Chapter 352
"Emily is so beautiful, and her piano playing is so impressive. It's truly remarkable..."
Ah! Emily screamed inside.
Why did this happen?
Why did Haley steal the spotlight?
That wasn't her intention...
But no matter how much Emily regretted it, she couldn't change the way the men in the banquet hall were looking at Haley.
A beautiful woman alone could garner the attention of numerous men, and if she was talented, she would become the belle of the ball.
As soon as Haley stepped off the stage, men approached her to strike up a conversation.
However, it was Ivan who made it to her side first.
His dark eyes shone with a different kind of sparkle: "How come you've never mentioned you play the piano?"
Haley casually replied, "You never asked, did you?"
Was she supposed to tell everyone she met that she played piano? Besides, she and Ivan weren't that close.
Ivan gazed at her profile and asked slowly, "Emily mentioned that you and she have been learning the piano together since you were kids."
Haley nodded. "You could say that."
She didn't want to discuss the past. The years before she turned eighteen felt like a distant dream.
But Ivan persisted, "Did you go to Cuenca High?"
Haley continued to nod: "What's with all these questions?"
"Did you ever play piano there at Cuenca High?" Ivan ventured his most burning query.
When Haley played on stage earlier, an uncontrollable memory of a slim figure surfaced in his mind.
He had thought that figure was Emily, but now it seemed it might have been more like Haley...
If only it were Haley...
He didn't know why such a thought crossed his mind.
Haley initially didn't want to answer, but feeling the intensity of the man's gaze, she bit the corner of her lip and said with lowered eyes, "The academic pressure was so high back then. I used to play the piano in the school's music room for half an hour each day to relieve stress."
A sense of relief washed over Ivan.
It had to be Haley!
It had to be her!
The figure he saw back then had to be her!
A tumultuous mix of emotions surged in his chest, uncontrollably pulling her into his embrace.
His hands, burning with a seething heat, had just touched Haley's waist when the woman's body recoiled sharply.
A potent rush of his masculine scent hit her face, throwing Haley's mind back to that night five years ago.
She had tried to control her thoughts, to stop remembering, but every time Ivan leaned in close, all her nerves tensed, and certain emotions surged beyond her control.
Her lips, usually so full and red, began to tremble.
Ivan pulled her closer, his voice a deep murmur, "What's wrong?"
"Let go of me," Haley said through clenched teeth.
He held her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes, where he saw a flicker of panic.
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