“Ms. Ramirez, someone’s here.”

“Okay.”

Maureen hung up and turned to leave.

Then she saw a familiar figure at the end of the road.

Sean stood there in a perfectly tailored Italian suit, holding a huge bouquet of daisies. His straight frame remained motionless in the distance, gaze locked tightly on Maureen, unable to look away.

Maureen’s eyes flickered slightly but quickly returned to normal.

She walked in her high heels, step by step toward Sean.

Sean froze in ce, the daisies in his arms suddenly weighing like gold.

He couldn’t snap out of it for the longest time, feeling everything now was just a dream.

Unlike Geoffrey, he’d long epted Maureen’s death.

Today was Juan’s death anniversary. He’de to mourn Juan for Maureen, seeking redemption.

But now!

Maureen wasn’t dead after all!

She’d just appeared before him, alive and breathing!

Sean’s emotions were beyond words. His mind raced, scrambling for something to say to Maureen.

Should he apologize first?

Or ask where she’d been all these years?

Or maybe…

But before he could decide, she walked past him without so much as a nce.

Sean froze.

He turned btedly, only to see Maureen already sliding into her car. She told the driver softly, “Let’s go.”

Watching her serene profile disappear behind tinted windows, Sean stood transfixed until the Bentley pulled away. Finally shaking himself, he reached for his phone to call Geoffrey.

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Yet he hesitated, remembering everything Geoffrey had done to Maureen over the years.

Selfishly, he memorized her license te instead, dispatching someone to trace her current address.

The ck Bentley glided through the suburbs.

Maureen gazed nkly out the window, her heart unnervingly calm.

Just one question lingered: Why had Sean appeared at Zephyr Cemetery today?

Memories of his past cruelties shed before her. She removed her hearing aid.

That ear–never fully deaf, just impaired–still rang with phantom explosions because of him. Sometimes it even bled when her emotions ran too high…

How could she not hate him?

Maureen sometimes regretted saving him back then, sparing herself the suffering from afflictions.

But she understood avoiding trouble is better than inviting it–saving Ethan mattered most now.

So she pretended not to know Sean, steering clear of unnecessaryplications.

After all, Sean would do anything for Andrea.

On her way back, a call came from Entertainment Agency.

“Is this Ms. Shi?

We deeply admire your work. Hearing about your newposition, may we purchase its rights?

Rest assured,pensation won’t disappoint you.”

Entertainment Agency was thergest talent firm under the Sutton Group.

Andrea now reigned as one of its top stars.

Beyond running her tradingpany, Maureen pursued another career:poser.

Her pen name “Shi” earned her the address “Ms. Shi.”

Before returning, she’d spread word of new music to approach Geoffrey.

Though theposition existed, reaching Geoffrey made selling it unnecessary.

“Sorry, no ns for coboration right now.”

The agent across the line hurriedly exined: “Ms. Shi, we’ve arranged Andrea, our agency’s top actress, to perform your song. It’ll definitely make yourposition famous-”

Before he could finish, a derisive snort came through:

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“Sorry, but we might continue this conversation only if you change the singer.”

Entertainment Agency headquarters.

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The agent stared at the disconnected phone, taking moments to regainposure before shaking his head at the ea- gerly waiting Andrea. “Andie, she refused.”

Andrea arched her eyebrows sharply. “Didn’t you tell her she could name any price?”

“I did. Still refused.”

Ms. Shi held significant international acim. Every melody sheposed became a sensation.

Last year, Girl Next Door released in Japanese, Korean, Cantonese, and Mandarin versions–all took the world by

storm.

Andrea’s acting career now hit a teau. One breakthrough song could reignite her singing prominence.

“And she knows it’s me singing?”

Andrea pressed.

The agent nodded, repeating Maureen’s exact words verbatim.

Andrea’s face instantly darkened..

“Who the hell does she think she is?

She should feel honored I chose her!”

The agent suggested: “Andie, isn’t Mr. Shen your-”

With Mr. Sutton’s help, getting a piece of music won’t be hard if they pitch in.

Sean?

Andrea’s face darkened. She couldn’t understand why Sean had be a different person over the past four years, ig- noring her every demand.

As for Geoffrey, Andrea wasn’t sure he’d help her either.

But what Andrea wanted, she always got.

“Find a way. Get thatposition by any means necessary.”

Maureen hung up the Entertainment Agency call, a flicker of coldness shing in her calm eyes.

No one knew Andrea better than her!

All these years, whether in acting or singing, Andrea had been nothing but a fraud.

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Stealing others‘ work, snatching careers…

Without Geoffrey and Sean’s unconditional support, she’d have crashed long ago…

No one understood the struggle ofposing with hearing impairment.

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Chapter38