“He caused you sadness and you're telling me it's nothing?"

Her words stirred an emotional response within Claudia.

“Let's not dwell on that man. Allow me to reveal the gift I've prepared for you. Which one catches your fancy?"

Claudia was perplexed. Why had Zaria suddenly readied a gift for her?

While Zaria conversed, she extracted her phone and displayed pictures of exquisite dresses to Claudia. "Tell me, which one appeals to you? In my opinion, they all suit you. They'll undoubtedly enhance your appearance! Maybe I should buy you all of them! You can wear them during your performance, and I'LL capture photographs of you!”

Claudia regarded her with astonishment.

“wait, what?"

She hadn't anticipated such extravagant spending from the affluent. Zaria scrutinized her and inquired, “Is this insufficient? You can select as many dresses as you desire. It's genuinely not costly!"

Observing the price on the photo, Claudia ascertained that one dress exceeded a hundred thousand dollars in value, yet Zaria asserted it wasn't pricey.

"No, thank you. I already have many dresses, really!"

“But I've invested so much time in choosing. Are you truly not fond of them?"

Claudia realized that Zaria had misconstrued her intentions. Claudia was trying to be polite, yet Zaria interpreted it as her dislike for the dresses.

Their exchange persisted for a while, culminating in Claudia reluctantly accepting a dress.

"Fine, this one it is! I'll arrange for it to be delivered to your residence in a few days! How about selecting a handbag? I possess several collections at home. You can choose one or two if you wish, though I truly can't offer an excessive amount. My mother is fervent about her collections."

Claudia was left speechless. She found herself once again at a loss for words.

Joann had been anxiously waiting backstage for Claudia for nearly twenty minutes. Claudia had promised to return in ten minutes, but there was no sign of her. Realizing that there were only four songs left before Claudia's performance, Joann hurriedly went out to search for her.

To her surprise, she only took a few steps from the Lounge when she spotted Claudia and Zaria chatting in the corridor.

“Why are you standing here?”

Seeing Joann, Claudia breathed a sigh of relief and teased, "Is it time for me to change my clothes?"

She winked at Joann.

It was the first time Claudia had ever do this to her, and Joann was momentarily baffled by the gesture.

However, the two of them had worked together for years, and after a half-second pause, understanding dawned. Joann replied, “Yes, the chief director has asked you to change your clothes quickly and go backstage to stand by!"

Hearing this, Zaria didn't dare detain Claudia any longer.

“Cece, go change your clothes! I'll go back to the auditorium and wait for you!"