CAPTURED BY THE CEO'S CHARM

Evelyn Heartfield was just about to go up on stage when her phone rang. She ignored it, focusing on the performance she had in hand. From the dressing room, she could hear her fans loud and clear, screaming her name as they awaited her arrival on stage. She remained in her seat at the mercy of her stylist, who was all over her, giving her a perfect look. She let out a breath, closing her eyes. She had to concentrate; there was zero time for distractions. She couldn't even stop to take a glance at the caller ID. Whoever it was, could wait! “Here, keep this til I return, Ava.” She handed her purse to her best friend, Ava, who regarded her with a smile. Ava was Evelyn’s assistant. They had met at one of her first concerts. And since then, they have become inseparable. “Oh my God, Evelyn, you're looking so amazing.” Ava beamed, taking Evelyn's hands in hers. "Oh, thank you. It is all thanks to the goddess Hailey." Evelyn said, making her stylist smile in satisfaction. "Hurry up, Hailey; she’ll be needed on stage in less than twenty minutes!” Ava reminded her. “I'm done. It's just a few adjustments, here and there." Hailey said as she held the last piece of hair with a pin. Evelyn's fingers tingled, and she found it unbearable to be seated. This was to be her greatest performance. It was specifically dedicated to the Prime Minister, John Kingston, and his dear wife, who had graced the occasion, and they were patiently awaiting her stunning appearance. Evelyn had worked so hard to become a successful classical pianist within five years of being in London. From playing at bars and almost empty theaters to opening for great artists and now playing in the greatest theater of all time, the Royal Albert Hall, “Take a look in the mirror, Evelyn,” Hailey said, finally done. She stepped aside, giving her a full view of the mirror. Evelyn looked into the mirror and was stunned at the image that stared back at her. Her long, wavy, silver-blonde hair was skillfully knotted so that it gave her oval-shaped face the perfect glow. Her makeup was a mix of elegance and beauty. Hailey was the best at what she did and had never failed to prepare her for any of her performances, but this was beyond beautiful. Hailey reached out and straightened the hem of the glistering black dress, allowing her to see how beautiful it was as it cascaded around her knees. Evelyn was awed by her appearance. She turned toward Ava with a smile plastered on her face. “How does my hair look?" Evelyn asked as she took a step backward. Ava, whose eyes had been glued to the phone, was beyond speechless. She looked lost in a trance. “You look beautiful, my love. Hailey, you have outdone yourself.” Hailey gave a slight, mock bow. “Thank you. I always do.” “Now, hurry up!” Ava said. She looked down at her clipboard. “Miss. Patson is almost done opening up for you.” "Alright.” She shot her reflection a determined look. “I'm going to give tonight's performance everything I have got.” She beamed up at Ava, her eyes glistening with enthusiasm. “And right after that, we're going to have some champagne to celebrate. I know!! We could have a house party." Ava said, grinning widely, mischief written in her eyes. There was no way she was attending another party with Ava. Ava wasn’t just a party animal; that would be too tame for her. She was the QUEEN of party animals. A night with Ava would leave her sore and knackered for weeks. Besides, she had a show to attend tomorrow, and showing up hungover was not on her to-do list. “My diligent assistant. Have you forgotten the invitation from McKenney's family?” “s**t! I forgot about that.” she contemplated the intrusion for a minute before her eyes lit “We’ll host the house party this Saturday. Invite everybody. It will be the biggest party London’s ever seen.” Evelyn chuckled to herself; she could recognize that look on Ava’s face anywhere. There was no way she was missing that party; Ava would kill her. Besides, there was no harm in getting messed up once in a while. “I forgot to mention,” Hailey said, interrupting the girls. “I'll be away tomorrow. A client of mine is having an interview tomorrow. And I can't afford to not be there. I hope you won't need me tomorrow, Evelyn.” "Oh no. That’s terrible. I have McKenney’s show tomorrow, and you know how snobbish the wife gets.” Mrs. McKenny was the worst of the worst; one terrible word from her could get you blacklisted. This was terrible timing. “Please forgive me, Evelyn." Hailey pleaded, “This client stays in America; it's an excellent opportunity for me to grow my services abroad. She is well-connected over there. You know I love you to death, but this opportunity would be great for the boys and me.” Evelyn let out a sigh. It would be hard for her to find a stylist last minute, but Hailey was a single mom with two kids to take care of. It would be selfish to deny her this opportunity. “Smile Hailey. This would be great for you and the kids. Ava can help me find a stylist. It's not a big deal.” “I would have sent my assistant to you, but she is so much of a greenhorn, I couldn’t do that to you.” Hailey, with a laugh, brought forth a pair of glistering black-colored stilettos for Evelyn. “Thank you so much for understanding." Hailey pulled Evelyn into a tight hug. “You're going to do great tonight,” she whispered into Evelyn's ear before pulling away and darting to the door with her already-packed bag. “I would have loved to stay for the show, but I have a flight to catch. I'll get your outfits sorted.” And with a wave, she was out the door. “Good luck," Evelyn said. At that moment, her phone began to ring again. "Please, Evelyn, I am begging you to spare us this torture and see who is on the phone." “Stop being so dramatic,” she said with a laugh. With that, Ava unzipped Evelyn's purse and took out her phone. Her lips pressed into a visible, thin line as she checked the caller ID. “Well, who's it?" Evelyn asked. There was nothing good about Ava’s change in demeanor. "Your younger sister called along with two unsaved contacts. She's called about six times. I think you should call her back; it might be something serious,” Ava said, evidently concerned. “I don't think so. She's just calling to guilt-trip me into coming back home,” she said almost absent-mindedly. "Seriously?” Ava arched a brow at her, an amused look playing on her face. "Yeah. That's all I get when I pick up her and mom's calls.” Evelyn said, looking away. At least they care for her well-being and miss her. She couldn't even recall the last time she had a conversation with her father. He didn't want to hear from her after she humiliated him by fleeing to London. "What if this is different? I have a bad feeling about this. Call them right back after the show, or I'll do it myself.” Before Evelyn could give a response, her name was called on stage, followed by enthusiastic screams from her fans. She gave Ava one last look, shrugging before heading into the greatest performance of her life. ***** Evelyn finished the piece with a flourish and bowed to the applause. She smiled and waved, feeling a surge of pride and joy. She could see the satisfactory smiles on both the faces of the prime minister and his wife. They were both waving at her. She bowed again in court, beaming. Then, elegantly, she spun around and disappeared behind the curtains. Chills ran down her spine. This was good, perfect. She couldn’t wait to tell Ava or even call Damon. That party sounds like a really good idea now. The Mckenny’s would wait. It wasn’t the end of the world. She rushed to find Ava. Ava appeared at the entrance of the dressing room, a worried look etched on her face. Her eyes found Evelyn and she immediately stormed towards her, grabbing her hand, and dragging her into the dressing room. “Is everything alright?" Evelyn asked, arching a brow at her in puzzlement. Ava placed both palms on her face. "Evelyn, Your Mom—“ "My mom? What's wrong with her?” Fear passed through her body as she moved forward to grab Ava, her nails biting into the poor girl's skin. If she were in the right state of mind, she would have apologized, but she wasn’t. The only thing that ran through her mind was mom. What had happened to her mom?