Zoe squirmed as she threw the blanket she wore carelessly, causing it to fall off the bed. It was indeed her habit. She tousled her messy hair, as last night she was too sleepy to comb it, so she just let it air-dry after a shower.Yawning widely, she stretched to straighten her back as she lowered her feet. She was still sleepy from staying up late trying to edit Iris's recording. It just didn't work.Today, Zoe planned to seek knowledge on the internet again. To find more precise tutorials so she could accomplish it. It wasn't convincing, as her findings yesterday didn't meet her expectations, but what else could she do?Zoe lazily walked to the bathroom while suppressing a yawn."What makes you stay up late at night and sleepy?""AH!"Zoe, of course, screamed very loudly upon hearing that. Her eyes widened as she turned around, looking around.Then she spotted Wolf, sitting with his legs crossed, holding a cup of coffee. Staring at her with sharp eyes. Observing, but maybe a bit to
Zoe returned to rubbing her chest absentmindedly. Wolf showed no sign of acknowledging her presence. Zoe finally entered the luxurious kitchen that usually sparkled, holding her phone."How did you know I was coming?" Zoe asked."I heard your footsteps," Wolf replied.Zoe widened her eyes. "I'm not wearing any shoes!""Just because you're not wearing shoes doesn't mean I can't hear you. My ears are accustomed to picking up sounds more clearly. And your eavesdropping distance wasn't far, Zoe." The kitchen wasn't too large, as Wolf knew he wouldn't use it often.Zoe nodded, remembering that Wolf's primary job as a producer was to have a keen sense of hearing."Eat," Wolf said, placing two fully loaded plates on the counter. There were high stools for dining; there was no need for a dining table.Zoe looked at the perfectly arranged meal. Two slices of toast, crispy bacon, and sunny-side-up eggs with the perfect level of doneness. The yellow yolk glistened, just halfway cooked. Saliva ga
Zoe stared in awe at the equipment in Wolf's studio. It couldn't be compared to the rental studio she used to share with Max, with just a few hours available to create demo songs. Even the mixing equipment here was more comprehensive than in Billy's studio in Nova. Wolf even had a professional, soundproof recording room.The closed room next to Wolf's workspace turned out to hide an area that made Zoe feel like she had discovered a secret treasure trove."Sit down." Wolf shifted another chair so Zoe could sit next to him after turning on the computer there."I'll start with the basics. The programs you can use to layer a song and also..."Zoe patted Wolf's arm, asking him to slow down a bit with the explanations, as she couldn't follow how quickly the screen on Wolf's computer was changing.[Can't you explain using a simpler program? I mean something more straightforward.]"Why are you using this note again?" Wolf asked, taking the cat-shaped sticky note Zoe handed it to him, sticking
"Zoe?!" Wolf stretched his head to get a clearer view but couldn't find her."Zoe!" Finally, Wolf got up and opened the recording room door."You..." Wolf, seeing Zoe huddled near the wall, certainly wanted to address her, but then he realized that Zoe was trembling."Zoe? Are you sick?" Wolf wanted to pull Zoe to stand, but as he moved her away from the wall, he heard faint sobs and tears dripping onto the carpet.Wolf became even more panicked after seeing that. Wolf became even more panicked after seeing that. His suggestion for Zoe to sing had actually made her uncomfortable, but it turned out to be worse as it made her cry."Why... wait..."Wolf let Zoe continue to huddle while he rubbed her head in confusion."What should I do?!" The panicked murmurs were very soft, but enough to startle Zoe. She tried to wipe away her tears.Wolf, still thinking hard about everything he had learned instantly since meeting Sara, observed how Zoe wiped away her tears.Wolf searched the room but f
[Have you ever been a singer or something?] Zoe asked.After Wolf read the question she handed him, Zoe stuck the sticky note on the dashboard in front of her. Zoe followed Wolf's lead and attached her sticky note next to the steering wheel, where two others were already stuck."Never. My voice is not suitable for singing. You've heard it, right? My voice is too rough," Wolf said.[Indeed, but I think it's not impossible to be a singer. Many singers have husky voices] Zoe stated the current reality."Not applicable to me. It takes hard work to make my voice worth listening to. And for what? There are many beautiful voices out there that are already worth listening to. I prefer to hear those."Zoe nodded. In essence, Wolf never had the desire to become a singer because he preferred listening to other people's voices."Did you have a beautiful voice since you were a child?" Wolf asked, partly guessing, considering Zoe had mentioned she always wanted to be a singer.Zoe nodded but didn't
'It took a long time to think before uploading this, knowing that Iris is famous for her kindness. If I hadn't experienced it myself, I might not have believed it either. But that's how it is. I'm neither a fan nor a hater; I just know who she is now, and I hope all of you think carefully before praising her.'Zoe read her post once again. After ensuring it was free of typos, she uploaded it along with the audio recording. She still used the same fansite as yesterday when she sent the video of Iris, but with a different email and account. She created a new account and would erase any traces, just like yesterday.And like yesterday, Zoe only had to wait less than 2 minutes before her thread received a response. Iris's fanbase was always active.'OMG! What is this? Are you kidding me?!'Of course, the first reaction was disbelief, but it represented progress as she no longer faced curses. Initially, when Zoe posted something, people insulted her for suggesting something seemingly imposs
"Are you kidding? Like... Oh, Shit! Are you serious?" Clay certainly remembered how Wolf had once discussed slaves with him.Clay then rubbed his face. "I think you're crazy! You shouldn't have accepted that offer just like that!" Clay is scolding him again."Why not? She's pretty enough, and her body is good. I like the way she holds...""No need to tell me the details! Do you think I want to hear?" Clay snapped, looking disgustedly at Wolf's hands, which vividly demonstrated how Zoe slept with him."I just want to say, look at her beyond just her body. She's desperate. Don't you realize that? She's surrendering her freedom; that's a huge gamble. There's something she wants, and whatever it is, it's significant."Wolf fell silent. He had never thought about Zoe's desires that deeply. He only knew about stalking. But was the habit of stalking worth exchanging for freedom? It seemed not to.Zoe's stalking might be extremely severe—evidenced by a restraining order against her—but becomi
[What are you listening to?] Zoe extended the question."Try listening." Wolf was sitting on the bed, wearing earphones. He now took them off, asking Zoe to hear what he was listening to.Zoe accepted and put the earphones in both of her ears. But this wasn't Zoe's intention. She asked out of curiosity. Zoe wanted to know what was happening with Iris. Assuming that Wolf might be listening to an apology video from Iris, like yesterday after she had problems with the photographer.Zoe expected the apology to come sooner, but Wolf was just listening to a song. But it turned out that Wolf was just listening to a song."Do you think this song is more suitable for a cheerful mood or a dark one?" Wolf asked, playing the song on his phone.Since then, he has been playing the song repeatedly to get the right mood with the lyrics. The song was still very raw. It only contained simple music—piano, without any additions, and vocals that were also part of the demo.Zoe closed her eyes, listening t