Claudia nodded in agreement.

“He certainly is." He had adeptly and brilliantly resolved the issues.

Initially, Trudy had desired to downplay a catastrophic event as a minor hiccup, considering the massive scale of the day's charity event. The platform was as magnificent as the one at the S-tier competition Claudia had participated in.

Unexpectedly, her act was shifted from being the last to the opening performance. As Claudia waited in the wings, poised to step onto the stage, she felt a surge of anxiety.

That day, Claudia was to perform the piano version of a well-known song called “Our World." A troupe of deaf dancers would interpret the world of silence to the touching notes of the piano. Although not overly dramatic, it was truly impactful. It was a feast for both the eyes and the ears.

After taking her bow, Claudia instinctively scanned the crowd below.

When she'd first ascended the stage, her eyes had instantly found Bennett, seated center-row. His striking features and distinctive aura had caught her attention instantly.

After her bow, her eyes found him again.

But to her surprise, she found herself locked in his intense gaze. Caught off guard, Claudia felt her heartbeat quicken.

She hastily averted her gaze and followed the dance troupe off the stage.

The backstage was quiet. Patty was likely gone.

As Claudia was taking off her makeup, the same crew member who had been insolent just an hour ago was now apologizing to her.

“Mrs. Dreskin, I was just misinformed and caused you inconvenience. Please accept my apology."

Claudia remained silent. She was no saint.

Since Bennett had gone out of his way to defend her, she wasn't going to upset him by playing the saint now.

Joann pushed past the crew member and stood beside Claudia.

“Get out of the way. She dislikes having strangers hover around her."

The crew member paled. She'd been put in her place but dared not protest.

Her mistake today might end her career in this field, unless Claudia decided to be generous.

Trudy had made it clear that it wasn't them denying her a second chance, but the person she'd offended was Bennett, a powerful figure in Linmarsh.

Hearing Bennett's name, she knew she'd messed up big time. Even if Claudia slapped her right now, she wouldn't utter a word.

But Claudia didn't react, nor did she forgive her. She simply sat there, removing her makeup.

Joann felt a wave of relief, but she didn't intervene on behalf of the staff member.

She wasn't naive. Besides, she was on Claudia's side all along!