Chapter 28 Is There Something Wrong With Your Brain?

Anyone who wasn’t deaf could hear clearly that Lacey’s voice waspletely different from bJean’s /b

If she kept singing, she’d just be embarrassing herself further.

When Lacey’s voice faltered, everyone in the audience and judges already bhad /btheir answer.

Jean didn’t even need to open her mouth again..

She followed the others silently as they left the stage, returning backstage.

Just as Jean stepped through bthe /bdoorway-

“Jean!”

Lacey’s voice came screaming, filled with fury, and a dark shadow lunged straight at Jean.

+8 Pearl

Lacey charged forward, her face twisted with buncontroble /brage, her eyes zing bwith /banger. Her bpalm /bwas already raised high, ready to p jean bhard /bacross the face!

Jean froze for a split second, but immediately jumped backward.

She moved just bquickly /benough to avoid the full force of the p, but Lacey’s nails still scraped painfully across Jean’s cheek.

A few sharp red lines instantly appeared on Jean’s pale skin.

Having retreated too quickly, Jean identally stepped on some props behind her. Losing her bnce, she fell backward,nding painfully on bher /brear end.

It hurt like hell.

This is some seriously brotten /bluck.

jean narrowed her eyes, feeling wronged.

What did I even do to deserve this? I’m clearly the victim here

Lacey stood rooted to the spot, trembling in anger, her face flushed bright red.

Everyone else watched coldly, indifferent to what was bhappening/b.

Even though Jean was obviously the victim now, they tacitly approved of Lacey’s actions. In fact, many of them secretly bthought /bJean deserved bthis /bkind of “punishment.”

k these past four do

“Jean, byou’ve /bruined everyone’s hard bwork /bthese past few days!” someone used harshly.

“All you wanted was to show off! You wanted the whole world to know how beautifully you could sing, didn’t you? Lacey did. bthis /bfor all of usb, /bso we’d win the bprize/b…but you’re selfish and hatefull another girl chimed in bitterly.

“Just to prove byour /bpoint, you’ve thrown away ba /bbsure/b–win performance. What were you even thinking? Would it bhave /bkilled you topromise bjust /ba little bit?”

“Selfish attention–seeker–byou /bgot exactly what you deserved!”

i winced at the noise.

She stood back up from the ground, pressed her lips tightly together, and just as she was about to open her mouth to say something-

There was

revne immed

the door

7:42 PM c

Chapter 28 ts There Something Wrong With Your Brain?

+8 Pearls

Borrow someone?

Aside from Jean, who remained silent and cold–faced, everyone else grew visibly excited.

This was Easton’s manager, after all.

Anything rted to Easton was enough to make people giddy..

“Who do you want? We’re all free,” someone eagerly asked.

Hn’s gaze roamed across the room again, finallynding on Jean standing quietly in the corner. With a gentle smile, he bsaid/b, ‘I’d like this little tree ssmate over here.”

Jean blinked.

Everyone else stared in disbelief.

Surprise, jealousy, and confusion surged inside their hearts,

They bcould /bonly watch helplessly as Hn led Jean out of the room.

“What’s with your face? Hn asked casually as soon as they left backstage, showing no hesitation to s

Jean gently touched her cheek, mumbling softly, “Nothing much. Just scratched by a dog.”

“Oh, you guys even have a dog back there, huh?” Hn said with ba /blow chuckle.

Jean stayed silent, not bothering to reply.

Hn didn’t mind and cheerfully continued chatting, “You know who I am, right?”

Jean nodded. “bYeah/b.”

start a conversation.

Easton was incredibly famous, and his manager Hn often appeared alongside him, making him just as recognizable. They reached the VIP lounge doorb, /bband /bHn lightly knocked. “Easton, I’ve brought her.”

Jean couldn’t help but bthink /bbthis /bwhole situation felt off somehow.

It was like one of those tabloid articles with headlines like, “Top Male Celebrky Secretly Meets Teenage Girl, Brokered by Manager!

While her thoughts wandered, the door opened.

Easton’s extraordinarily beautiful face appeared before her.

“All right, you can go now, Easton told Hn first, dismissing him casually, before lowering bhis /beyes to look at Jean. His gaze was deep and unreadable. “Come on inb.” /b

Jean didn’t mind seeing Eastoni. /i

If she had, she wouldn’t bhave /bobediently followed Hn in the first bce/b.

Compared to those binsane /bpeople bbackstage /blike Lacey, Easton was infinitely betterpany.

Easton’s private VIP lounge was bspacious/b, luxurious, band /bfar morefortable than the crowded dressing room Jean had been stuck bin /bearlier

“What would you like to drink?”

Easton walked ahead. From belund, Jean could only see his broad backb. /b

“Whatever, she replied absentmindedly

7.42 PM c

Chapter 28 Is There Something Wrong With Your Brain?

“So, what happened to your face?”

Easton settled down on the sofa across from bher/bb, /bleaning backzily, looking rxed but clearly bamused/b.

He asked the same question Hn had just asked.

But Jean felt something was off about his tone.

Why does this guy look so punchable right now? If I’m not mistaken, is he actually enjoying my misfortune?

+8 Pearls

Easton suddenlyughed out loud,

Jean, sometimes you’re really adorable.” He casually brushed a lock bof /bbhair /bfrom his forehead, speaking slowly with bat /bmeaningful tone.

“But today, it really bwas /bba /bpity.”

Easton narrowed his eyes slightly band /bsuddenly remarked quietly.

His dark eyes glittered with a chilling light, ck like obsidian.

“Honestly, I was looking forward to bseeing /byou lose your temper and embarrass yourself out there.”

Easton spoke softly, calmly delivering words dripping with poison like a bserpent /bquietly flicking its tongue in the bshadows/b.

Jean bwas /bpuzzled.

“Watching you get yed like a fool would’ve been entertaining Easton tilted his head slightly, propping his check on his palm as he stared directly at her.

bJean /brealized she’d need a bmoment /bto digest this unsettling fact.

What’s

‘s wrong with this guy? Does he have some kind of dark, twisted personality? How could he actually enjoy seeing his own sister humiliated?

Easton blinked slowly. He’d never bothered hiding his true nature from Jean.

He’d never been a

a good person.

People always believed he was cheerful, always smiling, but beneath that pleasant facade was a dark, twisted bheart/b,

Easton knew he harbored a deep destructive impulse.

Nothing gave him greater pleasure than seeing adorable, fragile things like Jean crumble and fall apart.

Jean had managed to fight back today, sessfully thwarting his expectations.

But even though things hadn’t gone as he’d wished, he’d found it strangely amusing.

“Laston”

Jean’s crisp voice suddenly broke his thoughts, calling out his name clearly.

Easton quickly regained his senses, looking up at Jean’s cute, innocent face

suddenly lifted a finger, pointing straight at her own head as she asked in ban /bearnest, serious tone. “Is there something wrong with your brain