"He invited me to a party, but Dad won't let me go..."
"Louis? That's awesome, Naomi!"
"Yes! But if he gives me permission, I'll have to go with Ethan..."
"Well, at least you'll get to see him."
"You have no idea how my dumb brother's been acting. He barely lets me do anything, and Dad always takes his side... I'm going to die single."
"Haha! No, sweetie... It's way too early to think like that. Give Ethan time. When he likes some girl, he won't be thinking about watching over his little sister anymore."
"I was hoping the dress you sent me for the party would arrive, but it hasn't yet."
"What a beautiful drawing, little grasshopper. Your drawings get better every day. Do you think you’ll become an artist?"Jonathan grinned from ear to ear. Every time they talked, he would proudly show her all his "masterpieces.""You know, I need to practice a little… Will you keep me company? We always talked about how one day you'd be my practice partner, but you still haven’t accepted my offer, hmm?"Nothing made him happier than hearing her sing. She always sent them recordings of her performances, and he waited for them with so much excitement. They communicated through music—it had always been their shared language, the unspoken emotions carried through notes and melodies. And when she sang just for him, he could feel their connection more
"Deanna, dear. I have bad news. The theater where you were going to perform in Paris suffered a terrible fire.""Oh my God!""A tragedy, but luckily, no injuries. Unfortunately, until they finish the repairs and reopen, you won’t be able to sing there. Do you want us to look for another venue?""I don’t know. What do you think?""I honestly think we should wait, if you don’t mind.""Yes, I think that’s best. I could use a longer break.""Perfect! I’ll let you know as soon as I have any updates.""Thank you, Sacha."
"Grandpa promised to take us to see you at the theater... Why didn't you tell us you were in town?""I'm sorry, sweetie. I took a few days to be with Mom and Grandma... To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should tell you.""Why not, Deanna?" Ethan asked. "Is it because of Dad?""I don't want to cause any trouble...""The only one causing trouble is Beverly!" Naomi said angrily."Come back, Deanna, so she'll leave," the child said innocently."I can't do that, grasshopper. And Naomi, it's not right to say those things.""But it's true! She's always hanging around the
For Leonard, it was more than evident that Deanna would remain in the lives of those three children forever. She would have to deal with Daniel, even if she avoided him as much as possible; she would have to deal with all of them. Her life was on stage, up there she was an incandescent star who gave everything for the pure love of music, but her heart continued beating for that idiot and his children.He was in his office that morning, in two days the play would premiere, and everyone, absolutely everyone, the most respected members would attend. From the mayor, the police chief, several powerful businessmen, the ladies of the moment; all that wealthy zoo. Everyone who believed Deanna was his lover.And of course, the three Crusher children. Camila definitely not, Harry and Laura neither, but Charles and Susan would surely be there. Daniel
Naomi paced back and forth from the door to the window, anxious. Ethan had sat down with Jonathan, and they were getting dizzy just watching her. Daniel pretended to read some papers, peering over his glasses at the girl, clearly nervous. Beverly stood on the stairs with her arms crossed, wearing an expression of pure displeasure."Naomi, enough already... for God's sake," Ethan said."When is she going to get here?""She'll be here soon. Why are you so anxious? It's just a dress...""You don't understand anything..."Ethan rolled his eyes. He wasn't excited about shopping in the least; he just wanted to go out with Deanna and spend the day together. The little one watched her go back and f
She felt cornered. Why was he suddenly threatening her like that? Everything they had done, they had done for the same purpose. What had changed? But Leonard was right—if she revealed to Daniel how things had actually happened, she would lose him forever."Why are you doing this now?""Because I need to know what happened, in full detail… Everything… and you're going to tell me, baby. Remember, you're gambling with more than just that idiot—think about his career, your ambitions…""You're a bastard…""I know, I know… You just have to tell me what I want, and you can leave in peace. I have my reasons, and I’m not going to explain them to you… You'll understand…"
Friends are supposed to be unconditional companions that life places in our path so we can share both joys and sorrows. They’re there to lift our spirits when we’re at our lowest or to join us on an adventure. They’re the ears that listen to our dreams and hopes, knowing they’ll tell us the truth, no matter how painful it is. Some even go beyond friendship and become family—the family we choose.Deanna had always been that kind of friend: the reliable one who would listen to you until late at night and then hug you to comfort you. She wouldn’t hesitate to follow you to the ends of the earth in search of the pot of gold, even knowing it didn’t exist. She would marry your brother just to help you build a happy family and would give up many important things just because she considered you even more indispensable. And never, ever, would she betray you
