As the final note of the piano faded into the air, the grand hall seemed to fall silent for one second longer than it should have, before it finally erupted in applause that echoed from every direction. The guests rose from their seats, some of them clapping with wide smiles filled with admiration. Shouts of praise rang out freely, no longer trying to keep their voices down.“She is incredible…” “The notes are so clean, the emotion feels alive…” “Talent like this is so rare.” “And… my God, she is so beautiful.”Aurora slowly stood from the piano bench and bowed gracefully. Her face remained calm, almost free of excessive expression, yet her eyes reflected an undeniable strength.In the front row, the smile on Tina’s face had frozen. Her fingers clenched tightly on her lap, her nails pressing into her skin without her realizing it. Beside her, Jale stared at the stage with a stiff jaw, his eyes filled with restrained anger.“That should have been me,” Jale muttered softly, his voice

Max wrapped an arm around Aurora.Manager Helen turned her head, and when she realized who the man in front of her was, her breath almost stopped. She bowed even deeper.“Mr. Max…” she said with a trembling voice. “I beg for your forgiveness. I am ready to accept any punishment. Anything. But please do not fire me.”She bowed again and again, her voice almost breaking. “I beg you. I made a huge mistake.”Max did not answer right away. His arm remained firmly around Aurora’s shoulders, his grip steady. He looked at Helen with a cold, assessing gaze that made her tremble even more.Aurora turned slightly toward Max, then looked back at Helen. “A chance does not come twice for people who abuse their power,” she said softly. “Remember that.”Helen nodded quickly, and tears finally fell without restraint.In the front row, Tina and Jale stood in silence. All their plans, all their confidence, all their pride collapsed in a single night. Aurora did not just return to the stage. She returned

Max raised one hand, his palm open toward Jale and Tina. “Enough,” he said flatly. Max’s voice remained calm, controlled, like a king delivering a verdict, not an outburst of anger. “This is a lesson for you,” he continued. His gaze was sharp, pressing down without the need to raise his voice. “Envy toward another person’s success will only destroy yourselves.” Jale and Tina lowered their heads even further. “If you want to stand at the top. If you want to succeed,” Max said slowly, each word falling clearly, “work until your teeth are clenched from exhaustion. Build connections through ability, not hatred. Achieve success through effort, not through wrongdoing.” He paused briefly, letting his words sink in. “Never again try to destroy someone’s success just because you feel left behind,” he continued coldly. “Do you understand?” Jale nodded quickly, almost striking the floor with his forehead. “I understand, Mr. Max… I understand.” Tina nodded repeatedly as well, tears falli