"I believe you're confused," I said calmly to Anthony, keeping my voice low. "I'm just a herbalist from a local clinic."
The crowd around us was growing, with more concertgoers arriving for Kathleen's performance. I needed to defuse this situation quickly.
Anthony Harding scoffed. "Don't play dumb. I know exactly who you are. The man who dared to challenge—"
"Anthony," I cut him off sharply. "This is neither the ti nor place for such conversations."
His eyes narrowed. "So you admit it then?"
Clara tugged at my sleeve. "Liam, what's he talking about?" Her voice trembled slightly, eyes wide with confusion and wonder.
I ignored both questions, pulling out my communication talisman. "Let contact Kathleen about those passes."
"As if she'd actually respond to you," Anthony sneered, but uncertainty flashed in his eyes.
Maia crossed her arms. "I'm starting to think Clara got conned by so fake healer pretending to have connections."
I activated the talisman, sending a simple ssage: "Outside the east entrance. Three passes needed."
A mont of tense silence followed. Anthony smirked at Clara and Maia. "See? Nothing. He doesn't know—"
My talisman glowed bright blue. Kathleen's voice erged clearly: "Coming now. Stay where you are."
The smug expression dropped from Anthony's face. Maia's jaw fell open. Clara bead triumphantly.
"You were saying?" I asked Anthony, tucking the talisman away.
"That doesn't prove anything," he muttered, but his confidence was clearly shaken. "Anyone could—"
"There she is!" soone shouted from the crowd.
A small figure approached us, wrapped in a large black hoodie with dark sunglasses and a mask covering most of her face. Despite the heavy disguise, the way she moved carried a natural grace that attracted attention.
"Liam," she said softly as she reached us. "Sorry for the wait. I was finalizing costu changes."
Clara's eyes widened to saucers. Even with the disguise, Kathleen's distinctive voice was unmistakable to a devoted fan.
Anthony stepped forward aggressively. "Prove it's really you," he demanded. "Take off the mask. Anyone could be under there pretending to be my sister."
I shifted slightly, positioning myself between them. "Back off. She's in disguise for a reason."
"It's fine, Liam," Kathleen sighed, reaching up to pull down her mask and remove her sunglasses. "Hello, little brother."
The transformation was imdiate. Several nearby people gasped as they recognized her face, and Anthony paled visibly.
"Kathleen," he stamred. "I didn't think—"
"Clearly," she cut him off coldly. "Always making scenes, aren't you? Just like father."
Clara stood frozen in awe, while Maia looked like she might faint.
"I—I'm Kathleen's biggest fan," Clara finally managed, her voice barely audible.
Kathleen's expression softened as she turned to Clara. "Any friend of Liam's is welco backstage. I've heard about you." She smiled warmly, then turned back to glare at her brother. "You, however, can find your own way in. If security lets you."
Anthony's face flushed crimson with humiliation. "You can't be serious. I'm your brother!"
"And he's my healer," Kathleen retorted, nodding toward . "The one who saved my career when your father's recomnded doctors failed."
I noticed more people gathering, phones raised, whispering excitedly. This was rapidly becoming the scene I'd hoped to avoid.
"We should move inside," I murmured to Kathleen.
She nodded, but Anthony wasn't finished. His embarrassnt had transford into fury.
"Hey!" he shouted, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. "Everyone! Kathleen Harding is here! Right here!"
The reaction was instant. Heads turned, excited squeals erupted, and I saw the crowd begin to surge toward us like a wave.
Instinct took over. Before Anthony could shout again, I stepped forward and delivered a sharp slap across his face, stunning him into silence.
"Idiot," I hissed. "You want her trampled?"
His hand flew to his reddening cheek, shock and rage warring in his eyes.
Kathleen quickly pulled her disguise back into place. "VIP entrance. Now," she ordered, grabbing Clara's hand and pulling her through the crowd.
I followed, keeping Maia close as the excited murmurs spread through the gathering fans. Security guards moved swiftly to block the forming crowd as we slipped through a side door marked "STAFF ONLY."
Once inside, Kathleen removed her disguise again, revealing a face flushed with anger and adrenaline.
"My brother is an absolute fool," she muttered. "Thank you for shutting him up, Liam. That could have been dangerous."
Clara stood trembling with excitent. "I—I can't believe I'm eting you. Your last album changed my life."
Kathleen smiled genuinely. "That's sweet of you to say." She glanced at . "Liam didn't ntion he was bringing such an enthusiastic fan."
"Clara saved from a difficult situation recently," I explained simply. "This is my way of thanking her."
Maia still looked shell-shocked. "I'm sorry I doubted you," she managed to say.
Kathleen laughed. "Most people underestimate Liam. It's their mistake, every ti." She winked at , then checked her watch. "I need to finish preparing. The show starts in fifteen minutes."
She handed us three VIP passes on lanyards. "These will get you anywhere in the venue. You want to watch from backstage or take your seats?"
Clara clutched her pass like it was made of pure gold. "C-can we see backstage first?"
"Of course." Kathleen led us through a series of corridors bustling with staff and equipnt.
The backstage area was organized chaos—costu racks, sound engineers, dancers practicing last-minute moves, and staff rushing in every direction.
Clara took it all in with wonder. "This is amazing!"
While Clara and Maia marveled at the behind-the-scenes activity, Kathleen pulled aside.
"So," she said quietly, "that little girl seems quite attached to you."
I raised an eyebrow. "She's a friend."
"Mmm." Kathleen smirked. "She looks at you like you hung the moon."
"She's just grateful for the help I've given her."
Kathleen leaned closer. "If you say so." Her voice turned more serious. "Listen, I reserved a seat for you in the front row. Section A, seat 21. Just in case you want to watch the show."
"I wasn't planning on staying," I admitted.
"Stay," she said firmly. "I have a new song tonight. I think you'll appreciate it."
A staff mber approached, whispering urgently in Kathleen's ear.
"I have to go," she said. "Enjoy the show, Liam. And thank you again." She squeezed my arm before hurrying away. Check for the latest updates on My Virtual Library Empire (*).
Clara bounced back to my side. "Liam! I can't believe you know Kathleen Harding! Why didn't you tell ?"
"It never ca up," I said simply.
Maia shook her head in disbelief. "And she actually seems to like you. The tabloids always paint her as this cold, untouchable diva."
I shrugged. "People are rarely what the public thinks they are."
Clara's eyes were shining with excitent. "What else don't I know about you? Anthony called you the Heaven Defier. What does that an?"
I sighed. That was a conversation for another ti—preferably never. "Nothing important. Let's find our seats."
As we made our way to the VIP section, I considered Kathleen's invitation. I hadn't planned to stay for the concert, but sothing in her eyes when she ntioned the new song made curious.
Perhaps watching one performance wouldn't hurt. After all, with Adrian Whitlock's deadline looming tomorrow, this might be my last opportunity for sothing resembling normality for a very long ti.
"Section A, seat 21," I murmured to myself.
I decided I would stay. Just for a little while.
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