After several more rounds of banter, teasing, and attempts to out-spoil Foca, Jonathan finally returned to his seat.
Not before loudly promising to increase the music video budget even further.
At that point, Foca had simply accepted that resistance was futile.
The man was determined.
And unfortunately for everyone involved, he had the bank account to match.
Jonathan settled back into his chair looking immensely pleased with himself.
Like a happy camper.
Or a golden retriever that had successfully stolen an entire rotisserie chicken.
One final time, the members of 4 of Scones waved to the audience.
They bowed.
Waved again.
Then finally disappeared backstage to a fresh round of cheers.
Once they were gone, Foca returned to center stage.
"The night is still young, everybody," he said into the microphone. "We've still got plenty more performances in store for you."
The audience cheered enthusiastically.
"But for this next one..." Foca continued. "What do you say we slow things down a little?"
The response was immediate.
And loud.
"Perfect."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Because this next song is dedicated to my sister-in-law, Odette."
The announcement immediately caught Odette off guard.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really."
Foca nodded.
"Though, fair warning."
He raised a finger.
"It's not exactly an original song."
The audience leaned in.
"It's more of a cover."
"A cover of my sister-in-law's favorite song."
Another pause.
"One that my brother might not even know about."
Immediately, Odette covered her face with both hands.
"Oh no."
Jonathan turned toward her so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash.
"Wait."
He pointed dramatically.
"What is my baby brother talking about?"
Odette made the mistake of peeking through her fingers.
Jonathan narrowed his eyes.
"But your favorite song is Hello by Adele."
He sounded genuinely confused.
"You listen to it at least once a day."
"Umm..."
That was all Odette managed.
Somehow her face turned even redder.
"My brother appears to be very confused right now," Foca said.
A mischievous smile slowly spread across his face.
"So let me tell everyone a little story."
The audience immediately became interested.
Because those words never led anywhere safe.
Standing beside him was Hyouka, the legendary secretary-slash-personal-assistant whose efficiency could probably intimidate military organizations.
Without a word, Foca removed the scarf around his neck and handed it to her.
Then he tightened his hair.
The perpetually messy bun disappeared.
His glasses came off.
Contacts went in.
One by one, the pieces of his comfortable, approachable appearance vanished.
And standing there beneath the stage lights...
Foca suddenly looked like a completely different person.
The warm, cozy aura was gone.
In its place stood someone sharper.
Someone familiar.
For the De Clairmontins.
For Luca.
For the people who had known him before.
A ghost from another chapter of his life.
The sight triggered an immediate flashback.
A reminder of the Foca that had existed before a certain incident changed everything.
And somewhere in the audience...
One woman froze.
Hailey Gonzalez.
Her eyes widened.
First in surprise.
Then confusion.
Then horror.
Because ever since arriving at the charity ball, she'd felt something nagging at the back of her mind.
A feeling she couldn't quite place.
A memory she couldn't quite reach.
Now she knew why.
The man standing beneath the spotlight...
Was the same man who had once stood outside her dorm room.
The same man who had stared at her in horror.
The same man she'd spent seven years with.
Seven years.
Seven years of patience.
Seven years of kindness.
Seven years of being treated with respect.
Seven years during which she had never once managed to remain faithful.
And now, as the pieces finally clicked into place, regret tightened around her chest.
Because the reality standing before her was impossible to ignore.
She hadn't just lost a relationship.
She hadn't just lost someone who genuinely loved her.
She had thrown away a future.
A future she could have had.
A future she had traded away through a thousand selfish choices.
And somehow...
Even now...
Part of her mind was still fixated on the wealth.
The status.
The life she could've lived.
The opportunities she could've had.
The what-ifs.
The could-have-beens.
The would've-beens.
Which really said everything one needed to know about Hailey Gonzalez.
Now, personally?
I think this would be an excellent moment for a dramatic witch-burning scene.
Metaphorically, of course.
We do not condone murder in this house.
