Chapter 443
443:
“Of course, it was a joke.” Christina leaned in slightly, her voice calm as she said, “But truth be told, if I ever wanted that place, it wouldn’t take much effort.”
Lorraine blinked, startled by her confidence. Her tone was light, but the message was unmistakably audacious.
“Miss Jones, is a fever or something messing with your thinking? That place isn’t some roadside snack cart you can just grab,” Lorraine scoffed, clearly not believing her words. If Christina truly had the clout to buy such a major establishment, she wouldn’t have been ousted by the Joneses. Moreover, she had only been an unimpressive housewife before her husband threw the divorce papers in her face. Who gave her the nerve to speak so boldly? No surprise the Dawsons had cast her aside.
“Believe whatever suits you,” Christina replied, unfazed.
Having captured Christina’s admission of wanting Miller’s Casino on her phone, Lorraine said no more and simply followed her closely.
Suddenly, the day’s entertainment crossed Lorraine’s mind. “Miss Jones, are you any good with a piano?” she asked sweetly.
“A bit,” Christina responded modestly.
Lorraine took Christina’s answer seriously, her eyes lighting up at the thought of finally outshining Christina in front of the guests. “What a coincidence. I’m also just a beginner,” she replied, hiding her full ability behind a pleasant facade. Her goal? To lure Christina into a musical trap. If Christina sensed her real talent, she might back out.
“I’m planning to perform for Kurt later. Want to do a duet together?” Lorraine suggested casually.
“Why not?” Christina answered without hesitation. She hadn’t played in years, but the thought excited her. It would be a good chance to reacquaint herself with the keys.
Lorraine hadn’t expected Christina to agree so easily. All her carefully planned jabs were now useless. “What song would you like us to play?” she asked, concealing her strategy.
“Let’s keep it simple,” Christina replied with a warm smile. “We wouldn’t want to make fools of ourselves at a celebration.”
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Christina saw right through Lorraine’s setup but played along, letting Lorraine think she had fallen into the snare. A trap to embarrass her in public? Please. Lorraine’s plan was doomed to fail. She was a star on global stages, and outplaying her on the piano was laughable.
“Great! I’ll pick a simple piece, and you can follow along,” Lorraine said quickly.
They settled on a basic composition, but Lorraine already planned a switch-up mid-performance, imagining Christina would stumble. The image of Christina faltering, struggling to keep up, made her inwardly gleeful. She was certain Christina would lose face, with no one coming to her rescue.
Just then, Robin reappeared, now dressed in fresh attire, with Kurt walking alongside him.
Lorraine promptly approached, brimming with enthusiasm. “Kurt, I’ve arranged a piano number in honor of your special day.”
Kurt’s first instinct was to refuse. To be frank, concerts weren’t his preference—he’d rather sit at a poker table. But before he could voice that thought, Lorraine went on and pointed at Christina, who was not far away. “I’ll be playing alongside Christina.”
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