Chapter 32
The rehearsal continued.
Unfortunately, Chloe's performance didn't improve.
She kept missing cues, losing focus, and breaking character.
Leo didn't even need to interrupt her.
After another mistake, Dylan finally called out from the side of the stage.
"Cut!"
Chloe closed her eyes.
They reset.
Two minutes later—
"Cut!"
Again.
By the third time, even Professor Evelyn looked embarrassed.
Leo rose from his seat.
"Looks like they need a few minutes to reset."
His tone remained indifferent.
"I'll step out for a bit."
Professor Evelyn immediately nodded.
"Of course. I'll go talk to them."
She headed backstage.
This was humiliating.
What was wrong with her students tonight?
Leo didn't go to the restroom.
He went back to his car.
His assistant, Max, was already there, working with the PR team to contain the sudden wave of speculation online.
The moment Leo opened the door, Max looked up.
"We've handled most of it."
He held up his phone.
"The bigger entertainment accounts have either deleted the posts or changed the captions. A few fan accounts took theirs down too."
He sighed.
"But the clips are already everywhere. There's no way to completely stop people from talking about it now."
Leo removed his cap.
His hair had been flattened slightly beneath it, but that did absolutely nothing to make him less attractive.
If anything, the slight messiness made him look annoyingly effortless.
He leaned back against the seat.
"Has Emma said anything?"
Max shook his head.
"Nothing."
Leo's brows lifted slightly.
"Oh?"
That genuinely surprised him.
Anyone else would've taken advantage of attention like this.
A vague Instagram Story.
A cryptic post.
Maybe a selfie from backstage.
Anything to keep people talking.
Emma had done—
nothing.
Max had clearly been thinking the same thing.
"Maybe she hasn't figured out what she wants to post yet."
He hesitated.
"Should we contact her? Just to make sure she doesn't say anything that makes this worse?"
Leo lowered his eyes.
"No."
His voice was cool.
Max looked at him.
Leo said nothing more.
There was no reason to contact her.
If his side reached out first, the situation changed.
It turned a simple accident into something that actually required a private conversation.
Worse, it gave Emma proof that his team cared about controlling what she said.
There was no need to hand her that kind of leverage.
Tonight had been an accident.
Nothing more.
And it would not happen again.
Leo was silent for a moment.
Then he asked casually,
"Has Emma contacted you through the site recently?"
"No."
Max shook his head.
"I've lined up a few new candidates for this weekend. We'll see if any of them work out."
He glanced at Leo.
"If we settle on someone else, I'll let Emma know we're ending the arrangement."
Neither of them had known Emma would be at Nance tonight.
Max had been shocked when she'd walked onto the stage.
What shocked him even more was that Leo Fontaine—the man who almost never made mistakes in public—had casually said her name in front of five million people.
That part still made no sense.
Backstage, Professor Evelyn stood in front of Chloe with a stern expression.
"What is going on with you tonight?"
Chloe lowered her head.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I'm just a little off."
"A little?"
Professor Evelyn frowned.
"Then get yourself together before you go back out there."
Chloe pressed her lips together.
Professor Evelyn continued,
"Look at Emma. This is her first full rehearsal and she's completely relaxed. She walked onto that stage and committed to the character."
Emma, who had immediately hidden her phone the moment Professor Evelyn walked in, sat up straight.
Professor Evelyn looked over.
Emma gave her the brightest, most innocent smile she could manage.
Eight perfect teeth.
Professor Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
"And don't you get too pleased with yourself. You've still got a long way to go."
Emma immediately withdrew the eight teeth.
"Yes, Professor."
Professor Evelyn left.
Emma relaxed.
Dylan came backstage a moment later.
He walked directly toward her.
There was a mocking expression on his face.
"I'll give you credit, Emma."
Emma looked up.
"You've got skills."
That didn't sound like a compliment.
Dylan crossed his arms.
"No wonder you never gave me a chance."
Emma waited.
He smirked.
"So who's the rich guy?"
Emma:
"?"
Dylan leaned closer.
"You really expect me to believe Leo Fontaine suddenly knows your name for no reason?"
He certainly didn't believe Leo was interested in Emma.
The entertainment industry was full of beautiful women.
Actresses.
Models.
Socialites.
Women far more famous than Emma.
And Leo had spent years surrounded by all of them without publicly showing interest in anyone.
As far as the public knew, romance simply wasn't part of Leo Fontaine's life.
But some older, wealthy investor taking an interest in Emma?
That Dylan could believe.
Maybe whoever was backing her had called in a favor.
Maybe Leo had agreed to give her a little publicity.
That explanation made far more sense to him.
Emma stared at Dylan for a few seconds.
Then said calmly,
"If something's wrong with your brain, you should probably see a vet."
Dylan's face froze.
Emma smiled.
"I'd suggest a doctor, but they deserve better."
Dylan:
"......"
He almost choked.
She hadn't even tried to defend herself.
She'd just insulted him.
The audacity!
Chloe, standing nearby, said nothing.
But judging from her expression—
she clearly thought Dylan's theory made sense.
