The woman's slender, delicate fingers danced across the strings of the instrument.
A beautiful melody floated through the night, gentle and lingering.
For a moment, Donna simply listened, lost in the music—until suddenly, it hit her. "Wait, is this... Grandpa's Song?"
Ms. Kensington could play this piece too!
Unable to contain her excitement, Donna pulled out her phone and began recording the scene.
Briony hadn't touched a lute in years. At first, her fingers fumbled, the notes a bit uncertain. But soon enough, she found her rhythm, her confidence returning with every chord.
The music drifted beyond the garden, drawing in members of the production crew.
The director glanced at his assistant.
The assistant immediately produced a stabilizer and handed it over.
The director switched on the camera, capturing the moment with smooth, steady movements.
Ferdinand stood to the side, his own phone quietly recording.
When the final note faded, the entire group fell silent.
Then, with a rush, applause broke out.
Briony looked up, surprised to see that—apart from Rosita, Bill, and Daisy—everyone else had returned to listen.
She hugged the lute close, gave a graceful bow, and handed it back to Donna. "Thank you."
Donna's eyes sparkled. "Ms. Kensington, you were incredible! Have you ever studied folk music before?"
Briony smiled. "Yes, actually. My grandfather hired a folk music teacher for me. I started when I was eight, but I didn't keep up with it after I turned fifteen."
The director laughed. "With technique like that, anyone could see you've got real training. I just recorded your performance—if you don't mind, I'd love to use it in the opening for this episode."
Briony weighed her options for a moment, then nodded. "I don't mind at all."
"Wonderful!" The director grinned. "We'll have the editors cut it in. Before it airs, I'll send it to you for approval."
Briony nodded again, her smile warm. "Thank you, Director."
"I bought them. The copyrights are in my name!"
Bill's gaze sharpened. "Are you sure about that?"
"Yes!" Rosita forced herself to sound confident.
She could never let Bill know the real truth—that she'd stolen Briony's work.
Buying a song was one thing. Stealing was something else entirely.
Right now, she was the company's top star, basking in the spotlight. But if Bill ever found out she was building her reputation on stolen music, he'd have something to hold over her forever.
Managers always sided with the company in the end.
So long as she was profitable, they'd support her. But a star's shelf life was short. Sooner or later, the company would find someone new to promote. Mary was already waiting in the wings—Rosita couldn't afford to drop her guard for even a second.
If Bill or the company ever got leverage over her, she'd be at their mercy once her popularity started to fade.
Tears welled in Rosita's eyes as she looked at Bill. "Bill, I have my reasons. Please—can you keep this secret for me?"
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