Chapter 999
Sharon couldn’t hold back her curiosity.
“Thomas, did you used to work with antiques?”
It would make sense-his wide range of knowledge could be explained that way.
But Thomas denied it outright. “No. I know nothing about antiques.”
“Then why did Wendy say you used to restore artifacts?”
“I lied to her,” Thomas replied calmly. “If I hadn’t said that, she wouldn’t have trusted me
enough to hand over Shaluna.”
Sharon froze for a beat, then let out a soft laugh. “Weren’t you afraid that if you failed, Wendy would blame you?”
“No,” Thomas answered with quiet certainty.
Sharon nodded. Wendy might be fiery by nature, but when it came to the important things, she knew where to draw the line. She wouldn’t hold it against him.
Yet the next moment, Thomas’s voice came again, steady and low.
“I never take on something I can’t accomplish. I said I would restore Shaluna, and I did it.”
Sharon’s lashes trembled as she turned toward him.
Only then did she understand. When he said “no,” he hadn’t meant Wendy wouldn’t blame
him. He meant-he would not fail.
She was just about to ask how he could be so certain when Julliard’s voice cut in, raw with
disbelief.
“Shaluna?! You found Shaluna?”
Sharon had nearly forgotten Julliard was beside her. Lowering her voice, she recounted how
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Thomas had discovered and repaired the violin.
Julliard’s expression shifted from shock to a darkness as heavy as storm clouds.
Back then, Wendy had begged him as well. He had gone searching in person-but only for a single day. To him, avenging Sharon had mattered more. The thought of that priceless violin destroyed by scum like Jamie and Lex had driven him half-mad with rage. He had poured it all into Lex’s blood.
He had intended to commission a new violin for Sharon. But Shaluna was irreplaceable. Everyone he asked shook their heads. Even Carter and Xavier had tried to have a replica
made, only to fail.
So he had settled on another idea: a music box, crafted to look exactly like Shaluna. Sharon would keep it where she could see it often. And every time she looked at it, she would think
of him.
But never-not once-had he imagined that Thomas would not only find the violin but restore it to its former glory.
The gift he had planned suddenly felt like a cruel joke.
Julliard’s fist clenched at his side. A fleeting shadow crossed his eyes.
The three of them continued through the exhibition.
Then, a stir rippled through the crowd.
“Oh my goodness! Aurora is here! Come on, let’s get an autograph!”
Excited voices rang out as a crowd rushed in one direction.
Julliard’s brows drew together. “Aurora?”
Could it be Victoria?
The answer came quickly.
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Not far ahead, Victoria stood surrounded by fans, smiling as she signed autographs. 1
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“She’s incredible,” someone gushed. “Aurora’s the ultimate winner in life-born into a top-tier family, gorgeous, a genius, and famous in so many fields. She’s absolutely
flawless.”
“Yeah, if it weren’t for that fake heiress the Kalen family dug up from nowhere, spreading lies about her being illegitimate, Aurora’s record would be spotless.”
Julliard’s expression darkened further.
And just then, a bright, delighted voice rang out from behind them.
“Thomas, you’re here too?!”
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