Chapter 21

Jeffrey let out a laugh. "Okay, okay, I get the picture."

Once he ended the call, a jolt of excitement buzzed through him. "I just heard from Mr.Powell. He's the CEO's right-hand man at Vanguard Group. They want to invest in us!"

"No way!" The group could hardly believe it.Vanguard Group completely outclassed Trace's firm by miles.

Flashing a grin, Jeffrey confirmed, "It's absolutely legit, and we owe this one to-"

He glanced over at Arabella before he continued, "Daisy. Turns out, Mr. Powell said Daisy once did their CEO a favor, and now they're convinced our troupe is truly something special."

A heavy silence swept through the room.

But Karlie couldn't hide her delight as she gazed at Arabella. "Daisy, you're incredible! You just

saved all of us!"

"Honestly, she just got lucky." Lailah chimed in as a wave of jealousy and resentment washed over her. How did a backup dancer end up holding this much power over everyone? "Let's not forget, I was the one who introduced Mr.Burke, and he's been our biggest supporter for years."

"And thanks to your efforts, Lailah, every one of us faced sexual harassment," Arabella answered, her voice was cool and unbothered.

Her statement got right to the point.

Everyone knew Trace had crossed the line with more than a few of them.

Lailah's cheeks went pale. "That's outrageous!What are you talking about?"

Just as she finished speaking, her phone buzzed.She read the message,her expression tightening,and quickly got up to leave.

Arabella wasn't the least bit surprised as Lailah stormed out.

She slid into the seat next to Karlie,who looked

at her with a mix of admiration and envy. "Daisy,we all owe you for what you did. Honestly, Mr.Burke made me so uncomfortable-I hated it!"

"I feel the same." A backup dancer spoke up next, her voice quiet but steady. "He tried the same thing with me. His position made it impossible to say anything, but I couldn't stand it."

Another chimed in, echoing their frustration,"I still don't understand how Lailah convinced him to invest in us. Honestly, there were moments l wanted to quit the troupe for good."

One by one, everyone started voicing their complaints.

It was clear the entire group had grown weary of Trace's actions.

Meanwhile, just outside the room, Lailah's face twisted with anger as she whispered into her phone. "You still haven't found out who sent that tip?"

A voice replied, "No, but I've managed to keep things quiet for now. Be more cautious next time."

"Okay, I'll take care of it." Lailah ended the call,though anxiety still lingered in her chest.

Someone had actually reported her relationship with Trace to the Dance Association.

Thank goodness her friend there had helped smooth things over.

Still, she couldn't shake the question. Who would dare turn her in?

Agitated, Lailah approached the door and overheard everyone inside, their voices full of resentment toward Trace. Her mood darkened even more.

Had she never secured Trace's investment,would the troupe have made it this far?

Not a single one of them seemed grateful for her efforts.

Furious, Lailah stomped her foot, made up her mind not to return, and marched away without looking back.

That marked the end of the dinner.

One by one, the group dispersed.

Arabella decided to head back to the hospital.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a call from Joshua. "Have you already handled things with Mr. Burke? I was about to step in myself, bout suddenly, his company's facing a setback."

Arabella shook her head, confused. "I didn't do anything. Maybe karma finally caught up with him."

Joshua replied thoughtfully,"Yeah, maybe."

Once she got back to the hospital, Arabella couldn't help but look into Trace's company.To her surprise, it was facing attacks from every direction. Her eyes narrowed. This didn't look like a simple setback. Someone clearly wanted to see him wiped out.

While the Burke Group wasn't one of the industry giants, it had been around for years.Only a real heavyweight could take it down so fast.

Just as Arabella thought over the situation,someone walked in.

Arabella glanced up and recognized Asher.

Dressed in an all-black suit and carrying an air as cold as midnight, he seemed almost unapproachable.

It didn't take Arabella long to put the pieces together. "You're the one who went after the Burke Group, aren't you?"

Asher looked genuinely taken aback, his gaze lingering on Arabella. "You catch on quickly."

Arabella shrugged. "It's not about being clever.Only someone with your resources could've managed something likethis. But what do you have against the Burke Group?"

With a cold edge to his voice, Asher responded,"Dominick said Trace Burke tried something with you.Is that true?"

His eyes searched Arabella for any sign of physical injury.

"I'm all right," Arabella assured him,though her feelings were mixed. "I appreciate what you did,but I'm not someone who needs rescuing."

Asher had to be tied up with work.

Arabella didn't want to be a burden, especially since there was no real bond between them.

Asher's expression grew thoughtful for a moment.Then he replied, "It didn't take much.Besides, I heard a company is already planning to invest in your troupe."

Arabella nodded. "That's right."

Without another word, Asher turned to leave.

"Hold on." Arabella moved quickly to catch up."I'll walk you out."

Asher accepted her offer without hesitation.

As they walked, Arabella finally asked the question that had been weighing on her."Would you mind telling me about your father and mine?"