"Yeah, five leads, and Mr. Madden is just bringing one bouquet?"
The jest from a fellow dancer had Lizetta slightly panicked. Luckily, no one was actually green with envy; they were just ribbing her. When Jerome pulled out five envelopes with a hefty amount of money in them, everyone rushed forward and they were gone in a flash.
"Mr. Madden's generous. Let Liz have the flowers. We're happy with this."
As they dispersed, Lizetta clutched the bouquet, her cheeks flushed and glistening with sweat.
"I didn't let you down, did I, Mr. Madden?" She looked up.
Jerome smiled softly, not stingy with his praise, "You were perfect. The live stream went really well too. Tickets for the second round sold out the moment they went on sale."
Lizetta blinked, "It's all thanks to everyone's hard work. But, I guess I lived up to the expectations?"
"Exceeded them," Jerome said with a smile.
Lizetta's smile turned radiant, a strand of her hair falling onto the bouquet she held.
Jerome reached into his pocket and handed her a folded blue handkerchief, "For wiping off the sweat.'
A drop of sweat on Lizetta's eyelash somewhat blurred her vision, and she instinctively took the handkerchief. Jerome, now with a free hand, naturally reached out and brushed away the strand of hair caught in the bouquet. When Remington briskly approached, what he saw was the two standing close together in an intimate gesture.
His handsome face turned stern as he strode forward, grasping Lizetta's arm and pulling her into his embrace, his cold gaze fixed on Jerome, and said, "She's exhausted. If there's nothing else for the dance troupe, I'll take her home now."
Without waiting for Lizetta's reaction, he scooped her up and walked away.
Behind them, Jerome called out, "In two days, the second round of performances. The dance troupe has been invited to the Summer Theatre, and in half a month, we'll head to Summer City. No issues, right?" Lizetta's mind raced. The dance troupe's performances were initially set for a month in Zion City. Now, starting the tour early meant leaving Zion City, making it easier for Lizetta to make her escape. Hanging onto Remington's shoulder, she poked her head out and said to Jerome, "I'm all good, Mr. Madden. Don't worry."
She even stretched out her hand, giving Jerome an "okay" sign.
Remington's arm suddenly dipped, startling Lizetta into a yelp as she clutched his neck tighter, the bouquet getting crushed immediately and scattering petals along their path.
As Remington placed her in the car, Lizetta's expression was icy, clearly very displeased.
Sitting next to her, Remington tugged at his tie, pulling it loose, his voice cold, "Since when are you so chummy with him?"
"You should ask Lina that," Lizetta retorted, her lips curving into a sarcastic smile.
Lina had been shadowing Lizetta lately. Lizetta knew she reported her every move to Remington under the guise of concern, but it felt more like surveillance to her.
Fortunately, Lina was just a maid, not a professional spy. Lizetta figured her little acts of defiance went unnoticed.
As Remington heard her sardonic tone, his lips tightened, his eyes darkening with emotion, "Are you upset because I had to step out during the show? Stella...."
He stopped mid-explanation as Lizetta suddenly turned to him, "I don't want to talk about her."
Remington's expression darkened further as he pulled her into his embrace; head bowed, he said, "You know there's nothing between her and me! How long are you gonna keep this up?" Lizetta looked at him, a laugh almost escaping her.
She was about to leave, and he still thought this was all her making a fuss? How successful had her previous affections toward him been to make him so confident?
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