Day Forty-Three...
~~*****~~
Upon entering the venue, Nathan saw lots of people coming in through the red carpet. Several reporters and official photographers were taking different shots of artists.
Nathan scanned the venue, looking for Abigail. But he didn't see her. No sign of Abigail's presence. Even Dave, her manager, and her assistant were not yet around.
Fortunately, someone messaged him, giving him an update about Abigail's whereabouts.
[ Miss Abi is now on her way to the EDSJ Five Star Hotel. ]
Nathan received Aiden's message. He was the one communicating with Kathleen and supplying information to Nathan. He was like a double spy. Sometimes, Aiden was helping Abigail when it came to Nathan. But now, he was Nathan's spy.
Nathan could only sigh when he read the message. He wondered if Abigail would also pass through the red carpet.
Nathan was acting very low profile. He chose a dark spot where no one could easily notice his presence. Axel also stood there, blocking anyone who would try to approach Nathan.
"Axel... I'm going out first." Nathan decided to wait in the lobby instead of staying in the venue. Who knows someone might recognize him if he would stay in the venue while the program was not yet starting?
"I'll accompany you... sir."
But Nathan motioned him to stay. He preferred to be alone. "Just stay here and watch the Yan Family. Keep an eye on them."
Axel could only nod his head as he obeyed Nathan's command.
Nathan headed to the lobby, hoping that Abigail would pass through the main hotel entrance. He sat near the entrance. He waited for twenty minutes before the person he was looking forward to seeing suddenly showed up.
Nathan saw Abigail in her Sakura Phoenix Ballgown. She was like a goddess who descended from the sky. Nathan couldn't take his eyes off her.
He had the urge to approach her but Dave was there, escorting her. A cold glint flashed through Nathan's eyes when he saw Dave holding Abigail's waist as he guided her inside. Dave looked like a loving and thoughtful boyfriend, caring about Abigail. Ana and Santra were following them behind.
Nathan immediately turned around when Abigail moved her head in his direction. He tried to hide from her. His presence there was just a secret. He didn't inform Abigail that he would attend the Star Gala Night.
When Abigail looked back, Nathan stepped to the corner side, stealing glances at them. He made sure that Abigail wouldn't see him.
Nathan was secretly observing the two when another guy joined the group. It was Richard, the CEO of the Star Corp Entertainment.
Richard immediately went to the lobby when he received a message from Ana, Abigail's manager, that they'd already arrived.
Nathan's forehead formed a deep crease when he noticed that Richard was also mesmerized by Abigail's beauty. He was starstruck for a moment before he was able to react and greet the newcomers.
"Abi... you look so stunning tonight!" Richard complimented her right away.
Dave cleared his throat to make his presence known. He also didn't like the way Richard was staring at Abigail intently.
"Oh, you've brought a date. Who is he?" Richard acknowledged Dave's presence right away. Then he extended his right hand in front of Dave, asking for a handshake. Dave accepted it and politely greeted him back.
"He is Dave. My childhood best friend." Abigail introduced Dave to their CEO.
Richard could only smile awkwardly. He already presumed that this man was the rumored boyfriend of Abigail. He heard the rumor that Abigail was in love with her childhood friend.
"Nice meeting you, Dave. I'm curious about you." Richard said meaningfully.
Ana and Santra just simply smiled at their CEO, thinking about the same thing.
"By the way, come with me. I can't let other people see Abigail here. She is my surprise to everyone. This is not yet the right time for everyone to see her. She is the Star of the Night!"
Richard invited them to proceed to another elevator, bringing Abigail to a private room. The five of them took the lift.
"I prefer a special number for Abi. She will show up in the middle of the program. For now, I want you to stay in a private room near the ballroom." Richard informed them.
"Special number?" Abigail reacted instantly when she heard that. "What do you mean?"
Ana, Santra, and Richard exchanged glances with one another. It looked like they forgot to inform Abigail about this special number. Now, the three of them were signaling to each other who would explain and elaborate this plan.
Both Richard and Santra looked at Ana. Since she was Abigail's manager, they gave her the honor to tell Abigail what she must do. Dave and Abigail just waited for them to speak up.
"Miss Abi... CEO Chang prepared a surprising number. You will perform tonight as your first appearance. You have to sing a song. Your favorite song."
Abigail: "..."
Abigail didn't know how she would react when she heard that. She wasn't prepared for this.
'What the hell?! They want me to perform in front of so many people! A song number?! Are they kidding me?'
Abigail was not able to control herself. She gave off a chilly vibe around them. Her expression turned ugly and grim. Ana, Santra, Dave, and Richard could feel that Abigail was pissed off.
"Is Miss Abi mad?" Santra whispered to Ana. Ana could only give Santra a warning look, signaling her to keep quiet.
Ding!
Fortunately, they were saved by the elevator. The door slid open as they reached their intended floor.
Ana urged Dave to say a word to coax or appease Abigail. It looked like she wasn't happy to hear about her solo performance tonight. They thought Abigail would be okay since she was used to on-the-spot performance. Who would have thought Abigail's mood would change instantly?
"Don't feel nervous. I know you can do this. This is your comeback!" Dave spoke up, encouraging Abigail. He was comforting and coaxing her. "This is your dream."
Abigail's expression softened when Dave mentioned those words. She realized that this was for the real Abigail's sake. She recalled that Santra told her that the real Abigail was so excited to attend the Star Gala. It was the gathering of all artists of Star Corp Entertainment and more opportunities for the artists.
'Damn it! If this is for the real Abigail's dream... then I have no choice but to cooperate.' Abigail heaved a sigh of defeat.
"Okay, fine. I'll do it. I still have time to prepare... am I right? What song am I going to sing?" Abigail asked them.
Santra, Ana, and Richard felt relieved when Abigail finally agreed. Dave was also happy since he knew that Abigail's dream was still the same despite her amnesia. He was still the Abigail he knew.
"Let's discuss this in your room. You have to stay there before your performance. We will call you when it is your turn to show your appearance to everyone!" Richard said in his elated voice.
Upon reaching the room, Richard discussed with them the game plan for Abigail's solo performance. He prepared so much for her first public appearance after her suicide scandal. The four of them were rooting for her success in this comeback.
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