Reborn as the Billionaires Secret Wife

The Rival Player

Selene’s POV

“Selene, Adrain Vale.” The man introduced himself as he approached me.

“Excuse me?” I began and I was interrupted at once by the buzz of my phone.

I felt the knot in my stomach when I received the notification about the copyright investigation.

I simply stood and looked at my phone screen a few seconds not being able to breathe properly. The notification of the music platform was precise and could not be misconstrued.

Three of the songs in the album that Liora had recorded had been marked as copyright violation case.

I never filed the claim.

My fingers clenched on the phone.

That meant someone else had.

I wondered at one time whether it was done by Adrian. But that didn’t make sense. In fact, in case he was willing to expose Liora using journalism, initiating a copyright dispute using a site would be counterproductive to the effect of his article.

My mind raced. Another person was shuffling cards on the board. And I had no idea who.

I gradually dropped my phone and glanced up. The cocktail party in the music industry was going on still and around me. Waiters went between the groups carrying trays of champagne as soft jazz was played on the speakers.

People were laughing.

Talking. Making the launch of Liora album look like a big deal of the year.

I forced my face to stay calm.

Adrian Vale, standing opposite me, was watching me closely.

He leant a little over the bar and threw back his head. Interesting looking notification, he said to himself.

I closed my phone and put it in my purse.

I do not know what you are talking about, I answered.

Adrian gave a low chuckle.

You are not a very persuasive liar, he said.

I crossed my arms and looked at him. “You approached me first. It is you who is telling ridiculous things.

Adrian looked at my face as he was analyzing evidence.

For a moment he didn’t speak.

Then he was bent a little nearer.

I have been looking into Liora nearly a year, Adrian said to himself. When her label declared the album, there was something off about it.

I didn’t respond.

My heart was aching indoors.

Adrian continued speaking.

I hunted down first-time studio producers. Writers who hired her in the past. Old collaborators.” He hesitated and then said, That was the time I discovered the demo recordings.

My stomach tightened.

So it was true.

He really had seen them.

I went through the files back to an old cloud account, continued Adrian. But the name that was attached to it was a nonsense.

His eyes locked onto mine.

And, as the woman who recorded those songs was said to have been dead five years ago.

A cold chill ran through me.

There was a pause of silence on our part.

At last I managed to laugh a little.

That is a melodramatic piece of an article, I said. But it does not have anything to do with me.

Adrian didn’t react.

He took his time, instead, with his drink.

Do you suppose that I believe that? he said.

I held his gaze.

“Yes.”

Adrian put the glass on the bar.

Then he drew nearer and spoke in a low tone.

Selene, I listened to those demos dozens of times, said he. I know that voice.”

My chest tightened.

He continued.

And even this very evening I observed you when Liora had played the preview of the album. Adrian’s voice remained calm. “You didn’t look surprised. You looked angry.”

I didn’t answer.

Because he was right.

After a few seconds Adrian withdrew, studying my silence.

“Relax,” he said. “I’m not here to ruin your life.”

“That’s funny,” I replied. “That is what it feels like, that is why.”

He shrugged slightly.

“I’m a journalist. My job is exposing the truth.”

“What truth?”I asked.

Adrian smiled faintly.

“A very big story. But to cut it short, liora stepped on a tigers tail.”

Of course.

I turned my back on him and surveyed the room.

Liora stood in the midst of some executives across the hall. She was hysterically laughing when she explained how she came up with the album in a creative way.

My jaw tightened.

Somebody congratulated her as she took a champagne glass.

Each word that she said was an insult.

Those weren’t her songs.

They were mine.

Adrian followed my gaze.

“She looks confident,” he said.

“She always does,” I replied.

And in two days she intends to release that album to the world.

I turned back to Adrian.

You said that you were going to write an article.

“I do.”

“When?”

“The morning of the launch.”

My chest tightened again.

That was also the time I had scheduled my anonymous demo upload.

Adrian went on in a composure.

The demo recordings will be a part of the article. The timeline. The evidence.” He paused briefly. “It will destroy her.”

For a moment I said nothing.

My mind was going through possibilities.

Releasing the story earlier, Adrian would have owned the story.

He would be the one whistle blowing.

Not me.

His headline would be my revenge.

Adrian appeared to know what I was thinking.

“You look worried,” he said.

“I’m not.”

“You should be.”

I frowned. “Why?”

Adrian folded his arms.

“Since it is more fulfilling when you are in charge.”

I stared at him.

You are attempting to make a deal with me?

“Maybe.”

“What do you want?”

Adrian hesitated and then replied.

“The real story,” he said.

“You already have it.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I have evidence. But I do not know what is the truth of it.

He indicated a little in the direction of Liora.

“How did she get those songs?”

My chest tightened.

I looked away again.

“That is none of your business,” I said.

“When the article becomes live it will be.” He said.

I turned back to him sharply.

“You’re threatening me now?” I asked.

“I’m giving you an opportunity.” Came his calm reply.

I laughed softly. “You journalists like saying so.”

Adrian smiled slightly.

“Because it works.”

My phone rang once more in my purse before I could even reply.

I pulled it out quickly.

Another notification.

My pulse jumped as I read it.

The same music platform.

However, this time the message was more lengthy.

Application to uphold copyright was successful. Investigation pending.

I froze.

I had never filed that claim.

Not tonight.

Not ever.

Adrian saw that my expression had changed.

Any more news of interest? he questioned.

I didn’t answer immediately.

I opened the platform app instead and read the information.

Three of the songs in the album of Liora.

The ones which used my earliest demos.

A copyright case had been presented on the basis of the original recording timestamps by someone.

My heart started to beat more rapidly.

Whoever did this, knew all.

They were able to access the demo files.

The dates.

The metadata.

My hands felt cold.

Adrian leaned closer again.

“You like somebody that has just stepped a chess piece out of place.”

I slowly lowered the phone.

“I did not make that claim,”

I said to him.

Adrian raised an eyebrow. “That’s surprising.”

“Why?”

“Due to the evidence that was employed in the claim being on your demo account.” He replied.

My stomach dropped.

“How do you know that?”

Adrian tapped his temple.

“Research.”

My mind started racing again.

There was an access to the cloud account by someone.

Someone inside the system.

An insider in the music business.

And now they were playing my own recordings to cause an investigation.

Adrian studied me carefully.

“Seems like somebody has plans to see Liora ruined,” he said.

“Yes,” I replied quietly.

“But the question is who.”

I looked round the room a second time.

Liora continued laughing at the executives.

Wholly oblivious of the fact that three of her songs were now under investigation.

A gloomy satisfaction came upon me.

But it quickly disappeared.

Because this wasn’t my move.

Someone else had made it.

And I could not at all control what should come next.

Adrian bent in one more time.

Things are becoming interesting, he said.

I didn’t respond.

The reason a new thought had just crossed my mind.

But what about the one who had a look at my demo account...

Wasn’t he trying to help me?

And what should they be attempting to extract the truth prematurely?

Before I was ready.

Before I could finish my plan.

I had not time to kill Liora as she merited.

Once more my phone vibrated in my hand.

It was not a platform notification this time.

It was an email.

From an unknown sender.

I opened it slowly.

There was a single line inside of the message.

You are not the only one that wants Liora to fall.

And beneath the message…

There was a file attachment.

A recording.

My breath caught in my throat.

Since it was a name I immediately recognized as a file name.

Studio_Master_Original.wav

There should be no more such recording anywhere.

I deleted it five years ago.

But it had just been sent to me by somebody.