Beatrice rushed and hugged Kathrine as tightly as she could.
"What happened to you guys? Why are you here?" she asked, almost tearing up.
This would never compare to simply letting them know the updates in her life.
Having them here in front of her gave her a comfort she didn't realize she actually needed.
She even ended up sniffing without meaning to.
Kathrine smiled knowingly before pulling her into another tight hug.
"You were great, amazing. I have no words. You pulled us into your performance, and it had a different feeling, especially for us who are not part of the acting world."
"As for me, it really motivated me to return and do my best even more," Kenneth added since, within their group of friends, he was the only other who was part of the acting world.
Beatrice grinned sheepishly "You should have told me you were coming."
"And ruin such a great surprise and seeing such a bright look on you? Nah, I wouldn't spoil it," Kathrine laughed.
"Congratulations. As this person said, you were amazing," Justin said after the two finally stepped away from one another.
"Wow, nice way of referring to me," Kathrine complained after hearing the way Justin spoke of her.
"Why… do you want me to call you something else? More intimate, perhaps?"
Kathrine's lips twitched, "You could have just said 'she said.' As simple as that."
"You sounded like you were throwing a tantrum because I spoke of you too indifferently. I'll make sure to keep that in mind."
Kathrine was agape.
From time to time, this person would suddenly use such words to argue with her, leaving her speechless.
And yes, despite not being together, whenever they did chat with one another, they'd start arguing at one point.
Beatrice watched their interaction with enjoyment. She hadn't expected the usual bickering like cat and dog to change into this.
They were obviously bickering, but Justin had taken a different approach, causing her dear friend to be utterly defeated.
"Well, leaving these two aside, I want to congratulate you as well. It was a job well done, and you obviously enjoyed it," Gabriel said as he walked closer to her since the other two were still arguing about insignificant things.
Beatrice smiled, "Thank you."
Then her eyes seemed to be searching for another person.
"Don't worry, she came. All of us are here. It's just that she didn't get much sleep, and with the jet lag, she had to return to the hotel. Shawn accompanied her since she might have fallen asleep in the cab, and that would have been disastrous," Kenneth, seemingly knowing who she was looking for, explained.
"Harmony? Falling asleep in a cab?" Beatrice was confused.
Harmony didn't give off the aura of someone careless.
"She's been too tired these days. She also tried to finish a lot of things on her side just so she could join us," Kenneth continued explaining.
"She also said congratulations," he added.
Beatrice was even more confused, "Was she here until the announcement?"
Kenneth chuckled, "No. She left after your performance. As per her words…"
He cleared his throat, "It was pretty obvious that they'd win. Beatrice has truly bloomed."
Beatrice blinked, "She did?"
Kenneth raised his hand and placed it on top of her head, "She did. You have seriously grown a lot."
Beatrice sighed contentedly while smiling, "Thank you."
"Anyway, we plan on staying for a few days. For tonight, why don't you stay with us at the hotel? Sleep there for a few nights. The room was prepared for the three of you. Also, we'll have a simple dinner tonight since one of us is down. Then we can start your celebration tomorrow."
Beatrice blinked at how he had planned everything out.
"It was him who pulled all of us to come here," Gabriel informed her.
"Partly because it was a chance to watch different acting groups. But mostly to support you. Just like how we all supported him during his final basketball game in high school."
Beatrice giggled, "Very well. I'll just get some of my things, then we can go."
"We can accompany you, though," Justin suggested.
"Well, I'm staying in the dorms, so you really can't," Beatrice honestly replied.
Though curious why she was in dorms when she was in an apartment before, the guys nodded their heads and waited outside the dorm area with Kathrine.
It didn't take long for Beatrice to get out and join them as they hailed a cab to the hotel they were staying at.
"Let's meet again downstairs in half an hour. You check on Harmony," Kenneth said as he handed Beatrice her suitcase.
He had insisted on taking it from her.
They first went to Kenneth's and Shawn's room to get the room key from Shawn, who had sent Harmony back to the girls' room.
Harmony handed him the key, and he, in turn, messaged the others that he had it.
"Very well, see you guys later," Beatrice replied.
Upon entering the room, they finished organizing her things before waking up Harmony when only ten minutes remained before the thirty-minute mark Kenneth had set.
"Do you want to eat dinner?" Kathrine asked when Harmony opened her eyes.
"Sure," Harmony replied, as she rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes.
Though her sleep still felt short, she genuinely wished to at least celebrate on the same day as the others for Beatrice.
Once they were all downstairs, a cake had already been prepared for Beatrice. All the guys had gone down before the three of them and had prepared a small celebration for her.
Beatrice felt all her fatigue from the past months disappear because of this.
"Thank you for everything," she tearfully said to them.
They enjoyed the few days the others were there until their departure.
"Take care of yourself more. No matter how busy you are with everything, don't hold back, call us," Kathrine told her seriously.
"I will," Beatrice replied.
"I look forward to more of your works," Kenneth added.
"I look forward to yours as well," she answered.
"Good luck from here on out," Gabriel encouraged.
Beatrice nodded her head with a smile.
"We'll be cheering for you from back home," Justin said next.
Beatrice giggled, "Thanks."
"Until we meet again," Shawn said.
Beatrice once again nodded, "Yeah."
She turned to Harmony.
"You can do it, Beatrice Falcon," Harmony repeated the words she had always told Beatrice whenever Beatrice felt her confidence leaving her.
Beatrice's eyes twinkled as her smile widened even more before she firmly nodded her head.
"Yes, I can do it."
A slight smile appeared on Harmony's lips, "You've finally stopped running away."
Beatrice blinked before remembering how Harmony kept saying that she was running away. But then, she remembered that Harmony said they were similar in this manner.
She opened her lips to ask but couldn't bring herself to do it and could only say, "I have."
Just as the group was bidding her goodbye, on another side of the airport, Emina Ashcroft was walking towards the departure area, accompanied by her assistant and her secretary, Gretchen Rodriguez.
"Keep an eye on her. If she proves she can maintain such a performance for the whole year, then we'll sponsor her," Emina said to Gretchen.
"If that happens and she accepts, will she be returning to the country as soon as she graduates?" Gretchen asked.
Emina shook her head, "No. If she proves herself, she'll stay here after she graduates. Most of our talents in this place are from this country or some other foreign country. She'll be part of those who start acting here from our home country."
Emina was unaware of Beatrice's connection to Shawn. She just comes to New York from time to time and would watch such performances.
It just so happens that she chanced upon the competition between Echelon Dominion and Limelight Collective. Luckily she was still able to buy some tickets.
That is where she was taken in by Medea's performance.
'The story itself has some resonance with me but to watch her portrayal. It really shows the grief of a mother.'
"I understand," Gretchen replied.
She called the one overseeing the branch of the company in New York to inform them of Emina's instructions.
Beatrice had no idea that breaking free from her shackles had allowed her to fly even higher than she had anticipated.