Chapter 74: Chapter 74 Playing the Victim
Author
The orchestra performed their concert that night as planned.
The violinist had to use a different instrument, which definitely affected their performance, but you’d have to really know music to notice the difference.
Alpha Zack sat in the front row, his ticket courtesy of Selina.
His eyes were full of love and admiration.
The girl on stage sparkled like a diamond. He reminded himself she was the only one who mattered. She would be his Luna.
During the final bow, Selina’s eyes suddenly filled with tears.
"Thank you all for coming to our orchestra’s show. We faced some problems, but everything turned out beautifully," she said with emotion.
"You might not know that our violinist lost his precious instrument last night, but he pushed through his sadness to give an amazing performance today."
She bowed low. "Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much."
Alpha Zack’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening.
[How does a violin just disappear?]
He stood up smoothly, his Alpha presence parting the crowd as he made his way backstage.
The bouquet of white roses in his hands had cost more than most people’s monthly salary.
"Congratulations, Selina. You were perfect tonight."
Selina’s cheeks flushed pink as she accepted the flowers, inhaling their expensive fragrance.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she buried her nose in the petals, a satisfied smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "Thank you, Zack."
"Oh Selina, is this your boyfriend?" one of her orchestra friends asked.
The woman’s eyes widened as she took in Alpha Zack’s expensive suit and commanding presence. Her gaze lingered on his Rolex watch and Italian leather shoes, clearly calculating his net worth.
"Boyfriend? Selina told us she’s engaged! This must be her fiancé!" another one said excitedly, practically bouncing on her toes.
Alpha Zack’s lips curved into a practiced smile, though his eyes remained calculating. He wasn’t used to explaining himself to anyone, but these were Selina’s people.
"Hello, I’m Selina’s fiancé," he said.
"Wow!" The group started teasing them playfully, their voices getting louder and more animated.
Selina leaned against Zack’s chest, pretending to be shy.
She tilted her head up at him with doe eyes, her hand resting possessively on his chest. "Zack! Look, they’re making fun of me!"
Alpha Zack gently put his arm around her tiny waist, his large hand spanning almost her entire back.
The protective gesture wasn’t lost on the watching orchestra members. "Sorry. My fiancée gets embarrassed easily. Please go easy on us."
"Don’t worry! Selina is our orchestra’s sweetheart. We’d never be mean to her!"
"Hey, did anyone find out what happened to that broken violin?" someone suddenly asked.
The man sitting in a backstage chair shook his head. "Nope. Just my rotten luck!"
Alpha Zack’s eyes lit up with curiosity. He could smell the frustration and anger rolling off the violinist in waves. "Selina, what were you talking about on stage? What happened?"
Selina’s body tensed against his, and she avoided his gaze by fidgeting with the roses. Her heart rate picked up—he could hear it clearly. "Zack, let’s just forget about it. I’ll deal with it myself."
Her reluctance made him more interested.
His grip on her waist tightened slightly, a warning. "Are you hiding things from me now?"
"No..." Selina’s voice came out as barely a whisper, her eyes darting nervously between him and her orchestra friends.
Finally, Selina sighed sadly. "Zack, I told our group to stay at Elara’s hotel, but then one of their workers purposely damaged Leo’s violin."
"That violin was a rare model he’s had for over ten years. It’s worth hundreds of thousands of dollars."
Another orchestra member leaned forward eagerly, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
Her eyes gleamed with malicious excitement as she shared the gossip. "If you ask me, I think that manager from yesterday did it on purpose. Selina, does your sister hate you? She looked the most suspicious to me!"
Selina’s grip on Alpha Zack’s arm tightened, her fingernails digging into his expensive suit jacket.
She shook her head frantically, but her eyes held a calculating gleam that didn’t match her panicked expression. "That’s impossible! Elara and I have some small problems, but I know she’s not that type of person!"
Alpha Zack’s mouth twisted into a cold smile. "Selina, you’re too nice for your own good."
"Elara?" He laughed quietly, the sound sending chills down the spines of everyone present.
His eyes flashed with something dark and dangerous as memories of their past flooded back. "I wouldn’t bet on that."
