Chapter Sixty-One: The Power of Love

Chapter Sixty-One: The Power of Love

*Crash—* The sound of something being knocked over echoed through the phone, followed by Aaron King's voice, even more enraged than before: "Don't make me repeat myself. I said get over here right now, immediately!" His tone, sharp with barely contained fury, made it clear he was on the verge of an explosive outburst.

The members of the music club, disturbed by the loud conversation, frowned as they glanced in Lydia Moore's direction. Lydia quickly smiled apologetically and hurriedly whispered, "I'm sorry, I really can't come." Without waiting for a response, she hung up, her heart beginning to race with anxiety as she wondered what severe consequences might arise from her decision.

The pale golden sunlight filtered through the white curtains, bathing the entire music room in a warm glow. The crisp autumn breeze, mingling with the music, added a touch of harmony and dreamlike tranquility to the early morning atmosphere.

Since she began learning the violin, Lydia Moore had participated in numerous musical performances. But this would be her first time performing at a nationally influential youth concert. As such, she dedicated nearly every waking moment, outside of eating and sleeping, to practicing new pieces without a hint of slack. Following Julian Reed's rigorous schedule, the music club members engaged in intensive training to build their musical chemistry as quickly as possible. Rehearsals were increased from twice to four times a week.

Since its founding, Sakura Academy had always taken pride in its students' musical achievements, and the music club members, who had emerged from a stringent selection process, were among the most talented. After a period of intense training, they developed a remarkable level of mutual understanding in their music, surpassing even some of the school's professional ensembles.

Given this progress, Julian Reed decided to ease the pace, allowing the members more space and time to perfect their performances.

It wasn't until over a week later that Lydia Moore finally faced Aaron King again. On her way to the set, she imagined countless ways he might punish her, rehearsing a series of apologies and explanations in her mind. But when she pushed open the slightly ajar door to the dressing room, the scene before her left her speechless.

The elegantly decorated dressing room, with its pink curtains fluttering in the breeze, was filled with an intoxicating sense of intimacy. The sunlight, casting a seductive glow, highlighted the tall figure of the young man. His deep, mesmerizing eyes and sensual lips exuded a cold, indescribable allure.

At that moment, he was leaning slightly forward, his long arm wrapped around a girl's slender waist, their lips almost touching. His chiseled profile, bathed in sunlight, was both devilishly handsome and unsettlingly captivating.

Hearing the door open, Aaron King turned his head coldly. His eyes, previously emotionless and dark, flared with anger as they landed on Lydia Moore. His lips pressed into a tight line. The girl, sensing the sudden change, opened her eyes in confusion, only to glare hatefully at the girl who had interrupted them. They had been so close to kissing, only to be interrupted at the crucial moment. It was infuriating!

This seemed to be the second time Lydia Moore had seen him about to kiss a girl, but this time, her timing was far worse. Blushing furiously, Lydia stammered her apologies, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I'll leave right away. I'm so sorry..." She hurriedly turned to close the door, but a furious shout stopped her in her tracks.

"Don't you dare leave!" Aaron King's enraged voice echoed through the dressing room, startling even the staff outside. Lydia immediately froze, lowering her head in fear, not daring to take another step, let alone look up at his thunderous expression.

"You can go now," Aaron King said coldly to the girl beside him, without so much as a glance in her direction. His tone was so detached it was as if the person he had been so intimate with moments ago was a complete stranger. The girl pouted but didn't dare say anything more, not with him in such a foul mood. After glaring at Lydia Moore with a look of warning and hostility, she left, closing the door behind her. Now, the large dressing room was filled with tense silence, the air thick with an impending storm.

After disappearing for so long, she finally decided to show up? Aaron King stared at her, his ten-day-long suppressed anger finally bursting forth. D*mn it! She was the first person who had ever dared to defy his orders, the first who dared to hang up on him, the first who dared to leave without his permission, and the first who had the audacity to disappear from his life after he had grown accustomed to her presence, to her smile, to having her by his side. If she was so intent on ignoring him, showing no regard for his feelings, then why not disappear from his world completely?

But what infuriated him even more was that the moment she appeared, the restless emptiness in his heart was suddenly filled with a strange sense of contentment, even happiness. When had seeing her become a habit, as natural as breathing? When she left, he had suddenly realized that all his joy came from her, and without her, his life felt hollow and bleak.

This was a feeling Aaron King had never experienced before. He didn't know if it was merely his innate possessiveness or something else, but he knew he wanted to keep her by his side. Since she had been the one to provoke him, she shouldn't think she could just toss him aside like a toy whenever she pleased.

Lydia Moore had no idea what was going through Aaron King's mind. Seeing him remain silent for so long, she gathered the courage to step forward, her face lit up with a cheerful smile as she explained, "I'm sorry, I was in such a hurry to find you that I forgot to knock. But I promise I'll keep this a secret." She pledged earnestly, "Also, I've been so busy with the music club's upcoming performance that I haven't had time to come by. Mr. An gave me permission, but I still want to apologize for taking so many days off. I hope you can forgive me." She offered her sincerest apology.