Chapter 419 Get Some Rest

Russell sighed. “Go see Justin. We asked about his shoulder on the way back, but he just stayed quiet and acted off.”

“…Alright, Dad. I’ll check on him now.”

Kayden turned toward the stairs and walked up to the third floor. He paused outside Justin’s room, drew in a deep breath, and knocked lightly on the door.

“Justin, it’s me, Kayden.”

No response from inside.

Kayden hesitated, then tried again.

“…Justin, is it because you figured out that Tilda was the girl from that old piano clip you’ve been chasing after for years?”

A few seconds later, the door creaked open. Justin looked like life had drained out of him overnight. His eyes were dull, and his dislocated shoulder only made things worse.

“Justin, your shoulder…”

“I’m fine. This pain doesn’t matter anymore.”

Justin didn’t bother talking to anyone but Kayden. He was the only one who understood what had changed him. The rest of the family had no clue.

Kayden sighed. “I brought the first aid kit. Let me fix you up, then we can talk about Tilda.”

He walked inside without waiting for an answer. Justin’s room was plain – just a table, a piano, a desk, some chairs, and a case showing off his piano trophies. On the desk were scattered photos of Justin at competitions and traveling, usually with family by his side. In those photos, he was bright and smiling.

Compared to now? It was like looking at a different person.

Kayden had studied first aid and was certified. In fact, every Jenson kid had to learn it. They’d been taught since they were kids. If something bad happened, and they didn’t know what to do, it could cost a life.

Kayden reset Justin’s shoulder.

“Hiss!”

Justin sucked in a breath, his face tight from the pain. But the relief came quickly after.

Kayden carefully treated the shoulder and wrapped it. “Good thing it wasn’t your fingers. That would’ve ended your career.”

For a pianist, hands were everything. If he got any injury, he could end his career for good, no matter how talented he was. Even so, a dislocated shoulder was brutal.

“Justin, get some rest tonight. Tomorrow, you need to get a full checkup at the hospital. I know you’re hurting, but avoiding it won’t help. You need to face it.”

“…Yeah, I know.”

After a while, Justin calmed down a little. He was sitting on the bed with his knees pulled up, his head full of heavy thoughts.

“Justin, so that girl was Tilda? Not Ms. Lichtenstein? You’re sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure. It was Tilda. Her playing touched me in a way Genevieve never could. There’s something in the original performance nobody can copy… Damn it, she saved me. How could I mistake her for someone else?!”

Justin slammed his fist against his head in anger.

“Justin! Stop!”

Kayden grabbed Justin’s arm to keep him from hurting himself. “This isn’t on you.”

“No, Kayden, it is! I screwed up. How could I have been so wrong? Damn it!”

His voice cracked, tears building up.

“You don’t understand… Tilda means everything to me. If she hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t even be who I am today. I’d probably be lost, trapped in my own head. Her piano saved me. She meant more than anything, and still, I mistook her for the wrong person…”

Kayden had never seen Justin so broken with guilt. It was even worse than when he lost Tilda before. For once, Kayden had no words to make things better. He just waited quietly for Justin to calm down.

“So, Genevieve only got close to you because of your status and our family’s power. She lied to you on purpose. That bitch! I’ll never forgive her!”

Kayden’s fists clenched hard. He had never hated a woman so much in his life. Genevieve was supposed to be a top-tier pianist. But just to get close to the Jensons, she lied to Justin and twisted the truth.