Rise To Stardom: My Villainess

The sun is gradually replaced by the silver moon. In the process of exchanging position, the light blue sky flashes with hues of orange, pink, and purple before settling on the shade of midnight blue. Different colors of glowing balls scatter around the blanket of darkness, accompanying the moon above. Its borrowed glow pours onto the earth, lighting the surroundings; but not enough to wipe away the darkness. Inside one's abode, one can hear a serious conversation being made on the phone by two women.

"I do know someone who can help you with that. She's actually pretty good. Whenever my family needs to have a background check on anyone, she is our go-to," A feminine voice with a hint of raspiness casually replies back to Ember's question.

The girl is actually Yanna Chu, Ember's former groupmate in her idol years. She is the main rapper of the group, famous for her unmindful straightforwardness. She didn't even bother to ask Ember why she is in need of a private investigator; she just answered straightaway.

Ember Wang neatly tucks in a strand of reddish hair strand behind her ear, chuckling at her friend's frank remark. While she gazes at the bright moon, she leans back her body onto the balcony sliding glass door. She really thought that Yanna would interrogate her, but it seems that some things are still as it is.

Softly smiling, she gratefully nods. "Thanks, jie. I'll try calling you again soon, alright? Let's meet up with the other members too." Murmurs of agreement are heard from the other woman; the golden-eyed beauty pulls the phone away from her ear as she gently presses the end call.

She steps out of her bedroom. Looking around her home, it feels so familiar and foreign at the same time. White walls are constructed with minimalistic designs. Ember always wants her home to be spacious yet simple─ a master bedroom equipped with its own bathroom, two guest rooms equipped with more extra bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room.

Everything is neatly styled with only a few over the top items here and there. There, above her, is a glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which she always loves to stare at and appreciate from time to time. She walks towards the black L-shaped couch, taking herself a seat.

Taking a matching black throw pillow from the sofa, Ember hugs it close to her body while she admires the interiors of her own house.

This is the place that she moved into after becoming a solo artist. She can still remember the moment when she first settled here. It was a very enjoyable time, one of the happiest days of her life to date if you asked her.

She can still recall the first true taste of independence. She felt so capable at that moment. She felt like she is finally in control of her own life. However, Ember Wang has only stayed here for a few months before the tour dates and events began piling up. It makes it difficult and almost impossible for her to stay in the country for long periods of time. She is happy, but her exhaustion cannot be denied.

Standing up from her black L-shaped couch, the beauty saunters off to the spacious kitchen of her humble abode— well, humble for her that is.

As she enters the kitchen, she immediately catches a glimpse of a post-it note attached to the refrigerator. She immediately has a person in mind. Confirming it, she then proceeds to open her multi-compartment refrigerator, revealing varieties of food before her.

She tiredly smiles; her mother is the one who most likely filled in preparations for her arrival. Closing the door of the refrigeration, she decides to drink water instead due to a lack of appetite. Taking a glass, she fills it halfway from the water dispenser on the high-tech fridge.

Slowly─ slowly taking a few sips of water, she then pulls the glass away from her lips and slightly lowers it down. She stands there, unmoving and staring at nothing at all. All of sudden, her head feels so light-headed. She didn't even realize that her hand started to tremble. Due to the lack of concentration, she accidentally releases her hold on the glass. It goes down, falling and crashing onto the glossy granite floor.

Crash!

Thanks to the durability of the texture, the shards don't leave a scratch on the beautifully polished flooring. While the sound startles her out of her stupor, Ember immediately drops onto her knees. Muddle-headed and not thinking straight, she tries to repair the mess she made by dazedly attempting to retrieve the fragments from the floor.

The action, of course, causes her pain.

The glass shards deeply cut into her palm. With all the events of this afternoon combined with the feeling of jet lag and pain from her palm, it causes the tears to pour out from her golden eyes once again. Sobs continuously escape her lips as she mentally insults herself of her idiotic actions and feelings right now.

'Haha..ha.. What a weakling I have become.'

Ember bitterly chuckles, feeling disgusted by her own weakness.

'I just promised myself to be strong a few hours ago; but here am I once again, acting like a pampered princess who suddenly lost everything.'

She clicks her tongue in irritation, continuing to mock herself more of her foolishness. Not even minding her self-injury, she just remains in that position as she longingly reminisces of her childhood times with that perfect fiancé of her. Well, he seemed perfect before; but now─ she doesn't really know…

Alessio was never really cold to her back in the day. Although he appeared indifferent, he cared for her and cherished her like a precious gem─ a diamond, impossible to break yet still treated with the utmost care.

She smiles like a fool while more and more tears continuously to traitorously escape from her eyes. 'Love really does make you do crazy things, huh?' She laughs yet again.

Looking at the woman, no one could have guessed that she is the strong Ember Wang who is famous throughout the world for her prowess in singing.

The fiery woman who is never afraid of telling everything in face value, unafraid of backlash, and yielding to nothing and no one at all is now a mess.

She is still beautiful as ever but nonetheless a crying mess. Staring at her hand, Ember Wang quietly observes the blood flow out from her wound. It stains her white skin with red. She does nothing about it as the pain starts to numb these feelings of hers. So deep in trance, she doesn't perceive the doorbell ringing throughout her house.

'Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.'

A gaseous sound follows while the main door is being opened. However, Ember is still gazing upon her cut. Dazed. She doesn't notice a looming figure slowly coming over her figure. Finally snapping out of her stupor, it is far too late though as she finds herself in the arms of someone she knows. Pulling her up and into his c.h.e.s.t, Kielle looks at her hand that is currently dripping with so much blood.

"What's wrong with you?! And you'd better tell me the full story, or I'll make sure to find out myself." Light jade eyes, almost similar to his brother, darkens at the sight of her wounded hand and dilated eyes. His blood boils, and he just wants to kill the one who's responsible for her current state.