"You're absolutely ridiculous! Are you seriously suggesting she's some kind of secret musical prodigy?" Nathan Prescott was doubled over with laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. "Oh my god, have you been binging too many mystery novels? This is priceless!"

Samantha Reynolds looked ready to explode, her fists clenched at her sides, but Amy Sinclair held her back with a firm grip.

"Let it go, Sam. The performance is starting soon. Don’t waste your energy on someone like him."

Samantha huffed. "What is his problem?"

Amy shrugged, her lips curling into a smirk. "Maybe he’s been spending too much time around people who’ve lost touch with reality. It’s contagious, apparently."

Samantha threw her hands up dramatically. "I’m keeping my distance—wouldn’t want to accidentally breathe the same air and catch whatever delusion he’s got." She jerked her chin toward the stage entrance. "Celeste, Oliver—let’s move before this circus gets any worse."

She knew Amy and Oliver were moments away from performing. Causing a scene now would only distract them, and that was the last thing Samantha wanted.

Sebastian Kingsley smirked, tipping an imaginary hat. "Well, I’m off too. Might want to invest in a new pair of glasses while you're at it."

Once they were gone, Nathan muttered under his breath, "Ugh, what an absolute joke."

Victoria Langley watched Amy’s retreating figure, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Alexander, are you sure Amy can’t play the violin?"

Alexander Blackwood shook his head. "I don’t know. I’ve never heard her play."

Then Liam piped up, "I’ve seen Mom looking at sheet music at home before."

Victoria turned to him, intrigued. "Sheet music? Did she ever mention anything about playing?"

Liam thought for a moment. "She said Grandma was an amazing violinist."

Victoria’s mind flashed back to a violin she’d seen in a shop not long ago—Celestial Nocturne, a masterpiece once owned by the legendary Caroline Delacroix.

Caroline had been a prodigy, sweeping competitions and leaving a legacy of breathtaking compositions before her untimely death. Some of her works were still used in prestigious music exams.

At the time, Victoria hadn’t connected the violin to Amy or Caroline. But now, hearing that it had belonged to Amy’s mother, she was stunned.

Nathan scoffed. "Just because her mother was talented doesn’t mean she is. Alexander and Liam both said they’ve never seen her play. How good could she possibly be?"

Seeing Victoria still lost in thought, he nudged her. "Victoria, think about it. Mastery takes years of practice. Even if you were sick, you’d still play every chance you got. Amy hasn’t touched a violin in ages. There’s no way she can compete with you. You’re overthinking this."

Victoria considered his words and nodded. She turned to Alexander. "Did Ms. Sinclair agree to lend me the violin?"

"A violin?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What’s this about?"

Victoria quickly explained the situation.

The request had completely slipped Alexander’s mind, buried under the chaos Amy kept stirring in his life. Now, with her looking at him like he was something she’d scraped off her shoe, convincing her to hand it over seemed about as likely as extinguishing a wildfire with a cup of water.

After a long pause, Alexander sighed. "Victoria… maybe you should consider using a different violin."

Victoria’s eyes widened in shock. Since her return, Alexander had never refused her anything—not even the wedding he’d originally planned with Amy.

A violin should have been a simple request.

But recent events had clearly shaken his trust in her.

She’d managed to smooth things over last time by claiming Oliver had interrupted before she could finish speaking to Liam, but she knew the damage wasn’t so easily undone.