FLASH MARRIAGE; CHARMED BY THE RUTHLESS BILLIONAIRE CEO

Sarah felt a knot in her stomach as the Sparrow XXX band, alongside the debuting artist, was asked to get ready for their life performance. Her heart was slamming so widely against her chest that she feared it would collapse at any moment.

Donned in a captivating and dazzling black outfit, paired with matching black boots and completing her slightly edgy look with smokey eyes and a high ponytail, Sarah was the complete definition of a pop rockstar.

But at the moment, she felt like someone was about to face the judge for a crime committed. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was pounding in her ears.

The wild cheering of the crowd as the current performing vocalist music came to an end, seemed to intensify her nervousness, making her feel nauseous and light-headed at the same time.

She reached out for the bottle of water on the table in front of her and took a sip. But it did nothing to calm her spiked nerves.

"Sarah, are you all right?" Violet placed her hand on Sarah's shoulder, observing her slightly disoriented state.

"Cold feet." Sarah managed to say, her voice quivering. "I'm scared I'm going to mess everything up."

Violet chuckled at her remark.

'Nerves ...it always has a way of playing tricks on our mind. However, once we face the challenge head-on, we realise just how amazing we are."

"So true." Sarah agreed, exhaling.

"You remind me of myself when I played for the first time ever before an audience," Violet said, reminiscing on her past musical journey. "I had just finished high school and was searching for a job when I got hired to play at a friend's mother's birthday party filled with almost a hundred guests. I almost gave up, thinking I would flop when I came in front of all those judgmental-looking faces. But you know what?"

Sarah shook her head.

"Immediately I started strumming my guitar, I completely forgot what it felt like to be afraid, and I was awarded a huge bonus by my employer for a job well done."

"Wow! That must have been truly amazing." Sarah smiled, inhaling deeply.

"It was and I'm sure you're going to kill it out there once you step on that stage. I can already see the superstar in you."

"Thanks, Vi." Sarah beamed in appreciation while shaking off the negative energy surrounding her.

"You're welcome and don't forget, we are in this together." Violet raised her fist up and Sarah bumped it with hers, grinning

"Is showtime guys." Anthony, the leader of the group announced. "Get your instrument and let's paint the clubhouse red."

Every member of the group cheered loudly before they all left for the stage.

The thunderous cheers were deafening as the Sparrow XXX band and the debuting artist climbed on stage.

The vocalist, a young, talented male musician and songwriter with a unique, spirited voice, came up to the microphone stand while the band crew took their respective position.

"This music is dedicated to everyone here who has ever loved someone." The vocalist said before opening his mouth to serenade the audience.

The lyrics of the music were so raw and honest, resonating deeply with so many people and evoking a powerful emotional response.

So many people raised their phones up, taking pictures of the performing artist while live streaming the show on different social media platforms.

Sarah's shimmering eyes swept through the crowd in search of her brother and Henry as she slowly strummed her guitar to the rhythm of the music.

When she caught sight of them on the second row to the right, waving at her, alongside Annabelle, a hypnotic smile stretched across her.

As the vocalist's voice, powerful and emotive, soared above the crowd, filling the room with passion, Sarah and Violet, laid bare their heart on the stage, alongside other instrumentalist.

Their fingers danced skillfully across their guitar strings, producing a cascade of shimmering notes that left the crowds screaming the roof off.

Fog machines spewed out thick clouds, adding an air of mystery to the performance, as the laser lights sliced through the mist, crisscrossing above the thrilled crowd.

When the music rendition finally came to an end, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause, their energy palpable and infectious.

Amongst the crowd cheering was Sebastian who had come down to the Opulence Hub clubhouse coincidentally with some of his friends. He was super thrilled and amazed to discover that Sarah was not just a beauty with brain but was also a skillfully talented rockstar guitarist.

After the performance was over, he wasted no time sharing the video of Sarah's ingenious performance on the school website, where it attained thousands of views and comments.

Also, using his influence as a close relative to the manager of the clubhouse, he was able to gain access to the backstage, where he could freely interact with some of the artists.

At the backstage, the Sparrow XXX band members all celebrated Sarah for her ingenious performance.

"Sarah you were amazing up there." Anthony praised her.

"I'm super proud of you." Violet hugged her.

"I have never seen anyone play so beautifully like the way played on their first day." Karl applauded her effort.

"Your talent is so inspirational."

"Kudo Sarah."

"Bravo."

The positive comments kept pouring in from both members of the band and other artists in the backstage. But none of these mattered to Sarah as she couldn't wait to hear what her brother, Henry, and Annabelle had to say about her first performance. She politely declined the group's invitation to hang out with them, bidding them goodnight.

Sarah her barely taken a few steps away from the band crew when she bumped into Sebastian.

"Sebastian!" Sarah's brows pulled together in a deep frown. "What are you doing here? Are you stalking me again?"

"No...never." Sebastian raised both hands in surrender. "I have learned my lesson from the previous encounter at the mall and I would never do anything to jeopardize my friendship with you."

"We are not f..." Sarah held herself back from lashing out at him in a public place with so many people watching. She took in a deep breath and asked. "So what are you doing here if you weren't stalking me."

"Well, one of my uncles manages this clubhouse. So I came down with some of my friends to have some fun. I never expected to see you here, let alone watch you play alongside the infamous Sparrow XXX band. You were simply amazing on stage. Where did you learn to play like that?"

Sarah didn't believe a single word from Sebastian's mouth, neither was she ready to indulge him in any form of conversation. She kept a poker face as she said. "I've had a busy and I would like to take my leave now if you don't mind."

"Can I at least..."

"Good night Sebastian." Sarah cut him off, not interested in anything he had to say. Her phone started ringing, and when she looked at the screen, a smile crept up her face. She wasted no time receiving the call, as she strolled away from Sebastian.

"I'll see you in school tomorrow," Sebastian called after her, masking the anger and jealousy swirling inside his heart while second-guessing who she was speaking to.

"Do you want me to come to the backstage and get you?" Henry stood by the VIP door of the clubhouse waiting patiently for Sarah to come out.

"There's no need for that. I'm coming out now." Sarah was saying when her gaze met Henry's, standing at the entrance to the VIP door beaming proudly. There was no sign of Michael or Annabelle close to him making Sarah wonder where they were.

"Hello, genius." Henry continued speaking over the phone while beaming as she slowly approached the transparent see-through door.

"Hi..." Sarah chuckled softly, blushing from cheek to cheek.

"There are no words to describe how amazing you look or how beautifully you played tonight."

"Hmm..."

One of the bouncers standing by the VIP door opened the door for Sarah. He seemed to recognize her as the talented guitarist who played on stage not too long ago, as he accorded her the respect due to a celebrity.

"Thank you." Sarah spared the bouncer an appreciative smile before returning her gaze to Henry. She came up to him, her hypnotic smile infectious.

She ended the call while holding his gaze, her arms itching by her side to hug him. But she managed to keep her emotions in check since they were in public. "My performance is all thanks to this magical charm bracelet you gifted me before the performance. It inspired me a lot." She lifted her left hand to flaunt the captivating bracelet.

"Irrespective of the magic in the bracelet, you were simply amazing on stage," Henry said taking her left hand into his and stroking it gently. "I'm so proud of you, and let me be the first to say congratulations. You are officially my guitar idol."

"Hmm ... That's good to know." Sarah chimed, excitement bubbling in her voice.

"Let's go join the others." Henry guided her away from the door seeing that their conversation was attracting some unwanted attention.