Chapter 186

Chapter 186

"Could you take off your hat and mask first? I want to see what you look like. You seem familiar to me. Would you mind taking them off?"

The makeup artist's whole body stiffened. She turned her face away and said evasively, "Ms. Brown, I haven't even washed up properly. I look a bit messy, so let's just keep the hat and mask on. It won't affect my work anyway. Please close your eyes first, let me quickly apply the primer."

"It's almost time for you to go on stage. We need to hurry."

Sophia felt something was even more wrong. She slowly stood up and moved away from the makeup mirror.

"Who are you exactly?"

As soon as she finished speaking, the makeup artist who had just refused to remove her baseball cap and mask let out bursts of sinister laughter. The laughter echoed in the empty dressing room, especially chilling.

Sophia pressed her lips together and stepped back. The makeup artist in front of her suddenly pulled off both her baseball cap and mask, revealing a very familiar face.

"Alice? Why is it you?"

The person standing before her had a pale face and a venomous expression. It was Alice, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

She glared at Sophia viciously, as if she wanted to devour her alive.

"What? You must feel pretty happy with yourself now, right? Getting on the stage you've always wanted to be on. But you probably didn't expect that I would sneak backstage and stand right in front of you."

Alice's voice was sinister. She looked at Sophia with eyes full of hatred.

"You're living happily, but what about me? Benjamin kicked me out of the apartment. I'm penniless, I have nothing. I have nothing! Nothing left, all because of you!"

She moved closer to Sophia step by step, her eyes full of venom.

As Alice approached, Sophia noticed the knife hidden in her sleeve. Alarm bells rang in her mind, but she pretended to stay calm.

"Don't rush. Whatever it is, we can talk it through. Don't act impulsively and ruin your future."

She meant to calm down Alice, who had clearly lost all reason, but it only made her more furious.

"What's the use of saying this now? I'm penniless now, I have nothing left, all because of you. I'm homeless now, I don't even have a place to stay! All because of you!"

Alice seemed trapped in some kind of loop. She slowly approached Sophia, and the knife hidden in her sleeve was now clearly visible.

"What do you think would happen if I used this knife to ruin your face, or... or if I stabbed it straight into your heart? Would you die?"

She let out strange laughter. The knife in her hand gleamed coldly under the dressing room's harsh lights.

"Calm down."

Sophia said while slowly moving toward the dressing room door. Just when she was only a few steps away, Alice suddenly made her move. She raised the knife in her hand like a madwoman and stabbed straight toward Sophia's heart.

At the critical moment, the dressing room door was kicked open hard. It was Benjamin.

He looked at the scene before him with rage in his eyes and rushed forward quickly, kicking the knife out of Alice's hand.

He kicked with such force that Alice flew out along with the knife handle and fell to the ground. She curled up in pain, groaning.

"Are you okay, Sophia? Are you okay!"

Benjamin supported Sophia, whose hands were trembling, his voice panicked.

"It's okay, it's okay now."

The commotion in the dressing room attracted quite a few people's attention. Several people gathered at the door, and murmurs of discussion followed.

Sophia came to her senses. She gripped Benjamin's hand back.

"Is it time for me to go on stage? I haven't... I haven't had time to do my makeup and hair yet."

Benjamin said softly.

"It's okay, I'll arrange everything for you. I definitely won't delay your stage time. On my way here, I already contacted new stylists and makeup artists. They're on their way."

Then he moved her behind him, and his expression suddenly changed. The tenderness and affection on his face vanished completely. He looked coldly at Alice lying on the ground in a mess.

"Security, get this crazy woman out of here."

"Crazy woman" hit a nerve with Alice. She raised her head and laughed, looking at Benjamin and Sophia with bloodshot eyes.

"Crazy woman, I'm just a crazy woman in your eyes..."

She was forcibly taken out of the dressing room by security. As soon as she left, the stylists and makeup artists Benjamin had arranged arrived right on time.

"Get ready quickly and finish the styling in the shortest time possible. Don't delay Sophia's stage time."

Benjamin ordered coldly. He turned to look at Sophia behind him, whose face was slightly pale, and his tone became more sympathetic.

"This is my fault. Don't worry, I've arranged everything for you. You just need to focus on performing."

The makeup artist and stylist Benjamin found was very professional. Their movements were nimble and quick. In no time, Sophia's makeup was done, and the stylist behind her had skillfully finished her hair.

Sophia wasn't as flustered as before. Through the makeup mirror in front of her, she looked at Benjamin standing behind her. After her lips moved for a moment, she said softly.

"Thank you."

Benjamin shook his head gently, his tone extremely tender.

"No need to thank me. This is what I should do, and it's what I owe you. Get ready to go on stage. Everything will go smoothly from now on."

Sophia walked to the stage entrance accompanied by him. The audience was already full, including Daniel and Matthew.

As the host announced, all the lights in the venue slowly dimmed.

"Go ahead, I'll be waiting for you below the stage. You'll definitely succeed."

Sophia took a deep breath and slowly walked onto the stage.

She didn't change violins. It was still the violin Matthew had given her. As she gently drew the bow, melodious music filled the concert hall.

The people below had already closed their eyes, gradually immersed in the music. Only two people sitting in the front row kept their eyes open, watching Sophia on stage with stunned and surprised expressions.

"Doesn't she look a lot like our aunt who married far away and lost contact?"

Someone said in a low voice, full of amazement.

"Yes, she really does. She's about eighty percent similar to the person in the photos that mom showed us. Can people really look this alike?"

The man next to him shrugged.

"Hard to say, but... I heard that after our aunt married far away, she had a daughter. But later, for some reason, she couldn't bring her daughter back. A few years later, our aunt died of depression. Do you think there's a possibility that the person on stage..."

He trailed off without finishing, but the meaning was crystal clear.