Stella fell silent for a few seconds before replying, "Understood. I'll head over right now."
...
At the studio.
Abby stared at the streaks of paint splattered across the walls and the wrecked music equipment, her face dark with frustration.
Candida, who had only just finished her hiring paperwork, took in the ruined room with a stricken expression.
Her voice was quiet, tinged with guilt and uncertainty. "Maybe... maybe I should just find another job."
The past few weeks had been a string of disappointments for her, and landing this position had felt like a stroke of luck. If she lost it, she'd probably have to go back to playing piano in restaurants or bars-something she'd been desperately trying to avoid.
She'd nearly given up hope before meeting Stella and Abby. She thought her luck had finally turned. And now... the studio was trashed, paint everywhere,
instruments smashed beyond repair. It was obvious-someone had done this out
of spite.
Candida's thoughts inevitably turned to her ex-boyfriend. That man had no scruples; he was capable of anything.
Abby waved her off. "Let's wait for Stella before we jump to conclusions. This might not have anything to do with you."
About thirty minutes later, Stella arrived at the studio.
She took in the scene, then asked, "What about the other two floors?"
Abby replied, "The outside walls and doors on the other floors were hit with paint, but nothing inside was touched. Only our floor was completely trashed."
Stella nodded, her face calm and betraying no surprise or anger. "Looks like this was aimed at me."
Candida hesitated. "Ms. Cameron, do you think... this could be my fault? Maybe I brought this on everyone."
Stella shook her head. âNo. If this was about someone you upset, Abby and would have been warned off from hiring you first. But the damage is only on our floor-the others are intact. This was clearly meant for me."
As for who'd target Stella, it wasn't hard to guess. After all, a few days ago, Jasper and Rachel had shown up here. The crude, violent approach fit Jasper's style perfectly.
Abby frowned. "Why would they only wreck our floor and leave the others mostly untouched?"
Stella answered coolly, "Because they still want this studio. If they destroyed everything, they wouldn't be able to use the space themselves."
Abby's frustration boiled over. "What's Rachel's problem? You and Haynes are divorced, but she and Jasper still go out of their way
mess with us. Is she really than onet
clueless, or just pretending to be? Instead of staying away, she keeps showing up in our faces!"
She let out a cold laugh. "Maybe they just want to make sure Haynes never forgets about you."
Stella glanced toward the door. "Did you check the security cameras?"
At that, Abby's face fell. "Yeah, I checked. They destroyed them."
Stella shrugged. "That's okay." She walked over to a corner, a faint smile on her lips. "The indoor cameras are still working."
Abby blinked in surprise. "We have cameras inside? Since when?"
Stella pulled out her phone and opened the surveillance app. "After Jasper and Rachel came by the other day, I bought a few mini cameras."
Abby stared at her. "You saw this coming?"
Stella's expression was steady. "We made Jasper furious that day. Knowing him, there was no way he'd just let it go."
Abby snorted. "Jasper really is unbelievable. I don't even know what to say about him anymore."
Stella scrolled through the footage and saw that four people had entered and trashed the studio. All four wore disguises, making it impossible to see their faces clearly.
Abby watched along, her brow furrowing in anger and concern.