Bennett made a small tutting noise and opened his mouth to say something when his phone rang.

Claudia gave his phone a cursory peek and caught a glimpse of Jackson's name on the screen. There was no disappointment in her tone when she said, "Go ahead and do your work. I'm going to the piano room now."

She understood that his job kept him very busy almost all the time. The moment Claudia walked into the piano room, her phone also began to ring.

Upon checking who the caller was, she was taken aback.

Claudia cautiously looked out the door. Once she was certain that Bennett was not within earshot, she walked over to the piano and accepted the call. "Hello?"

“Hey, are you sure you don't want to take part in the competition this year?"

Claudia bit her Lower lip before replying, "Yes, I'm sure. I'll do it next year."

In response to this, the caller grew even more desperate.

“Is there no chance you'll change your mind? We really want you to participate in this competition. We've alerted the press, and if you win, you'll be famous!"

That was exactly what worried Claudia the most. She did not want to go from obscurity to stardom overnight.

She could not help but waver for a moment, though, but she ultimately declined, saying, "I'm sorry. I really can't make it this year. My leg injury has just healed.”

The person on the other end of the Line sighed at her firm refusal and replied reluctantly, “Alright, but if you change your mind, don't hesitate to call me. I'll save a spot for you, okay?”

"Thank you. Bye.”

After ending the call, Claudia gazed at the piano before her, but she was not in the mood to play anymore.

Her lips twisted as Kayla's words flooded her thoughts, and she bit down on the twinge of unease she felt inside. She inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm herself down before willing herself to play the piano.

She was so focused on her practice that she did not even hear Bennett enter the room.

It was not until she finished playing a song that she noticed another presence in the room. She turned around and saw Bennett.

Claudia blinked at him and asked, "When did you come in?"

“Just now."

Suddenly, the phone perched atop the piano Lit up.

Bennett's ebony gaze flickered over it, but he looked away immediately.

“Do you want to have dinner now?"

With a nod, Claudia got to her feet and grabbed her phone. She pressed the power button, causing the screen to light up and revealing an unread message from Aurora.

She remembered how Bennett glanced at it earlier and was relieved that the message did not contain any improper contents.