Chapter 27

Nothing in Arabella's life had prepared her for someone as shameless as Meagan.

She kept her voice even. "The villa has already been sold. If you're still there after Sunday, don't blame me for what happens."

Without waiting for a reply, Arabella ended the call.

Meagan glared at her phone, fuming over the call that had just ended. She tried calling back, but there was no answer. Rage spiled out as she muttered to herself, "That bitch! If she ever comes back, I'll show her what real discipline is."

On the couch, Khloe lounged in front of the TV,admiring herself in her phone screen's reflection.The scars on her face had faded a lot, just as she had been promised.

Curiosity got the better of Khloe. "Who was that,Mom? Was it Arabella?"

Meagan gave a cold smile. "Of course it was. That little bitch actually told us to get out. She claims

she sold the villa. I'd like to see who's bold enough to buy it. Whoever they are, I'll make sure the deal falls apart."

Khloe hardly looked worried. "We're not leaving.Let's see if anyone actually dares to buy the house!"

Plans were already in motion. If someone did show up, they intended to spread rumors about the place being haunted.

A smirk curled Khloe's lips. "Arabella is just too naive."

Her expression turned brighter as she remembered something. "By the way, tomorrow is Elissa's big rehearsal. A lot of important people will be there. Can I go?"

At the mention of Elissa, a smile broke through Meagan's irritation. "We can't just waltz in, but after it's over, we can pay her a visit."

The thought made Khloe beam. "That's great! I'm going to start live streaming again, Mom."

With her face healed, she finally felt ready to return to streaming.

"Go on then," Meagan answered, applying a fresh face mask.

She didn't take Arabella's words seriously.

The following day arrived, bringing rehearsal day at Griridge Theatre.

Arabella and Karlie sat among the audience when a familiar voice called out, "Daisy?"

Her gaze lifted to see Kenzie and several others walking over. A few dance students had been invited to watch, and by coincidence, Kenzie ended up right beside Arabella.

The sightof Arabella left Kenzie speechless.

Shock hit her when she realized Arabella was unscathed. Weren't Maryam's people supposed to have taken her away?

Kenzie couldn't hold back. "How did you manage to get out?" Her face twisted with mixed emotions.

"Why do you even care?" Arabella asked sharply,her voice laced with scorn.

The answer left Kenzie irritated and even more annoyed. She scanned Arabella up and down,letting out a mocking laugh. "Have you been planning payback while you were away? Like l said before, you can try all you want, but you'll never take on Joyce and her friends. Poor girls

like you stay poor!"

A smug smile crossed her lips. "If you beg me right now, maybe I'll speak up for you and get Joyce to go easy on you."

With Joyce's influence behind her, Kenzie had no problem throwing her weight around.

Arabella gave a half smile. "Sure."

Kenzie said, "Then get down and apologize."

Kenzie's phone appeared in her hand. Arabella could tell this wasn't the first time Daisy had been pushed into this.

Inside, Kenzie sneered. So Daisy still hadn't changed, and she was just as timid as before.

Due to her humble beginnings, she was stuck tagging along behind Elissa's circle. The only way she could feed her fragile ego was by belittling Daisy whenever she got the chance.

A sudden crash echoed through the room.

Something had smacked into Kenzie's knee,making her collapse to the floor.

A flicker of humor danced in Arabella's eyes as she looked down. "You're pretty skilled at begging. Must be second nature by now. Or

maybe it's just because Elissa and Joyce have never let you stand up for yourself, right?"

Kenzie's face drained of color. "You witch! How dare you pull this on me?"

Karlie chimed in, "The performance is about to start."

Sure enough, the stage lights dimmed, and Kenzie had no choice but to hold back her anger,silently vowing to get even with Arabella later.

Frustration simmered inside her.

In Kenzie's mind, Daisy's stubbornness was the reason she kept landing in trouble.

Only a minute passed before the dance performance got underway.

The dancers moved with such grace that the entire audience sat entranced.

Occasionally, someone whispered, "Isn't this one of Isabella's pieces? It's really stunning."

"Absolutely, Isabella is truly remarkable, and she stands among the finest dancers in the country."

"Elissa's solo is amazing too!" someone added.

"You know, she choreographed it herself. That takes real skill," another person replied.

Elissa's solo performance quickly drew its own share of attention.

As the last note faded, the audience broke into applause and words of praise filled the air.

"That was incredible!"

"Elissa's solo was especially impressive!"

"The younger dancers are surpassing the veterans these days."

Cheers and compliments followed Elissa as she took her bow and exited the stage, her face glowing with pride.

Kenzie's eyes darkened as she turned and gave Arabella a smug look. "Did you see that, Daisy?That's the difference between you and Elissa.You'll always be stuck here in the audience."

A cold look settled on Arabella's face. "And what about you? No matter how talented Elissa is,you're still just plain old Kenzie. It's almost laughable, the way you hide behind someone else's achievements just to feel important."