Chapter 74
"Of course not," I answered immediately.
The girl in the yellow dress sneered. "See? I knew you wouldn't admit it. How fake!"
"I'm not admitting it because I never did any of those things."
I stated the facts calmly. "I left my previous company for my own reasons. As for the so-called character issues and inappropriate behavior you mentioned—that's completely absurd."
The girl in yellow still looked unconvinced. "Empty words. Who's going to believe you?"
"Rena Cook!"
Wendy cut in sharply. "Whether you believe her is your business, but if your rumors affect this entire team, you know Ms. Percy's temper. She won't let it slide."
The mention of Amelia finally shut Rena up.
Wendy took the opportunity to address everyone else. "Lucinda is a new member, Ms. Percy personally invited to join us. She'll be working alongside all of you going forward. I hope no one will question her character based on baseless gossip."
"Crescent Ballet Company is a cohesive team. I don't want to see this kind of thing happen again."
The others exchanged uncertain glances, none daring to speak up.
Since Wendy was willing to back me up, I wasn't about to back down either. I turned to face the group with a slight smile.
"If anyone has doubts about my abilities, you're welcome to challenge me anytime."
"But if you spread rumors about me, I will pursue legal action against those responsible."
My gaze swept coolly over Rena. She knew the warning was meant for her, and her face darkened.
After leaving the rehearsal room, Wendy kept apologizing, saying she should have handled it better.
"It's not your fault. Where there are people, there's drama. It's normal."
I'd dealt with this kind of thing at my old company. But that didn't mean I was a pushover. I wasn't planning to stay here long anyway. Today's confrontation established my boundaries. Hopefully, they'd get the message.
Seeing I wasn't going to make a big deal of it, Wendy looked relieved and walked me to the exit.
"Ms. Wipere, see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
I got in my car and pulled out of the parking lot. Just as I drove through the main gate, a black luxury sedan passed by in the opposite direction. I glanced at it instinctively—it looked a bit like Leopold's car.
I didn't think much of it, though. His coming to see Amelia made perfect sense. If anything, I was relieved we hadn't run into each other.
After leaving Crescent Ballet Company, I didn't go home. Instead, I headed straight to the law firm that works with the Wipere family.
"Ms. Wipere, you want me to represent you in negotiating your departure from your former company?"
I nodded at the lead attorney. "Yes. This matter hasn't gone public yet, but it's already causing me problems. I'd like you to negotiate on my behalf. If they're uncooperative, I have other evidence. I won't hesitate to escalate things if necessary."
I didn't like stirring up trouble, but that didn't mean I'd keep swallowing my pride. The favors I owed had been repaid the moment I left on good terms. Now, I refused to be dragged down by gossip anymore.
"I understand. I'll begin preparing for the negotiations immediately."
After leaving the law firm, I stopped by the police station to check on the kidnapping investigation.
"To this day, none of the three suspects has revealed who hired them. Most likely, this case will close with just the three of them charged."
I'd mentally prepared myself for this outcome, but I couldn't help asking, "Since I filed the report, has anyone from the Percy Group come by?"
"No."
"Alright, thank you."
I turned and left the station. I'd nearly gotten a concussion from that beating, yet Leopold didn't care at all. He hadn't even sent anyone to follow up. Their 'true love' must be something special.
After finishing these errands, I returned to Bayview Villas and packed everything I'd need for the competition. For the next five days, I planned to stay at the studio. This competition determined my future, and I only had one shot. I couldn't afford any slip-ups.
But what Sophia had told me the other night still bothered me. After going back and forth, I finally reached out to Ethan.
When we met, his complexion looked healthy, and his spirits were good. I asked with concern, "How's your injury?"
"I'm fine. I just had the dressing changed at the hospital today. The doctor said it's healing well."
"That's good." I nodded with relief, then got straight to the point. "Ethan, I asked you to meet because I need a favor."
Ethan smiled faintly. "Is it about finding a company? I was actually going to tell you—I found one. If you're free now, I can take you there to handle the paperwork."
"That's not necessary. I've already contacted a new company and finished onboarding."
Ethan's smile dimmed. "That was fast. Which company?"
"Not a well-known one, but they're solid. The director knows I'm only there temporarily and told me not to worry, just focus on the competition."
I left out Amelia's name, only mentioning the highlights.
"That's great news. I was worried you wouldn't be able to get placed. Looks like you really have grown up." Ethan's tone was warm with pride.
His praise made me a little embarrassed. "Ethan, thanks for caring."
"By the way, what did you need help with?"
At the mention of this, I immediately turned serious.
"Ethan, I need you to look into Sophia's miscarriage records from three years ago. And what really happened between her and Leopold?"
Ethan's expression changed instantly.
"Cindy, things between you and Leopold have come this far—why are you still digging into his past with Sophia?"
"You're not still hung up on him, are you?"
"No, I just want to verify what Sophia told me."
Ethan's voice dropped. "Are you saying Sophia told you she and Leopold had a child together?"
"Yes."
"Why would she tell you something like that?"
"I'm not sure. Maybe she's trying to force me to leave Leopold."
Ethan frowned, asking carefully, "What if it's true?"
My breath caught. "Then it proves Leopold and I were never meant to be."
After a moment of thought, Ethan agreed.
"Alright. I'll look into it."
"Thank you, Ethan."
I'd originally wanted to ask him to also investigate Sophia's claim about Leopold catching me in a compromising position with another man. But I held back.
If something like that had really happened, I'd remember it. Either Sophia was lying, or Leopold was. I leaned toward the former. After all, Sophia would say anything right now to marry Leopold.
With that settled, I stood to leave. Just as I reached the restaurant entrance, I ran into Leo.
Today he wore a formal suit, his crisp styling and short hair lending him an air of reserved authority that softened his usually boyish features.
"Leo, what are you doing here?"
"I was meeting a friend nearby. Didn't expect to run into you."
Leo's gaze shifted to Ethan standing beside me. His tone turned cold.
"And this is...?"
"My senior from school, the one I mentioned before. Ethan Guise."
Leo gave a curt nod. "I'm Cindy's boyfriend. Leo."
I opened my mouth to correct him, but he grabbed my hand in a possessive gesture.
"You must be tired. Let's go home."
"Wait."
Ethan's voice cut through the tension, stopping us both.