Chapter 3

Bianca POV:

The humiliation of Hunter's betrayal and Ashley's calculated provocations festered, but I refused to let it consume me. My work, my art, was my shield. I channeled every ounce of my pain, rage, and despair into my rehearsals, pushing my body to its limits. The studio became my refuge, the only place where I felt a semblance of control.

We were deep into a complex new piece, a contemporary ballet that required precision and raw emotion. The dancers moved with a fluidity that was both breathtaking and technically demanding. I was guiding them through a particularly intricate sequence when the studio door swung open.

Ashley Wynn stood there, a wide, confident smile on her face. She was no longer the meek intern. Today, she was dressed in a sharp business suit, a stark contrast to her usual innocent dresses. She held a clipboard, its pristine white surface a stark counterpoint to the grit of the studio.

"Good afternoon, everyone," she announced, her voice artificially bright, echoing in the cavernous space. "I'm Ashley Wynn, and I'll be overseeing this project from the sponsor's side."

A ripple of unease went through the dancers. My blood ran cold, a familiar metallic taste in my mouth. She was here. In my sanctuary.

"Now, Bianca," she said, her eyes fixated on me, a predatory gleam in their depths. "I've been reviewing the preliminary designs for the stage set and costumes. And, well, I have some thoughts."

She gestured dismissively at the sketches pinned to the wall, designs that had been meticulously crafted over months by a team of artists.

"They're a bit too... avant-garde, don't you think?" she mused, tapping a perfectly manicured finger against a vibrant costume sketch. "My fiancé, Hunter, he agrees. He said the average person wouldn't 'get it.' We need something more accessible. More relatable."

My jaw tightened. Hunter. Of course. He was pulling the strings, twisting the knife.

"The designs are meant to evoke emotion, Ashley," I explained, my voice strained but steady. "They're symbolic. Each color, each line, tells a part of the story."

"Oh, I'm sure they do, dear," she said, her tone patronizing. "But art needs to appeal to a wider audience, no? Hunter always says, 'If it doesn't sell, it's not art.' And frankly, these look a little... confusing." She wrinkled her nose, as if smelling something unpleasant.

I took a deep breath, trying to control the tremor in my hands. "Our audience comes for art, not for... for blandness. We believe in challenging them, not pandering."

She giggled, a sound that grated on my nerves. "Well, perhaps. But the sponsor," she paused, emphasizing the word, "has certain expectations. Hunter's expectations, to be precise." She pulled out her phone, a defiant glint in her eye. "Perhaps I should just confirm with him. He's always so busy, but he always makes time for me."

She began to dial, her back to me, clearly enjoying my discomfort. The dancers exchanged nervous glances, their movements stiffening. They knew what this meant. Hunter' s influence. His power.

"Oh, Hunter, darling," she cooed into the phone, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but Bianca here seems to think her vision is more important than... well, than yours. She just doesn't seem to understand what we're trying to achieve. It's almost as if she doesn't like me very much." Her voice cracked with feigned vulnerability.

A knot of fury tightened in my stomach. The manipulative little viper.

Then, Hunter's voice, amplified by the phone's speaker, filled the studio. Cold. Commanding.

"Ashley is right, Bianca," he said, his voice cutting through the space like a sharp blade. "Art, at its core, needs to be understood. We're not funding personal expressions. We're investing in a product that appeals to a broad demographic. Your designs are too esoteric. Too niche."

"Esoteric?" I asked, my voice rising. "This is ballet, Hunter! It's an art form! You can't just strip it down to the lowest common denominator!"

"And you can't bring your personal grievances into a professional setting, Bianca," he countered, his voice sharp. "Ashley is representing our interests. Her concerns are valid."

The dancers shifted uncomfortably, their faces a mixture of sympathy and fear. They knew who held the power. They knew who signed the checks.

"You're going to ruin this project," I seethed, my voice trembling with contained rage. "You're going to destroy months of work, years of artistic development, just to prove a point!"

