Chapter 99: Aurora Sings

Back with Emily, Aurora, the famous actress, couldn't just leave after visiting the kids without showing off some talent. Reluctantly, she performed a dance, impressing everyone with her finger dance segment, clearly the result of regular practice.

After Aurora finished, Emily smiled and asked, "Did Aurora do a good job?"

The kids responded in unison, "Yeah!"

"Do you want to see more?" Emily asked.

The kids answered, "Yeah!"

Aurora wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling a bit troubled. Dancing was her forte since she had a professional background in it. If Emily asked, she could easily perform another dance. But Emily's next request put her in a difficult spot.

Emily said, "Alright, let's have Aurora sing a song for everyone. Let's give her a round of applause."

Emily started clapping, and the kids, excited for more entertainment, joined in immediately.

Aurora frowned. Dancing was her strength, but singing was not. She was notoriously tone-deaf in the industry, and singing would be a disaster for her.

Emily: [I'm making you sing to embarrass you.]

James and Sophia exchanged glances after hearing Emily's thoughts. Although they felt Emily was being a bit mean to Aurora, they decided to support their family. James said, "Aurora, why don't you sing one of your favorite songs?"

Sophia nodded, "Yeah, the kids would love it."

With James and Sophia backing Emily, Aurora felt even more pressured. Singing would expose her weakness, but refusing would seem disrespectful to the Smith family.

In the end, Aurora opted to perform another dance instead of singing. She danced for a long time, as Emily had said she couldn't stop until the kids stopped clapping. Aurora danced until her legs cramped and she couldn't continue, and only then did Emily let her off the hook.

"Aurora dances so well, Emily. Can I learn to dance too?" a little girl asked, holding Emily's hand.

Emily nodded, "Of course, you can dance even better than Aurora."

Similar comments reached Aurora's ears, making her feel wronged. She was the one exhausted from dancing, yet none of the kids showed any concern for her cramps. They all flocked around Emily and Sophia, ignoring her completely.

Emily: [Kids ungrateful? Kids know best who treats them well, Aurora. If you can't see that, your future will be tough.]

Emily's complaint was overheard by James and Sophia, making it more than just a complaint. Aurora's future indeed looked bleak.

As Aurora was catching her breath, a child asked to see her dance again. Aurora didn't mind the child, but Emily's hopeful look made her shiver. To avoid dancing again, Aurora quickly found an excuse to leave.

Watching Aurora limp away, Emily couldn't help but smile victoriously.

Emily: [You're still too green to compete with me.]

While Emily was gloating, David arrived and passed by Aurora. Trying to avoid him, Aurora put weight on her cramped leg, causing her to stumble.

David reached out and caught her. "Thanks," Aurora said gratefully.

David nodded and entered the room.

Emily: [Seriously? Falling for someone else that fast? Sure, the fall was an accident, but switching from James to David just because he helped you? Isn't that a bit dramatic? Wait... this time it's real love? Women's hearts are truly hard to understand.]

Emily was well aware of what happened outside. Aurora's fall was genuine, but who would have thought it would spark a romance? Emily was baffled.

David, hearing Emily's thoughts, paused and turned to Aurora. "Aurora, can you help me with something?"

Aurora nodded eagerly. She had joined the crew to get close to David, but now she felt she had found true love.

David, wanting to dispel Aurora's feelings, didn't enter the room. He nodded to James and the others inside, then closed the door and walked towards Aurora. "I need your advice. I like Ella. How can I get her to like me?"

Inside, Emily covered her face with her hands.

Emily: [Oh my god, David, that was brutal - but I love it! Poor Aurora finally catches feelings for you, and you just shut her down cold. She's totally crushed now. But honestly? She had it coming!]

Emily was delighted, feeling for the first time that David's lack of social skills was a good thing.

Outside, Aurora's face turned pale. She had just started to like David, and now he was talking about liking another woman in front of her. It was heartbreaking.

Aurora clenched her fists, thinking, 'This is all Emily's fault. If she hadn't made me dance until I cramped, I wouldn't have fallen, and I wouldn't have started liking David. Emily, you'll pay for this!'

Inside, Emily's eyes widened. She hadn't expected Aurora to blame her for everything. She thought Aurora had lost it.

Ignoring Aurora, Emily joined in brainstorming ideas for David.

Emily suggested, "How about I get some villagers to pretend to be thugs, and you can play the hero saving the damsel in distress? Then Charlotte can write you a great confession speech."

David's eyes lit up, nodding repeatedly, but after hearing Emily's thoughts, he quickly shook his head.

Emily: [That might not work. David's too clumsy; he'd give it away. If Ella found out the hero act was fake, she'd never speak to him again.]