A Bloom of Thorns

The video stopped abruptly.

That very next day, Luke came to Holly. He nervously stumbled all over his words, trying to make things right.

Holly had thought about saying goodbye to Luke before she left. In the end, she knew he was not worth it.

Tomorrow, she will be leaving the country for an arranged marriage.

Holly had just finished packing up for the night when her phone buzzed with calls from numbers she did not recognize, followed by a barrage of crude and mean texts.

Something was definitely off.

Then, like a bad joke, a hashtag flashed across her screen.

#PianoProdigyExposed in Racy Photos, Friends Claim She's a Total Mess#

#Who Knew the Piano Girl Had Such Weird Tastes#

With shaking hands, Holly clicked on the link and her heart sank. She was in the video.

She was in the dressing room, changing her brassiere. Because of some meds she was on, she has been dealing with the embarrassing issue of leaking fluids.

Even on that day's mountain hike, she had to sneak away to a midway changing room for a quick switch of clothes.

However, that was not all. There were more photos of her face crudely pasted onto the bodies in adult movies.

Her phone nearly slipped from her grasp as dizziness washed over her. Only Cecilia had been with her when she changed.

Holly stormed off to confront her.

Cecilia sneered when she saw Holly, "Oh, so you've got that problem, huh? Tsk, tsk. Come on, spill it. You really expect us to believe Luke's the only guy in your life?"

Fury blazed in Holly's eyes. Her hand reacted before her mind did, landing a stinging slap across Cecilia's cheek.

Cecilia staggered, hitting her head on the corner of a table as she fell, a welt forming instantly.

"Cecilia!"

Luke's furious shout echoed behind Holly.

In a flash, Luke pulled Holly away and tossed her aside. He wrapped his arms around Cecilia while he shot a look filled with disgust and suspicion at Holly.

"Do you even know what she did?" Holly cried out.

The noise had drawn the attention of the Hoffmans. They peered at Cecilia with a mix of concern and curiosity while she clung to Luke's shirt, looking utterly helpless.

Luke inhaled deeply, his voice steady and sure.

"I know what you're thinking, and yes, I did it."

His words struck like lightning, echoing in everyone's ears.

Holly's eyes widened as her heart shattered.

Could he really love Cecilia enough to take the fall for her?

Ronald was livid, his face turning a shade of red as he stormed over and kicked Luke.

However, Luke took the hit with no remorse while cradling Cecilia.

Holly sidestepped Melissa's attempt to support her.

Gathering her remaining strength, she stood and faced Luke. "Luke, I'm giving you one last chance. Are you telling me you did this?"

Luke could not bear to meet Holly's gaze, filled with numbness and pain, and he let out a defeated nod.

"I sent the photos. I couldn't stand seeing you, an adopted daughter of the Hoffmans, outshining everyone."

Holly's laugh was bitter, and her tears flowed freely. "Luke, it's over between us."

With those final words, she turned her back on the stunned room and walked away. Her mind raced to catch her flight.