Clara had long practiced maintaining a soft and sweet demeanor —even in the worst of situations.

Yet, in front of this one person—

She couldn’t keep that mask intact.

Whenever she came across her ... or even just heard her speak—

Her composure would begin to crack.

Not because she lacked control—

But because no matter how hard she tried, she always felt as though this woman could see right through her.

Her frown deepened as she spoke, her voice laced with unmistakable blame.

"Celeste, I don’t remember ever doing anything to offend you. Why are you always like this with me?"

The woman crossed her arms, a faintly disdainful smile curling on her lips.

She stood there with effortless confidence—

Dressed in a seemingly simple outfit, yet every piece she wore quietly spoke of exclusivity and cost —things not easily afforded by most.

There was nothing loud about her presence.

And yet—

She commanded attention without even trying.

She wasn’t just another artist under Starlight.

She was Celeste Klein —the Klein family’s precious daughter.

An artist whose standing rivaled Clara’s in more ways than one—

Not just in fame, but in background and influence as well.

If Clara was the treasured heiress, openly cherished—

Then, Celeste was the kind who never needed acknowledgment to prove her worth.

They stood at similar heights.

Two individuals cut from the same world—

Birds of the same feather.

And yet—

They had never once flown together.

It wasn’t that Clara had never tried to establish a friendship with her.

She had ...

But every time she tried, Celeste left her utterly humiliated.

Once.

Twice.

Every single time.

"You don’t need to offend me to receive this kind of treatment from me," Celeste said, her tone laced with very obvious mockery. "Your mere existence in this world is ... enough."

Clara’s fingers clenched tightly as her expression flushed red with embarrassment.

"You—"

"What?" Celeste asked evenly. "In all these years, have I not been clear about how much I hate you?"

"Celeste ..." her manager, who stood just behind her, stepped forward, unable to hold back any longer. "That’s enough—"

But Celeste shot her a brief glance.

And that alone was enough to silence her.

Clara composed herself again.

She knew arguing with Celeste would gain her nothing.

Though she desperately wanted to defeat her—

She also knew there was nothing she could say that would give her the upper hand.

So, in the end—

She chose to appear as the bigger person.

Placing a gentle smile on her lips, she said,

"You’re my senior. I wouldn’t dare ignore your advice. I’ll be more careful in the future!!"

With that, she gave a slight tilt of her head before turning to leave.

She didn’t stop walking until she stepped into the elevator.

As she turned to look back—

Celeste was still watching her.

Her gaze remained cold.

Disdainful.

She had never hidden her dislike for Clara—

Not even in front of Liam.

The elevator doors slowly slid shut—

Cutting off the view completely.

Celeste’s manager let out a quiet sigh of relief before finally turning toward her.

Seeing that her expression hadn’t changed at all, she asked,

"What kind of enmity do you have with Clara Scott? Every time you look at her, it feels like she has taken away your most precious treasure.. —One you still can’t let go."

Celeste’s gaze turned even colder.

Her fingers clenched tightly at her sides.

"She ... did take away the most precious thing from me," she muttered under her breath.

Her manager didn’t catch it clearly ...

But she noticed the movement of her lips.

"Huh? What did you say?" she asked.

"... Nothing."

Celeste didn’t respond.

"Celeste?" Her manager tugged lightly at her arm.

When Celeste finally looked at her, she pressed, 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"I didn’t hear you. What did you say? What did Clara take from you?"

"Nothing," Celeste said, shaking her head.

Then she added,

"From now on, whenever I’m with her, don’t try to pull me back or stop me."

Her manager’s brows furrowed.

"I was just trying to help you," she said.

Celeste gave her a look.

"You don’t need to. I always know what I’m doing. Around her, I don’t need you acting like a monitor or a peacekeeper."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Her manager quickly followed after her.

They had originally stepped out in a good mood—

But she had never expected to run into Clara right downstairs.

Now—

Celeste’s mood had completely darkened.

She couldn’t help but worry about how the upcoming meeting with the producer would go.

"Fine ..." she said from behind as she caught up with her. "Next time, I won’t stop you even if you decide to kill her with your very own hands. Can you at least improve your mood now?"

Celeste stopped and turned to look at her.

Her manager froze.

"You think I don’t think about doing that?" Celeste asked, her gaze deadly serious —so much so that her manager was left stunned for a moment.

"Every time I see Clara Scott, that thought crosses my mind."

She paused—

Then added coldly,

"I’m only not doing it because, unfortunately, I’m a law-abiding citizen. Otherwise ... I would have stabbed her to death long ago."

Her manager’s heart lurched at her words.

She rushed forward and quickly covered Celeste’s mouth with her hand.

"Can you not give me a heart attack like that?" she hissed, her eyes darting around nervously.

And just as she feared—

People nearby had already heard everything.

"How badly has she offended you that you don’t even care about risking your life and career?" she continued helplessly. "Have you forgotten she’s not just your fellow artist —but also the CEO’s beloved sister? Don’t you fear Liam Scott at all?"

At the mention of Liam—

Celeste’s expression shifted.

For just a brief moment—

Something flickered in her eyes. Something close to hated —and even closer to regret.

But just as quickly—

It disappeared, leaving only the cutting coldness behind.

"Fear Liam Scott? Heh!" she almost scoffed.

"He would be the last person I’d ever be afraid of."