May watches me closely. Her expression gives nothing away, but I catch the faintest twitch at the corner of her mouth. Worry. Maybe even fear.
“You know I’ve always tried to protect you. Your image, your career, your future.”
“I know. And I’m grateful. Truly. But I need to live honestly. If I ever meet someone… I want to be free to build something real.”
Her eyes narrow. “You’ve already met someone, haven’t you? Is that what this is really about?”
“No!” The word comes out too fast, too sharp. “There’s no one. I’m not in love.”
Liar.
The image crashes in, uninvited, Remi holding me after the club, his arms strong around me, his breath steady and warmagainst my skin. That moment of safety. Of something that felt dangerously close to real.
I shove the thought away. I can’t afford it. I have no right.
“There’s no one, May. Not for a long time.”
She doesn’t look convinced. “Then why take risks with your programme? This isn’t like you.”
“Because I need to feel something again. I want to grow. Yes, the usual repertoire works. I could play it in my sleep. But I’m young. If I don’t take risks now, then when?”
She goes quiet for a moment, eyes narrowing as she studies me.
“Fine,” she says at last. “Let’s try it.”
I blink, caught off guard. That was… easier than expected.
“BUT,” she adds, raising a manicured hand, “there’s a condition.”
Of course there is.
“I’m listening.”
“If the concert flops, you find a new agent.”
“What?!”
She doesn’t flinch. “But if it’s a triumph, I’ll cut my commission by five percent.”
I stare at her, completely stunned. “Why?”
“Because you want control. And you should have it if your choices hold up. But if they don’t, I’m not going to be the one cleaning up after the fallout.”
For a moment, I’m too shocked to respond. But then it hits me.
She’s giving me the reins. Not gently, and certainly not without strings, but still. She’s handing me the wheel.
And oddly enough… I’m not afraid.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel clear. Certain.
I know what I want.
And I know exactly what I need to do.
CHAPTER 13
On the night of the concert
