She looked at the ruined violin.

Then at me.

And sighed.

“Claire, please don’t turn this into a huge scene. Vanessa got upset. You know how emotional she can be.”

I stared at her.

“She just destroyed an eighty-thousand-dollar violin.”

Vanessa laughed.

“Eighty thousand? Grandpa’s old violin?”

I didn’t answer.

That was their first mistake.

Their second mistake was assuming that instrument was the only reason I could walk onto that stage.

My phone vibrated.

A message from Maestro Adrian Cole.

Five minutes. Ready?

Vanessa folded her arms.

“Tell him you’re sick.”

I carefully gathered the pieces of my grandfather’s violin and placed them back into the velvet case.

Then I stood.

Mom frowned.

“Where are you going?”

“To perform.”

Vanessa’s smile vanished.

“With what?”

I looked at her.

And for the first time that evening, I smiled.

“With the violin you don’t know about.”