly, not bothering to lift my head. 

an 

Chapter 164 

D 

“You all ght without me, When you’re done, you can leave for the night.” 

She hesitated, sensing something was wrong, but she didn’t push further. 

I heard her footsteps retreat, and a moment later, the faint sound of her voice downstairs as she made a phone call. 

“Alpha,” she whispered hurriedly, “Luna seems off. She left earlier looking upset, and now she’s back but won’t eat or talk. I think something happened.” 

Leo’s voice on the other end was firm. “I’ll finish this meeting in ten minutes. Wait until I get there before you leave.” 

When Leo arrived, the villa was cloaked in silence. 

He moved quickly through the house, his sharp gaze noting the darkness, until he reached the piano room. 

Hipped the switch, and the sudden flood of light revealed me, sitting slumped in the corner of the room, surrounded by the quiet, gleaming keys of the grand piano, 

Leo approached silently, sitting beside me, and without a word, he pulled me into his arms. 

“What happened?” he asked softly, his breath warm against my hair. 

I shifted, moving slightly away. “Nothing.” I muttered, though the crack in my voice betrayed me. 

“If you won’t tell me, who else are you going to tell?” he pressed gently, not letting go. 

For a moment, I considered pushing him away, locking all my frustrations deep inside. 

But his steady warmth, his quiet patience, broke down the walls I had built. 

I told him everything–about Holt, the rejection, and how that one performance, which I had believed to be my best, had been so casually dismissed. 

Leo listened in silence, his expression growing darker with every word. 

Then, without missing a beat, he pulled out a sleek, black card from his pocket. 

“If it’s about the money, I’ll double it,” he said firmly, holding it out. “Play the piece for me.”