He Didn’t Kidnap Me. Not Exactly novel Chapter 281

Chapter 281 3

The strains of Butterfly Lovers flowed through the theater. The melody carved so deeply into Rebecca’s soul that every cell in her body started to wake up and dance.

In her practice clothes for convenience, she took Desmond’s extended hand and kicked off her shoes. The instant her bare feet hit the stage boards, some kind of power surged from the soles, igniting all the blood in her body.

When he lifted her high into the air, she transformed into a butterfly, dancing in perfect sync with the version of herself from five years ago on the giant screen.

The audience erupted in thunderous applause, their warm tolerance enveloping her. 1

Her dancing wasn’t the same blistering perfection she’d owned five years ago, but these were people who lived and breathed art.

They offered warm encouragement instead of the sharp, cutting words she’d heard too many times: “You can’t dance anymore. I’ve seen it. You’re done.”

The second she and Desmond nailed their final, dazzling pose, the music melted into the bright, bouncy notes of Happy Birthday. The whole crowd sang along, clapping in rhythm like one giant, joyful family.

Helia pushed out a huge three–layer cake from backstage. Right on cue, everyone waited for Rebecca to

make a wish.

Surrounded by candlelight and smiling faces, she closed her eyes and wished with everything she had: for Josette to stay healthy and live forever; for every teacher and dancer in the troupe to have nothing but smooth sailing; and for herself to soar high again.

When she opened her eyes again, the cheers exploded even louder.

She beamed and sliced into the giant cake. The whole troupe pitched in, carving it into bite–sized pieces and distributing them to every performer and staff member of the touring troupe, as well as audience

members.

Some audience members said this was the most special performance they had ever seen, and Rebecca thought it was hands–down the most unforgettable birthday of her entire life.

A handful of the younger backup dancers grabbed trays and headed down into the seats to share the

cake.

“Sir, thank you so much for coming tonight,” one of them said cheerfully to a man in the front row.

“No, no,” Vance said quickly, snapping out of it. “Thank you.”

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Vance gave a small smile, looking at the woman glowing under the lights. “Too crowded right now. I don’t want to steal her moment. Just hand it over, please. She’ll know who it’s from.”

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