Chapter 215

Ethan and Vanessa sat directly behind them.

The moment Alexander and Evelyn approached, Ethan and Vanessa froze in shock.

Ever since Vanessa married into the Caldwell family, the Whitmores had treated her with cold indifference. Eleanor, Ethan’s mother, made no effort to hide her disdain.

As the patriarch of the Whitmore family, Alexander commanded respect. Vanessa immediately tugged at Ethan’s sleeve, urging him to stand. "Uncle Alexander," she greeted with forced politeness, then nodded at Evelyn. "Evelyn."

Alexander acknowledged them with nothing more than a curt hum before taking his seat in the front row.

First class had six seats. Four were now occupied.

The remaining two belonged to Simon Graves—and the cello.

Later passengers boarding the plane did double-takes at the sight of a musical instrument occupying a premium seat. Their judgmental stares burned into Simon’s back as if he were some kind of eccentric fool.

Even after they moved past, their hushed whispers carried.

"That man looks well-dressed, but what kind of idiot buys a ticket for a cello?"

"Must be one of those spoiled rich types with more money than sense."

Simon ignored them, his expression unreadable.

Evelyn suppressed a smirk. Only Alexander would arrange something so deliberately outrageous.

The cello wasn’t just an instrument.

It was a statement.

Simon was rendered speechless.

The cello Simon carried was impossible to miss, leaving Vanessa utterly stunned. "That instrument..."

"Alexander gifted it to me," Evelyn replied smoothly.

Vanessa's eyes widened in shock. "Evelyn, you're traveling for business—and you're bringing a cello along?"

Evelyn gave a slight nod. "Yes. I'll be performing at the annual gala."

Vanessa's breath hitched, her voice rising in alarm. "You're playing at the gala?"

Evelyn turned, her gaze steady. "That's right. Is there an issue?"

Vanessa's pulse spiked, panic clawing at her chest.

Evelyn was going to perform at the gala—which meant Ethan would hear her play.

No.

This was disastrous.

What if Ethan recognized Evelyn's playing?

What if he realized the truth?

Her carefully constructed lies would crumble.

And then—she'd lose everything.

Vanessa's fingers curled into tight fists as her gaze flickered toward the cello case resting behind her.

The instrument was securely zipped in its black leather bag, yet Simon's piercing stare seemed to burn through the fabric.

No. She couldn’t let Evelyn play.

If she did, everything would unravel.

If Ethan ever discovered he had mistaken her identity from the start—

Vanessa’s stomach twisted at the thought.

Ethan’s mind was elsewhere.

That haunting melody he’d heard on his colleague’s phone… had Evelyn been the one playing it?

How?

The composition was obscure, something Vanessa had claimed as her own. It was this very piece that had pulled him from the brink of death after the accident.

But Evelyn shouldn’t know it.

She hadn’t touched a cello in years.

Unless…

Had she overheard Vanessa practicing and memorized it?

Or was there something else?

A darker possibility slithered into Vanessa’s thoughts.

What if Evelyn remembered more than she let on?

The air thickened with tension.

Simon’s voice cut through the silence. "Miss Carter, would you play for us?"

Evelyn hesitated, her fingers hovering over the case.

Vanessa’s pulse spiked.

She had to act—now.

Before the truth shattered everything.

No, that couldn't be right.

Evelyn had always been more skilled at the cello than Vanessa.

Despite the static in the phone recording, her emotional interpretation surpassed Vanessa's by miles.

And it matched exactly the haunting melody he'd heard during his coma.

Ethan Caldwell's fingers tightened around his phone until the edges bit into his palm.

That cello piece had been the reason he first noticed Vanessa.

The truth was, his heart had always belonged to Evelyn. But everything changed after that car crash when he was eighteen.

When he woke up, he'd asked Evelyn why she suddenly quit playing.

She'd shrugged and called it "a childish phase."

He'd begged to hear her play just once more, but Evelyn never touched the cello again in his presence.

Ethan assumed she'd simply lost interest. He never pushed.

Vanessa, however, never refused when he asked. She played on demand, always eager to please.

Unlike Evelyn, who made no excuses - she just quietly walked away.

Their musical connection drew Ethan closer to Vanessa.

Vanessa mastered both the cello and piano with equal brilliance.

For the school's centennial gala, Ethan and Vanessa had planned a piano duet.

But fate intervened—Vanessa's hand injury forced her to withdraw.

That night, Ethan's fury toward Evelyn erupted like a storm.

He never imagined Evelyn's jealousy could wound Vanessa, and for the first time, he saw her as cruel.

Ethan remained lost in thought long after the plane landed.

Vanessa's repeated calls failed to break his trance.

"Ethan!" Vanessa's voice sharpened with irritation. "What's wrong with you? We need to disembark."

Her gaze flicked to the empty seats ahead—Alexander and Evelyn had already left.

Ethan remained motionless, his eyes locking onto hers. "Vanessa," he said slowly, "are you keeping secrets from me?"

The cabin's hum filled the silence between them.

Vanessa's fingers tightened around her designer handbag. "That's ridiculous," she scoffed, but her knuckles turned white.

Ethan noticed. He always noticed.

Outside the window, airport lights blurred as memories of Evelyn's tear-streaked face surfaced unbidden.

Vanessa stood abruptly, her perfume—too sweet, too strong—overwhelming the recycled air. "Enough games, Ethan. Let's go."

But Ethan remained seated, the truth dawning like sunrise over Cresthaven's skyline.

Some melodies, once played, could never be unheard.

Vanessa gasped, her pulse quickening with sudden dread. "What are you implying?"

Ethan's piercing gaze locked onto hers. "If you're keeping secrets from me, this is your last chance to confess. I despise liars."

Her lips stretched into a strained smile as realization struck—he might already know!

But Evelyn hadn't touched her cello in Ethan's presence since that night. There was no way he could have discovered the truth.

Vanessa exhaled in quiet relief.

One thing was certain—she must prevent Evelyn from performing at the annual gala at all costs.

Alexander Whitmore would never slip through her fingers again.

The tension thickened as Ethan stepped closer, his tailored suit brushing against Vanessa's trembling arm. "You look pale," he remarked coldly. "Guilty conscience?"

She clutched her champagne flute tighter, the crystal threatening to shatter in her grip. Around them, Horizon Enterprises' elite mingled beneath crystal chandeliers, oblivious to the silent storm between them.

Across the ballroom, Evelyn laughed at something Alexander whispered in her ear, the diamond pendant at her throat catching the light—a wedding gift Vanessa had coveted for years.

"Don't be absurd," Vanessa forced a laugh, but her manicured nails bit into her palm. "Just a headache from the orchestra's tuning."

Ethan's smirk didn't reach his eyes. "Funny you should mention music. I've been thinking about commissioning a cello piece for Mother's birthday. Who better than my future sister-in-law?"

Vanessa's blood ran cold. The annual gala was in three days—Ethan's sudden interest couldn't be coincidence.

As if sensing her panic, Evelyn glanced their way. Their eyes met, and for a heartbeat, Vanessa saw the ghost of their childhood—two girls practicing scales together before the lies began.

Then Alexander curved a protective arm around Evelyn's waist, and the moment shattered.

Vanessa turned back to Ethan with renewed determination. She'd burn every cello in Cresthaven before letting that memory resurface.