The PR cleanup was a little strange.
But what other explanation was there?
After a short break, rehearsal resumed.
Leo returned to his seat in the front row.
The rest of the evening went considerably more smoothly.
Leo gave the students plenty of notes.
Practical ones.
Detailed ones.
He corrected pacing, emotional transitions, physical positioning, and how certain lines should land.
For the rest of the students, he seemed every bit the accomplished alumnus Professor Evelyn had promised them.
Calm.
Professional.
Generous with his experience.
Then Emma stepped onto the stage again.
Leo's attention immediately shifted.
His eyes followed her before he even realized they had.
Emma, meanwhile—
didn't look at him once.
She was completely focused on the scene.
That alone made her different from nearly everyone else that night.
No one had been able to fully forget that Leo Fontaine was sitting in the front row.
They wanted to perform well.
But they also wanted him to notice them.
Most of the students—especially those meeting him for the first time—couldn't help sneaking at least one glance toward him when they stepped onstage.
Some secretly hoped he'd interrupt them.
Correct them.
Talk to them.
Anything.
Even criticism from Leo Fontaine was attention from Leo Fontaine.
Emma was the exception.
Once she stepped onto the stage, the auditorium might as well have disappeared.
She wasn't performing for Leo.
She wasn't performing for the livestream.
She was simply acting.
And she seemed to genuinely enjoy it.
Dylan tried several times to find something wrong with her performance.
He couldn't.
Eventually, even he began to wonder.
Had Emma secretly spent the past year taking acting lessons?
How was she doing this?
The rest of them had already run through their individual scenes multiple times before tonight.
Emma had barely been around.
And somehow—
her first full run looked better than theirs.
The livestream viewers noticed too.
The rehearsal continued.
Eventually, the final scene ended.
The entire cast returned to the stage for a bow.
Applause filled the auditorium.
Professor Evelyn personally walked Leo outside afterward.
"Thank you for tonight."
She smiled warmly.
"They learned a lot from you. The actual showcase is in about two weeks. I think tonight gave them plenty to work on before then."
Leo nodded.
"They have potential."
There was genuine pride in Professor Evelyn's expression.
She'd watched Leo go from one of her students to one of the biggest actors in the industry.
No matter how famous he became, part of her still saw the young man she'd once taught.
Which was probably why she felt perfectly comfortable saying,
"You know, you're twenty-eight now."
Leo glanced at her.
Professor Evelyn smiled knowingly.
"You could date someone once in a while. It wouldn't kill you."
Leo gave a faint laugh.
"I'm not really thinking about that right now."
"No?"
"I'd rather focus on work."
Professor Evelyn sighed.
"That's exactly what I expected you to say."
They chatted for another minute before Leo finally got into the car.
It was almost nine.
Night had already fallen over campus.
Streetlights cast soft pools of light across the sidewalk.
Max was driving tonight. Since this wasn't an official appearance, Leo hadn't brought his usual team with him.
Max glanced toward the door.
"Ready?"
Then Leo saw someone approaching.
A familiar figure.
Even in the dim light, he recognized her immediately.
Emma.
Princess Vivienne was gone.
No crimson costume.
No ankle bells.
No dangerous smile.
She was back in the floral sundress she'd arrived in, her canvas tote hanging from one shoulder.
Her long hair fell loosely down her back, lifting slightly in the evening breeze.
Even dressed casually, she was impossible to overlook.
Leo had spent years surrounded by some of the most beautiful people in the entertainment industry.
Actors.
Models.
Celebrities whose faces appeared on billboards around the world.
And even he had to admit—
Emma Carter was exceptionally beautiful.
Max reached for the door controls.
"I'll close it."
"Wait."
The word left Leo's mouth almost immediately.
Max paused.
Leo leaned back.
He wanted to see what Emma was going to say.
So.
She was finally coming over.
Leo's mouth curved slightly.
He should've known.
She'd acted completely indifferent after what happened online.
No post.
No comment.
No attempt to capitalize on his name.
And now, once most people had left—
here she was.
It reminded him of something else.
She'd managed to keep that hidden for half a year too.
Eventually, everyone showed their hand.
Leo sat with one long leg bent casually, his expression cool and unreadable.
He'd been at the top of his industry for too long.
People approached him constantly.
For opportunities.
Introductions.
Roles.
Money.
Attention.
A single recommendation from him could change someone's career.
Even now, students were being held back behind the security barriers around the building.
Some had come from across the city just because they'd heard he was here.
Phones were raised everywhere.
People craned their necks for one glimpse of him.
Emma Carter was hardly the first person to walk toward his car wanting something.
Leo watched her approach.
Closer.
Closer.
The corner of his mouth lifted with faint amusement.
Then—
Leo paused.
Emma stopped beside a scooter parked a few feet from the car.
She unlocked it.
Emma swung one leg over the seat.
Adjusted her tote.
Started the engine.
Then, with one smooth turn, she pulled away from the curb and disappeared into the night.
She never looked at him.
Not once.
**Are There AnyEmma Fans Here?
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