The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

"Am I imagining things, or does Stella's performance of 'Moonlight' sound almost exactly like the original composer's?"

"The original composer? You mean that Raven Williams from Neo-Vespera University, right? I heard she's in the University's Hall of Fame-a total enigma. No one even knows what she looks like!"

"Plenty of virtuosos have played 'Moonlight,' but none of them have ever captured that unique timbre the composer brought to it."

"There's no way Stella is Raven, is there? I've seen Stella perform 'Moonlight' before, and it's nothing like the original."

"Yeah, but last time, Stella wasn't playing on the Nocturne Stella. Wasn't it some generic piano? I still have the video on my phone..."

"Could Stella actually be Raven?"

"This performance of 'Moonlight'... it's uncanny, really."

The astonished whispers rippled through the crowd. Even Simone, usually so composed, looked genuinely surprised.

"Aurora, if I remember right, the composer of 'Moonlight' was called Raven, wasn't she? In the Williams family, isn't that Stella's name too? Could it really be her?"

Aurora was caught off guard as well.

always figured it was just a coincidental

that Stella could be the brilliant, legendary Raven enshrined in the Neo-Vespera

"Aurora, your half- sister really is full

knew Aurora had never thought much

fair, neither had

had raised Stella, she could never truly compare to

shock with a smile. "If Stella's getting so much attention, that's not necessarily a

eyes widened. "Mr. Williams... is planning

stock. If we don't keep her satisfied, she might not be willing to hand it over. She's the legitimate eldest daughter, yet announced to the world she was adopted. Do you think she's

yet we

frowned. "But if that comes out,

indifferent. "When the time comes, Father will let it

youthful indiscretions."

Understanding dawned on Simone.

planned to let everyone believe

in truth, that

was willing to go to any lengths

course. In