"Oh, Bianca, please," Ashley interjected, her voice still falsely sweet, drawing his attention back to her. "I'm sure she doesn't mean it. She's just passionate. And perhaps a little bit stressed. I know my own ideas aren't as refined as hers, but I only want what's best for the project, and for my future husband, of course." She batted her eyelashes, a clear performance.

"Bianca," Hunter's voice was arctic, "Keep your emotional baggage out of the studio. You're paid to create, not to cause drama. Ashley's suggestions will be implemented. End of discussion."

"You're not an artist, Hunter," I shot back, ignoring Ashley, my gaze fixed on the phone in her hand. "You're a businessman. You wouldn't know true art if it slapped you in the face."

"And you're a disgruntled employee, Bianca," he retorted, his voice laced with contempt. "Consider this a professional directive. We're the clients. Our word is final."

My colleagues, sensing a losing battle, subtly nudged me, their eyes pleading. Don't upset the golden goose. Don't risk the sponsorship. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. The anger raged, but I swallowed it, forced it down, a bitter pill.

The mandatory changes twisted our production into a Frankenstein's monster of artistic vision and commercial compromise. It was a cacophony of conflicting styles, clashing colors, and muddled storytelling. My heart bled for the original concept, the one we had poured our souls into.

My team, however, rallied. They worked tirelessly, with a fierce loyalty that touched me deeply. We pulled endless all-nighters, fueled by stale coffee and a shared determination to salvage what we could. We fought for every nuanced movement, every graceful line, trying to re-inject the soul that had been ripped from our creation. In the end, we managed to craft a version that was, at best, acceptable. A compromise. A ghost of its true potential.

The night of the showcase arrived, heavy with a mix of anxiety and exhaustion. I put on a brave face, leading my dancers through the performance with a professionalism that belied the turmoil within. As the final notes faded, and the stage lights brightened for the curtain call, the audience erupted in polite applause.

I bowed, my heart heavy, then turned to lead my team off stage. It was an old habit, almost instinctual. My eyes scanned the audience, searching for a familiar face, a specific seat in the third row. A place Hunter used to occupy. A place he filled with pride and admiration after every show, often bearing a single, perfect white rose. A place where his eyes would meet mine, full of an undeniable, if unspoken, adoration.

And there he was.

In his usual seat. My breath caught in my throat. My heart gave a foolish, hopeful leap. He was holding a bouquet of roses, white, just like he always did. A wave of warmth, of foolish longing, washed over me. For a fleeting second, the old feelings surged, the memories of his quiet support, his intense gaze. I almost moved, almost ran to him, forgetting everything.

Then I saw her.

Ashley. She was sitting beside him, beaming, her hand resting possessively on his arm. He turned, a soft smile gracing his lips as he handed her the bouquet. Ashley buried her face in the blossoms, then looked up at him, her eyes alight with a mixture of surprise and adoration. It was a performance for the ages.

The spotlight, which had lingered on me, felt like a white-hot brand. It seemed to illuminate the chasm between us, between the past and the brutal present. My limbs grew stiff, my smile freezing on my face. The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow: he was truly gone. He no longer saw me. He no longer cared. The man I had loved, the man who once looked at me as if I was the only star in his universe, was now showering his affection on another.

My chest ached, a hollow, gaping wound. It felt as though a cold, sharp wind had swept through my ribs, leaving behind only emptiness. I fought to maintain my composure, my jaw aching from the effort. Don't let him see you break, a voice screamed in my head.

I dug my nails into my palms, the sharp pain a welcome distraction from the agony in my heart. This was not how my story would end. I would not be defined by his betrayal. I would not let him take my spirit.

With a final, forced smile, I turned my back to the audience, to him, to them. I walked off stage, my head held high, my heart shattering into a million pieces with each deliberate step.

"Everyone," I said, my voice ringing with an artificial cheer as I addressed my tired but relieved team backstage. "Let's go celebrate! Tonight, we proved that art endures."

My team cheered, a little too loudly, a little too quickly. They knew. They saw. But they followed. And I led. Away from him. Away from the ghost of what we once were.