Chapter 257
“No need,” Carter replied.
“But…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ Just do as I said.” Carter’s voice was firm and final. “Sharon still has Theo to care for. She doesn’t have time for these meaningless invitationals.”
Simon let out a breathless sigh. To be chosen by the legendary Warner was the lifelong dream of every musician, after all.
Then Carter added, “Recommend Kelly to Warner.”
Simon’s eyelid twitched. “I’ve heard Warner has quite the temper. He’s looking for Sharon specifically. If we recommend Kelly instead, he might not even consider it…”
Carter was silent for a few seconds. Then he said, “Set up a meeting with him. I’ll talk to him myself.”
Simon sighed again, this time silently, from somewhere deeper. “Understood.”
On the other end, Carter hung up. (1)
Nate, who had been waiting, didn’t press the matter any further.
At Sharon’s apartment, Wendy was laughing so hard she could barely breathe.
“Pfft-seriously? Kelly and that idiot Nate actually ate the medicine we made from foot-soak water and boiled cockroaches? That’s just-ha! That’s disgusting!”
Sharon thought back to the scene and couldn’t help but laugh along, nodding in confirmation.
Wendy was over the moon. “Next time, I swear, I’m going to come up with something even better.”
After a while, her laughter subsided, and she seemed to remember something important.
“Sharon, wasn’t your performance with John all scheduled? Why’d it suddenly get pushed back?”
Sharon frowned. “Mr. Malcolm said since I’m going through a divorce with Carter, I should settle my personal affairs first.”
Wendy blinked. “Wait-does he think Carter’s going to sabotage it? Come on, it’s just a performance.”
“I thought it was strange too,” Sharon admitted, “but I didn’t press it. Maybe Mr. Malcolm’s just worried Nate might cause trouble again after what happened last time. He probably wants to avoid any mess.”
Wendy nodded thoughtfully. “True… Nate’s like a rabid dog-no brain, all bite. Best to stay far away from people like that.”
She hesitated a beat, then added, “Oh right, Sharon, do you remember Warner?”
Sharon’s expression shifted slightly. “You mean Warner from Yuicuador?”
“Yeah. Your mom’s mentor.” Wendy’s tone grew serious. “I saw something online saying he’s in Zachemaine now.”
Warner was sixty-five this year. In the world of music-hell, in the world at large-he was a living legend. A prodigy in his youth, he’d mastered nearly every instrument and could recreate any piece he heard, note for note, after a single listen.
At fifty, after several health scares from overwork, he retired from public life. But the myth of Warner didn’t end there.
He began taking students-very few of them. To date, fewer than twenty. Every one of them had become a powerhouse in their
field.
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Chapter 25
His standard for taking students was simple: extraordinary talent.
Sharon’s mother, Shayla, had once been among those few.
Wendy looked at Sharon and hesitated. “Sharon… five years ago, didn’t he send you an invitation? But back then you were pregnant with Theo and planning to get married… so you turned him down.
“I think he was testing you, maybe even thinking about taking you in as a student. Now that he’s here in Zachemaine again, shouldn’t we at least try to reach out? Since your mom was his student, that connection might mean something. He might still be willing to take you in.”
Wendy let out a heavy sigh.
“The Biggs family’s always attacking you over your education and your job… but if you’d accepted Warner’s invitation back then, you’d be one of the most respected names in the industry by now. Who needs to marry into money? You are the money.”
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