The music began; the overture played with power, and the melody was so lively that little Jonathan couldn't help but move his feet to the rhythm. He was filled with excitement—it was his first time seeing it live on stage. It was the first time for all of them.The curtain rose, and the play began.As Daniel had explained to Naomi, there were dialogues, fortunately in their own language. The lyrical parts, however, were in German, but at least they could understand what the story was about.And then she appeared…Beautiful, radiant, powerful. Wearing a white period dress, a smile on her lips, and strength in her voice. The first notes left everyone in suspense, and as the first act unfolded, the energy in the theater became
Opera night was no longer what it used to be in the old days, when it was an occasion for ostentation and a gathering of respected members of society. Now, anyone who could afford a ticket could step into the magical world of the theater. But just this once, every single guest would be an ostentatious, respected member of society. Just this once.That was Leonard’s doing—he had made sure Deanna’s debut in her hometown would be done the old-fashioned way. He had sent invitations to those he deemed influential, to the trendsetters, to political figures—anyone who needed to see her sing. He was proud, and he wanted to share that pride with all those who had once whispered behind her back while watching her.Tonight, they would stand and applaud. They would congratulate her at the after-party. Because he and Marcus ha
Daniel was also getting ready, but in a very different way. For him, that night was going to be tough and painful—tough because he’d have to endure seeing her with Leonard, and painful because he’d have to fight the urge to hold her. He didn’t know how much he could take and was trying to prepare himself to keep his impulses in check. Ever since he had met her, everything had been a whirlwind of madness for him. She had turned his life upside down, making him fall in love like a foolish boy.The cold man, hidden in his sorrow, imposing and unshakable, had disappeared a long time ago. Only the facade remained—inside, he had completely crumbled. Just seeing her again was enough to make everything around him falter, because to Daniel, she was a violent gust of wind that knocked him down with nothing but her presence. That’s how in love he was, and that&rsq
Friends are supposed to be unconditional companions that life places in our path so we can share both joys and sorrows. They’re there to lift our spirits when we’re at our lowest or to join us on an adventure. They’re the ears that listen to our dreams and hopes, knowing they’ll tell us the truth, no matter how painful it is. Some even go beyond friendship and become family—the family we choose.Deanna had always been that kind of friend: the reliable one who would listen to you until late at night and then hug you to comfort you. She wouldn’t hesitate to follow you to the ends of the earth in search of the pot of gold, even knowing it didn’t exist. She would marry your brother just to help you build a happy family and would give up many important things just because she considered you even more indispensable. And never, ever, would she betray you
She felt cornered. Why was he suddenly threatening her like that? Everything they had done, they had done for the same purpose. What had changed? But Leonard was right—if she revealed to Daniel how things had actually happened, she would lose him forever."Why are you doing this now?""Because I need to know what happened, in full detail… Everything… and you're going to tell me, baby. Remember, you're gambling with more than just that idiot—think about his career, your ambitions…""You're a bastard…""I know, I know… You just have to tell me what I want, and you can leave in peace. I have my reasons, and I’m not going to explain them to you… You'll understand…"
Naomi paced back and forth from the door to the window, anxious. Ethan had sat down with Jonathan, and they were getting dizzy just watching her. Daniel pretended to read some papers, peering over his glasses at the girl, clearly nervous. Beverly stood on the stairs with her arms crossed, wearing an expression of pure displeasure."Naomi, enough already... for God's sake," Ethan said."When is she going to get here?""She'll be here soon. Why are you so anxious? It's just a dress...""You don't understand anything..."Ethan rolled his eyes. He wasn't excited about shopping in the least; he just wanted to go out with Deanna and spend the day together. The little one watched her go back and f
For Leonard, it was more than evident that Deanna would remain in the lives of those three children forever. She would have to deal with Daniel, even if she avoided him as much as possible; she would have to deal with all of them. Her life was on stage, up there she was an incandescent star who gave everything for the pure love of music, but her heart continued beating for that idiot and his children.He was in his office that morning, in two days the play would premiere, and everyone, absolutely everyone, the most respected members would attend. From the mayor, the police chief, several powerful businessmen, the ladies of the moment; all that wealthy zoo. Everyone who believed Deanna was his lover.And of course, the three Crusher children. Camila definitely not, Harry and Laura neither, but Charles and Susan would surely be there. Daniel
"Grandpa promised to take us to see you at the theater... Why didn't you tell us you were in town?""I'm sorry, sweetie. I took a few days to be with Mom and Grandma... To be honest, I wasn't sure if I should tell you.""Why not, Deanna?" Ethan asked. "Is it because of Dad?""I don't want to cause any trouble...""The only one causing trouble is Beverly!" Naomi said angrily."Come back, Deanna, so she'll leave," the child said innocently."I can't do that, grasshopper. And Naomi, it's not right to say those things.""But it's true! She's always hanging around the