Chapter 96

Arabella's eyes narrowed sharply. Without wasting a second, she issued a few quick orders and rushed straight toward the dance troupe.

Over at the Griridge Opera House, the dance studio had erupted into pure chaos. Two groups of dancers were desperately trying to pull Lailah and Daisy apart.

Their hair was messy, their clothes wrinkled,and both had scratches on their faces.

Patrick stormed in after getting the news. He took one look at the scene and barked, "What on earth is going on here?"

"She hit me first!" Lailah snapped, biting her lip in frustration. "Mr. Stone, she actually laid hands on me! This is unacceptable!"

Daisy didn't back down. "That's because she insulted my family first!"

"| didn't insult her family!" Lailah cried in protest."All I said was that her dancing needed work, and she attacked me!" She looked at Patrick with

teary eyes, playing the victim. "If Daisy treats me like this, how am I supposed to lead this team?"

Patrick faced Daisy with a stern expression."Lailah has a point.She's your team leader-how could you hit her? That goes against everything we stand for. You've left me no choice. You're expelled from the troupe."

The studio fell into stunned silence.

Daisy? Expelled-just like that? The news sent a ripple of shock through the studio.

Karlie stepped forward, frowning. "Mr. Stone,don't you think it's too soon to jump to that decision? You haven't even heard the full story."

"Lailah's been here for years." Patrick addressed Daisy. "No matter what, you don't lay a hand on your. If she said something offensive, you should've brought it to our attention, not lashed out. If everyone started throwing punches whenever they were upset, what would happen to society?"

A girl from the substitute team suddenly chimed in, "He's right. No matter what, violence shouldn't be tolerated."

It was Sarah Wells, a curly-haired dancer whose

eyes were practically shining with anticipation.

If Daisy got kicked out, there would be a vacancy in the main lineup, and Sarah just happened to be the most likely candidate to move up.

She could already imagine what it would feel like to be part of the core team.

"Exactly! Violence should never be tolerated,"another dancer added, jumping on the bandwagon.

"Daisy's temper is scary," someone else murmured. "She makes rehearsals stressful for everyone."

Daisy's expression darkened. She turned to Patrick, her voice cold. "If you're going to stand by Lailah no matter what, Mr. Stone, then there's nothing more to say."

Patrick's face twisted with anger. "Watch your tone, Daisy! That's no way to speak to your superior!"

Just as Daisy opened her mouth to reply, a calm and steady voice interrupted. "Apologies, Mr.Stone. Daisy's always been a little blunt. Looks like she accidentally told the truth out loud."

A tall woman stepped into the room, wearing a hat and a face mask. Even with her face mostly covered, her calm and confident presence stood out.

Daisy's eyes lit up. "Bella!" she called out with relief.

Karlie let out a quiet breath, feeling calmer now that Arabella was here.

Arabella always made her feel safe, evenin messy situations like this.

"You must be Daisy's sister," Patrick said sternly."If she's out of line, are you too? Do you even realize what you're doing? This is defamation!"

He paused, then added coldly, "I'll give you one chance to apologize. If not, you're banned from the troupe-permanently."

The room went quiet as all eyes turned to Daisy and Arabella.

The same thought crossed everyone's mind-those two didn't fear a thing.

"I'm telling the truth," Arabella calmly replied.

"Do you have any proof?" Sarah shouted right away, eager to make herself stand out. She saw

this as her moment-if she backed Patrick, maybe she would finally be promoted to a full member.Stepping forward, she challenged boldly, "If you're so confident, then show us the evidence!"

"Okay then," Arabella said as she pulled out her phone.

Patrick watched her quietly, and a strange feeling settled in his chest. What if she really did have proof?

After a tense pause, Patrick forced a strained voice. "Forget it. You're still young. I'll overlook it this once. Just leave."

Arabella gave a small smile, though her eyes stayed cold. "That's not your call to make. It's whether I'm willing to let you off the hook."

A chill ran down Patrick's spine,but he raised his voice to mask it. "I've clearly been too lenient.If you don't appreciate kindness, then fine-security! Get them out of here!"

Sarah rushed forward and grabbed Daisy's arm."Didn't you hear? Mr. Stone said get out!" she barked.

Several other dancers joined Sarah,shoving Daisy toward the door. Karlie stepped in, trying to

intervene. "Stop! You don't even know what really happened!"

Sarah shot Karlie a frosty glare. What an idiot.Didn't she realize this was their shot? If Daisy was out, someone finally got promoted.

Arabella stepped in front of Daisy and stood tall,blocking the substitute members.

Her strong presence made them pause.

Right then, the security guards came in.

"Take these two girls out," Patrick said, glancing at them once more before leaving.

Just then, a voice from a video clip played out loud. "You've got the skills. You think the main team's all that? Lailah? She'd be nothing if it weren't for me."

"What the hell is wrong with you? You don't get to disrespect our leader like that!" someone shouted back.

Trace sneered. "You think Lailah's a big deal? I've lost track of how often she's warmed my bed."

The woman's voice in the video had been muted,but the man's voice came through clearly, and there was no doubt about it.

It was Trace.