We merely observe consequences unfolding in real time and occasionally enjoy the view. 😉
****
"Now, just to preface this story," Foca began, resting one hand on the microphone stand, "my brother and my sister-in-law have always been ridiculously in love with each other."
A few chuckles rippled through the audience.
"In the past, the present, and most definitely in the future."
He nodded confidently.
"That part has always been a given."
Odette smiled.
Jonathan looked extremely pleased with himself.
"However," Foca continued, "every relationship comes with the occasional disagreement."
The audience collectively hummed in agreement.
"And this particular story happened during one of those moments when Jonathan and Odette experienced a tiny bit of turbulence in paradise."
That earned another round of laughter.
"Nothing serious."
Foca waved a dismissive hand.
"Just enough that my beloved sister-in-law suddenly appeared at my front door looking like she'd gone twelve rounds with her emotions and lost every single one."
The crowd laughed.
Odette immediately covered her face.
"Oh God."
"And being the loving, sensible, incredibly wise brother-in-law that I am..."
Several members of the De Clairmontin family immediately snorted.
"...I did what any logical person would do."
Foca nodded solemnly.
"I took her on a spontaneous trip to Boracay."
That got an even bigger laugh.
"Because when your emotions are in shambles, the obvious solution is a tropical island."
"Naturally," Jonathan deadpanned.
"Exactly."
Foca pointed at him.
"Finally, someone understands."
The audience laughed again.
"So there we were."
"Walking along the beach."
"The sun was setting."
"The ocean looked like something straight out of a travel brochure."
"And along the shoreline, all these restaurants and outdoor bars had live bands performing."
The room quieted slightly as he continued.
"Then one of the bands started playing a song."
"A very particular song."
"The moment Odette heard the first few notes..."
Foca paused dramatically.
"...she disappeared."
The audience blinked.
"She what?" Jonathan asked.
"She vanished."
Foca nodded.
"Gone."
"Like a woman possessed."
More laughter.
"I turned around and suddenly she was halfway down the beach trying to locate where the music was coming from."
Odette laughed despite herself.
"That is exactly what happened."
"Thank you for confirming."
Foca pointed at her.
"Anyway, she eventually found the restaurant."
"And let me tell you..."
He shook his head.
"That establishment probably experienced the most profitable night in its history."
The audience burst out laughing.
"Because my sister-in-law immediately secured herself a front-row seat."
Odette groaned.
"Oh no..."
"She ordered a beer."
More laughter.
"And then proceeded to sing alongside the lead vocalist as though she'd personally been hired for the evening."
The crowd loved it.
"The beer bottle became a microphone."
"The microphone became a sacred responsibility."
"And by the end of the night, half the restaurant was singing with her."
Jonathan slowly turned toward his wife.
His expression suggested he was discovering entirely new lore about her.
"You did all that?"
Odette refused to make eye contact.
"I may have."
The audience laughed again.
"And honestly?" Foca said. "It ended up being one of my favorite bonding moments with my sister-in-law."
His smile softened.
"So I thought it would be nice to bring a little piece of that memory back tonight."
He turned toward Odette.
"I hope that's okay."
Odette's expression immediately warmed.
"Of course it is."
She smiled.
"Actually..."
A small laugh escaped her.
"This is probably the perfect time to reminisce."
Meanwhile, Jonathan looked deeply concerned.
"Hold on."
He pointed between them.
"When exactly did all of this happen?"
Neither answered immediately.
Which somehow made it worse.
Then Odette finally smiled.
"Because it was supposed to be my bonding moment with Foca."
Jonathan gasped.
The betrayal.
The absolute betrayal.
The audience erupted into laughter.
Foca simply ignored him.
Professional.
Focused.
Unmoved by his brother's suffering.
He adjusted the microphone stand.
Looked toward Odette.
Then toward the crowd.
"This one's for my beloved sister-in-law."
His voice softened.
"And for everyone who's ever had their heart broken."
