When they pulled ouat the dress, everyone was totally shocked.

This gown wasn't just a different color; it was on a whole other level with its design, cut, and the fancy pearls and silk decorations. One could tell right away it was the star of the show. But during rehearsals,there were no special roles.

"Mr. Barnes, is there some mix-up with Amelia's dress and headpiece?

They look nothing like ours," violinist Anna Rivera asked, confused.

"Yeah,her dress is a completely different style from ours."

"Did they make it just for her?"

People started chiming in, and soon everyone wasdiscussing loudly.

Amelia's'cheeks turned a bit red as she quietly asked, "Mr. Barnes, whať's going on here?"

She suddenly remembered Gary mentioning a few days ago that he had different plans for her. "Mind your own business! What's with all the questions? Go change and put on your makeup. Anyone with objections can leave right now!" Gary's blunt words shut everyone up.

Amelia headed to the dressing room, but she could feel everyone staring at her differently.

"Look, it's our leading player. She showed up last and was the least serious during rehearsals, yet she gets special treatment," Anna's jealous voice cut through the room, sparking more gossip.

"Amelia, how did you snag the main role? Spil1. Anna's always been the

lead with her experience. Why you this time?" Another woman,usually Anna's sidekick, asked with a mocking grin.

But Amelia was just as clueless.

"If you have questions, ask Mr. Barnes. I only found out when I got the dress," Amelia said coolly and went to change.

Anna shot her a nasty look and signaled to her sidekick, who followed Amelia into the next dressing room.

The two dressing rooms were only separated by a curtain. Amelia quickly swapped her own dress for the fancy gown. It fit perfectly,hugging her curves and making her look super elegant and graceful.

Then, Gary brought in a special makeup artist to match her makeup with the dress, which looked like a piece of art.

Staring at herself in the mirror, Amelia felt like a different person. Usually,she did her own simple makeup for a fresh look, but today was a total 180.

Her perfectly shaped eyebrows and eyeshadow, paired with bold and eye-catching lipstick, along with the intricate hair accessories, made her look both classic and stunningly dignified. She even had a bit of an untouchable and distant vibe.

What Amelia didn't expect was that Lucius's birthday party was at Sapphire, with a beautiful outdoor garden at the back of the restaurant.The staff had decked out the garden with gorgeous lights, and there was even a fireworks show planned for the end of the party.

Meanwhile, inside the banquet hall, Leila sat quietly in a corner,occasionally glancing at Chris, who was a few seats away from her.

Joining such an exclusive event was all thanks to her agent's hard work and connections. The studio went all out, dressing her in a pristine luxury brand evening gown, one of only five in the world. Her earrings,emerald necklace, and bracelet were all top-notch. But even with all that,she couldn't get Chris to look her way. He just sat there,sipping his drink,looking like he didn't belong, with this icy vibe around him.

She was head over heels for him, comnpletely stuck.

Her phone buzzed suddenly. Trying to keep her cool, Leila checked it and smiled.

When Amelia and the others showed up, the party was winding down.Lucius's assistant was handing out cake, and Lucius was at the head table,quietly swirling his wine.

For some reason, Amelia noticed Lucius right away. He was low-key,but his presence was impossible to ignore. Lucius surprisingly looked back at her.

Before she could look away, Lucius raised his glass slightly in her direction.

It wasn't a big gesture, but it caught everyone's attention.

Chris suddenly sat up straight, his cold eyes locking onto Amelia among the crowd. She was truly standing out, How dare she flirt with Lucius in front of everyone?

Leila noticed Amelia too and frowned. She gritted her teeth and shot Amelia several incredulous looks, 'Bitch Amelia's just playing the damn piano; why is she dressed so flashy? But never mind. The more attention she gets now, the more embarrassing it'll be for her later,' Leila thought.

Amelia stood gracefully on stage, meeting Chris's dark gaze. Seeing Leila,

all dolled up beside him, made her feel a bit down.

These days, he didn't have time because he was always with Leila,right?

She looked away, took a deep breath, and calmed down again.

Sitting at the piano, her beautiful fingers pressed the keys, and a melodious tune began to play.

The violinist and cellist joined in, and as the beautiful music filled the room,everyone quieted down, lost in the music.

But then, Amelia felt something was wrong. The left side of her waist was loosening, and she heard a strange tearing sound!

What was wrong? Amelia was stunned at once. Their performance was almost over, and they still needed to take a bow. She feared that once she bent over, the tear in her gown would be glaringly obvious, leading to a major embarrassment.

She couldn't bear the thought of ruining Lucius's birthday party and embarrassing the whole ensemble. What should she do?

She didn't know anyone here. She couldn't ask Lucius for help; Shawn wasn't here today. The only person she could turn to was...

Amelia looked at Chris, who was still sitting there lazily, with Leila close to him,smiling sweetly and talking to him. And Chris actually gave Leila a faint smile.

That smie stung Amelia's eyes, and she quickly looked away, feeling upset.So, Chris could smile like that. Leila was thrilled. Just as she was about to hold his hand to look more intimate, Chris stood up and walked towards the ensemble.

As he got closer, his gaze locked onto Amelia's waist; he noticed something was wrong.

"Having trouble?" Chris sneered softly.