Chapter 320 Nowhere to Run
This would be the perfect way to avoid keeping the synthetic skin on too long.
Soon, a staff member brought Naomi back to the stage.
But this time, Soren was gone.
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One of the crew casually explained, “Mr. Soren went to get ready. Miss Naomi, we’ll have to trouble you to keep practicing so everything looks perfect on stage.”
There wasn’t much Naomi could say to that.
Still, if Soren wasn’t even here, what was the point of her being onstage?
The staff ran her through the routine again and again for over twenty minutes. The sun hadn’t fully set yet, and it was still hot out. Naomi had to sprint back and forth across the stage, repeatedly.
She glanced down at her watch and realized it had already been almost half an hour.
The wounds beneath her skin were starting to throb.
To make it worse, the staff were growing increasingly impatient. They picked apart every tiny detail and even threatened to replace her.
Watching from a shadowed corner of the field, Eliza couldn’t help but think: Soren really knew how to play dirty.
He was deliberately making Naomi work for this opportunity–putting in so much effort would make her reluctant to throw it away, no matter how miserable she felt. After all, giving up now would mean all that suffering had been for nothing.
To manipulate someone’s psychology with such precision… he really was Nolan’s brother.
Meanwhile, ticket checks were starting.
All faculty, staff, and students could now take their seats.
The school principal and administrators were seated in the VIP section, along with a handful of so–called “lucky winners” from the student body.
Officially, the VIP seats were awarded through a raffle. In reality, every single name was pre–selected.
Soren had chosen the sons and daughters of influential families–just so more people would witness Naomi’s upcoming disgrace. That would make the fallout even more spectacular.
Eliza entered the VIP area, holding her ticket. The first person she spotted was Emma.
Emma, a die–hard Soren fan, had pulled strings to buy the closest seat she could get–but even that still placed her at some distance from the stage.
The best VIP seats were reserved for Eliza and Naose
Naomi had yet to arrive.
Backstage, Naomi had just finished touching up her makeup. She wanted to sneak off to a quiet corner and
JUUS FTI, 1
finally let her skin breathe.
The half–hour of rehearsal had left her face itchy and irritated.
Even though the evening air had cooled, the concert would run at least two hours.
If she didn’t get relief soon, her face might break down in front of everyone.
She finally found a secluded spot when Soren’s agent suddenly appeared in front of her.
“Miss Naomi? What are you doing here?”
Naomi had just been about to peel the skin off her face. The second she recognized the man, she jerked her hand away.
“Rehearsal was a bit tiring,” she said. “I just needed a moment to rest.”
“You should really head to the VIP area now. You’ve got the best seat in the house–only our guest of honor gets that spot. You’re a big Soren fan, right? Tonight’s show is going to be amazing.”
Hearing she had the best seat filled Naomi with pride.
But the reminder of her face’s condition made her hesitate.
“I’ll just sit here a little longer. I’ll head over soon…”
“Ticketing’s almost finished. I’ll walk you over myself–our seats are right next to each other.”
“”
Before she could finish her excuse, the agent was already ushering her along.
Naomi’s expression darkened, but she had no choice but to follow.
She told herself she could always sneak away during the concert and head to the restroom.
That would buy her a little time to breathe.
Or so she thought–until they approached the restroom and the agent turned to her with a helpful smile. “Want to use the restroom real quick? Once the concert starts, you might not get the chance.”
-Naomi glanced at the line snaking out the door and immediately lost interest.
Claire University’s stadium had decent/facilities, but with over two thousand attendees, every restroom was packed.
There was no way she was going to stand in line right now.
“No, that’s okay. The show’s about to start–I’d rather not waste time.”
The agent nodded, then led her into the VIP area.
Only then did Naomi realize this section really wasn’t for just anyone.
It required a special wristband and was shockingly close to the stage.
The people sitting here included university leadership and children from clite families.
Seeing it all made Naomi feel a wave of superiority.
“Excuse me, may I see your wristband?”
