Rita was finally discharged after a week in recovery.

Her throat had healed, but her voice.. would never be the same.

Glenn came to see her, his face filled with regret the moment he heard her speak.

"Rita.. I'm so sorry. But your vocal cords are damaged. You won't be able to sing professionally again. There's no need to return to my classes."

Rita had braced herself for this, but the finality of it broke her. She sobbed uncontrollably.

Her dream-her music career-was gone. Just like that.

And it wasn't just her beautiful voice that was lost. Her entire life felt like it was unraveling.

Hubert hadn't visited her once during her stay in the hospital.

Every time she called, he either declined or claimed to be "busy."

Eventually, she asked him outright if he was seeing someone else. He denied it, saying the rumors were baseless. But she didn't believe him. He'd changed. Too much.

So, after she was discharged, she took a cab straight to his office building.

As soon as she arrived and stepped onto the sidewalk—she ran into Kaia, who was just walking out of the building.

Rita's heart lurched the moment her eyes locked onto Kaia.

A surge of venom coursed through her veins, narrowing her vision to a pinpoint of rage. Kaia. The name alone scorched her thoughts.

This woman had ruined her!

Yet, a hollow ache gnawed at Rita's resolve. Kaia's powerful background made vengeance impossible.

Still, the words erupted before she could cage them.

"Kaia, you heartless snake!" she spat. "You are cruel, but you will never win Hubert's heart. Destroy me all you want- you will always be that sad, unloved shadow!"

Kaia's gaze met Rita's, her eyes glinting with a cocktail of mockery and something softer, almost Like pity.

She tilted her head, a faint smirk curling her lips. She saw through Rita, who was just a pawn in someone else's game.

Rita's outburst hung in the air, raw and jagged.

Kaia paused, a cold laugh escaping her, sharp as a blade. "Who is the pathetic one here, Rita?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain. "Do you truly believe Hubert ever loved you? I always wondered why a man like him would chase a plain, broke nobody like you. Then it clicked-someone put him up to it. So, tell me, who did you cross to deserve this? Who sent Hubert to toy with your heart?"

Rita's anger faltered, her blazing eyes flickering with confusion.

"Kaia, speak plain!" she demanded, her voice trembling. "What do you mean?"