Chapter 18 Rising from the Ashes
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The words came out through gritted teeth. “Don’t you dare put on that pitiful act in front of me. I’m not buying it!”
“If it weren’t for you, Moore Corp wouldn’t be in this mess. You’re a walking disaster.”
Elsa bit down hard on her lip and shook her head at Mandy with all her strength.
She had been wronged–unfairly accused by the Moore family–and she held countless grievances inside.
But even so, Elsa couldn’t bring herself to cut ties with them.
“Go live right now and apologize. Say every accusation was made up by you!”
“Or don’t blame us for what comes next!”
Elsa looked toward the window, where her reflection leaned weakly against the hospital bed.
In that moment, she felt like a marionette–no thoughts of her own, no control over her fate.
Fine.” Elsa took a deep breath, as if sealing her resolve.
Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Mandy’s wrist, her voice trembling. “But… I want to wear the gown from my coming- of–age ceremony.”
The moment the livestream started, thousands of viewers flooded in.
“What’s going on? Weren’t they saying Elsa was on her deathbed?”
“Wearing a fancy gown for her final confession or something?”
*Am I still dreaming? Is this a hallucination?”
Leaning on a stand for support, Elsa stood before the camera. The hem of her dress shimmered coldly under the hospital lights.
This was the gown Mandy had given her after she won gold with the international ballet company–it had been a gift for her coming–of–age ceremony.
Elsa had been overjoyed back then.
“I’m here today to clarify a few things,” she said into the camera,
“From this day forward…” she read from the script the Moole family had prepared, her eyes brimming with tears.
She bit her lower lip tightly, barely holding them back,
“All allegations against Moore Corp were…”
While Moore Corp scrambled to contain its crisis, Martin Corp took the opportunity to short its stock.
For a time, Moore Corp teetered on the edge of bankruptcy.
Three months later.
In a rehabilitation center’s training room, Elsa steadied herself on a stand and slowly lifted her right leg.
After months of recovery, her body had nearly healed.
“This is an invitation from the Royal Opera Ballet, her manager said, sliding a gold–embossed envelope toward her.
“They saw the video of you performing Rising Phoenix before your injury. They were really impressed”
Elsa lowered her gaze, lingers tracing the textured surface of the envelope.
12:26 PM P
Chapter 18 Rising from the Ashes
“Do they… know about what happened to me?” she asked softly, eyes downcast with lingering shame.
Her past felt like a stain she couldn’t scrub out.
She didn’t like talking about it, but she couldn’t pretend it never happened.
“Don’t worry,” her manager said quietly. “They’re looking for a story of rebirth.”
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His voice lowered further. “Moore Corp is just an empty shell now, barely hanging on. What else do you have to fear?”
After a long pause, Elsa nodded solemnly. “Alright. I’ll go.”
Backstage at the National Grand Theater.
Elsa sat on the floor, lacing up her new ballet shoes.
She had no idea how long it had been since she’d stood on a stage this grand.
The tight new shoes left red marks across her feet, but she didn’t seem to feel the pain.
As the emcee announced her name, Elsa stood in the wings and drew in a long, deep breath.
The moment the stage lights went dark-
Elsa stepped to the center of the stage.
A single spotlight beamed down on her.
With the music, Elsa began to dance.
From the front row, a man stroked his chin thoughtfully and asked the person beside him, “Who is she?”
“Mr. Martin, she’s the dancer we invited from the international ballet company. Her name’s Elsa–the same girl from that livestream scandal not long ago.”
Upon hearing this, the man turned his gaze toward the stage.
Eyes narrowing slightly as he read her name on the program, Lincoln murmured, “Rising from the ashes. How interesting.”
His eyes never left her figure onstage.
Not until Elsa struck her final pose–frozen, graceful, triumphant–and thunderous applause roared through the theater.
She bowed with a soft breath, heart racing as she looked out into the crowd.
She had done it.
In the corridor backstage, her assistant rushed over with a phone clutched tight. “Elsa! Martin Corp wants to see you. They said they want to talk about a possible endorsement deal-”
Elsa paused mid–wipe, sweat still clinging to her brow. Her voice was filled with disbelief. “Martin Corp?”
“Yes! Mr. Martin himself!” her assistant whispered excitedly.
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筒 20
B