The venue slowly grew quiet.
The laughter faded.
The anticipation returned.
Because suddenly everyone knew.
The next song was going to hurt.
****
Foca stood alone at center stage.
A microphone stand in front of him.
Behind him stood Monarch, Aqua, and Bobby.
Not as co-stars.
Not as fellow performers.
But as pillars.
Ready to support him as backing vocalists.
Then the first notes filled the venue.
And immediately, a wave of recognition swept through the audience.
Many knew the song.
After all, it was one of Rihanna's most iconic hits.
The moment the melody began, Odette physically had to restrain herself from marching onto the stage and stealing the microphone.
Because some songs weren't just songs.
Some songs possessed people.
This was one of them.
🎶Oh, how about a round of applause?
Yeah, a standing ovation...🎶
Then Foca sang.
And the entire venue froze.
His voice wasn't flashy.
It wasn't trying to impress anyone.
It didn't need to.
It was warm.
Sincere.
Raw.
Filled with emotion so genuine that it immediately crawled beneath everyone's skin.
The kind of singing that made people stop analyzing technique and simply feel.
A chill swept through the room.
Especially for one particular audience member.
Hailey Gonzalez.
She felt the chills too.
Unfortunately for her, they weren't the pleasant kind.
Cold sweat prickled across her skin.
Her stomach twisted.
And then it happened.
Their eyes met.
Or rather...
Foca deliberately looked at her.
🎶You look so dumb right now...🎶
The words struck like a punch to the ribs.
Hailey's breath caught.
Because she wasn't imagining it.
He was singing directly to her.
Not angrily.
Not cruelly.
Somehow that made it worse.
The audience felt it too.
The vulnerability.
The history.
The unspoken story hidden beneath every word.
It didn't feel like a performance.
It felt like a conversation that should've remained private.
🎶Trying to apologize
You're so ugly when you cry
Please, just cut it out🎶
Several members of the De Clairmontin family quietly followed Foca's gaze.
And finally saw her.
The woman who had shattered someone they loved.
The realization was immediate.
So was the rage.
Several expressions darkened almost instantly.
But before anything could escalate, Foca glanced toward them.
Then smiled.
A small smile.
A warm smile.
A reassuring smile.
The kind that said:
I'm okay.
And for perhaps the first time in a very long time...
He truly was.
Because this wasn't about reopening old wounds.
It was about closing them.
Years ago, Odette had gone to Boracay to sort through her emotions and sing her heart out.
Tonight, Foca was doing the same.
This wasn't revenge.
It was release.
And so he turned back toward Hailey.
Not because he needed her anymore.
But because he didn't.
🎶But you put on quite a show
Really had me going...🎶
The freedom in his voice was impossible to miss.
For years, those memories had carried weight.
Now they didn't.
And somehow that freedom made the lyrics hit even harder.
🎶But it's over now...
(But it's over now...)🎶
Monarch, Aqua, and Bobby slipped into the harmony effortlessly.
Supporting.
Enhancing.
Never overpowering.
Layering their voices beneath Foca's like a safety net.
The three had always been karaoke fiends.
Naturally, they knew the song by heart.
Ironically, this entire performance had never been part of the original program.
It had been a last-minute decision.
A spontaneous choice made the moment Foca realized something important.
He had moved on.
Truly moved on.
And if that realization happened to come with the opportunity to sing a little Rihanna while an ex sat in the audience?
Well.
Life occasionally rewarded personal growth in unexpected ways.
🎶Go on and take a bow🎶
"Sing it, brother!"
Pearl's voice rang out from the audience.
The shout earned laughter and cheers.
Then, very briefly, Pearl glanced toward Hailey.
It lasted less than a second.
A tiny look.
Barely noticeable.
Almost invisible.
Almost.
But Hailey saw it.
And somehow that brief glance made her stomach drop even further.
Because for the first time all evening...
The reality of what she'd thrown away was becoming impossible to ignore.