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Chapter 9
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The Last Firework Chapter 10
The music began after that.At first, he did not recognize the song. There was no dramatic guitar opening, no arrangement built around his voice, no pause designed for applause. The hall filled instead with an old recording, fragile with age but warm enough to quiet the room.Evelyn Lane was humming.Then a child's voice followed, missing the note and laughing.Mira.Adrian knew that tape.Years ago, in their first apartment, she had played it for him at the kitchen table. The fridge had been almost empty, rain had leaked through the window frame, and Mira had sat beside him with her knees pulled up, nervous in a way she almost never allowed herself to be."This is where the melody started," she had told him. "My mom used to sing it in laundromats when we had nowhere else to go."He had reached for her hand and promised he would keep it safe.At the time, he had meant it.That was the cruelest part. He had meant many things when he said them. He had simply expected Mira to survive the
The Last Firework Chapter 9
Nathaniel Reed sent the invitation to Adrian himself.A private ceremony at Royal Albert Hall. Adrian and Lily were welcome to attend.The message sat in Adrian's inbox for two days.He opened it more times than he wanted to admit, but every time he saw Mira's name beside Nathaniel's, disbelief came first.It had to be a statement.A very expensive way of telling him she was done waiting.Mira had always been stubborn when she was hurt. She could pack a bag, block a number, disappear into work for days, and still come back when he finally said the right thing. For seven years, there had always been a way back: a late apology, a song left on her desk, a hand on her waist before a show, a promise made in the dark where no one else could hear it.So even when he boarded the flight to London with Lily beside him, Adrian told himself he was not walking into a wedding.He was walking into a performance.Mira was angry. Mira was grieving. Mira wanted him to know what it felt like to be replac
The Last Firework Chapter 8
Adrian's question hung in the studio.Lily's smile froze for a second."What?" she asked.Adrian looked at her. "Who said we were moving forward?"The room went quiet.Claire stood by the door, pretending not to listen. The pianist kept his eyes on the sheet music.Lily gave a small laugh. "Adrian, don't be like that. I meant the performance. The label wants people to understand the new acoustic direction.""The label doesn't decide who I'm with."Her face flushed.I almost felt sorry for her.Almost.Lily looked at me, then back at him. "But Grant said Saturday would be a good time to make things clear. After San Vicente, everyone is confused.""Then tell Grant no."It was the first time I had ever seen Adrian cut her off.Lily's eyes widened. For a moment, she looked less like the sweet new girl everyone protected and more like someone who had just found out the role she wanted had not been locked."Adrian," she said softly, "I'm only trying to help.""I know."He sounded tired, not
The Last Firework Chapter 7
I looked at Adrian for a moment, then picked up my bag from the chair."It has nothing to do with you."He let out a short breath, almost a laugh. "You called him the night you left me.""Yes.""And now you're flying to London to marry him?""Yes.""Listen to yourself.""I am.""No, you're angry." His voice dropped, careful now, as if he were talking me down from a ledge. "You're grieving, and you're angry, and Reed happened to answer the phone at the right time."The way he said Nathaniel's name made it sound like an accusation.I turned toward the door. "We're done."Adrian moved before I could leave, stepping into my path. He did not touch me, but the room suddenly felt smaller."Mira, come on. You don't know that world."I looked up at him. "What world?""Reed's world." His jaw tightened. "London money, old venues, people who buy careers over lunch and call it patronage. You think a man like that is going to marry you because of one phone call?"The words were not loud, but they la
The Last Firework Chapter 6
The room did not explode into laughter the way Lily seemed to expect.It was worse than that.It went careful.People in the music business laughed at desperation, but they did not laugh at Nathaniel Reed. They did not laugh at a man whose family owned venues they all wanted to book, catalogues they all wanted to license, and festival stages they all wanted their artists to stand on.Lily looked around, waiting for someone to join her.No one did.Adrian's face had gone completely still."Mira," he said, his voice low, "come outside.""I'm leaving.""I said come outside."The old instinct almost answered him. Seven years of smoothing over scenes, stepping out of rooms, protecting Adrian from his own temper and everyone else from the truth.This time, I picked up my coat.Miles Hart stood as I passed him."For what it's worth," he said quietly, "I'd still like to hear the original tape."I looked at him."So would I."Then I walked out before Adrian could turn the room back into his sta
The Last Firework Chapter 5
"He's the one who backed the Blue Harbour tour last year, right?""And the Royal Albert Hall residency."The room shifted.A minute ago, they had been watching me like I was the jealous ex-girlfriend ruining Adrian Vale's showcase. Now they were looking at the screen, then at me, trying to decide whether the message was real.Lily recovered first.She gave a small laugh, soft enough to sound embarrassed for me."Mira," she said, "you don't have to do this."I looked at her. "Do what?""Pretend Nathaniel Reed is planning some kind of ceremony with you." Her eyes moved around the room, making sure everyone heard. "I know you're hurt, but dragging someone like him into this is… a lot."A few people murmured.Adrian still had not spoken.His face was dark, his eyes fixed on Nathaniel's name. He knew exactly who Nathaniel Reed was. Everyone in that room did.Reed Music Group backed venues, publishing deals, festival stages, and enough private rooms in enough cities to make or stall a career
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