Chapter 6111

In the sea view bar on White Horse Island, every guest is eagerly anticipating Tawanna's arrival. The hotel had prepared cocktails for all the guests, and everyone sipped their drinks while waiting for Tawanna to show up. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. Many patrons held their mobile phones with the video recording function activated, directing their cameras toward the entrance of the bar, worried about missing the moment when Tawanna would make her entrance. At this point, members of the bar's resident band began to appear one by one. Several brown-skinned Filipino musicians stepped onto the modest stage in the center of the bar, picked up their instruments, and prepared to perform. The guests paid little attention to the band members, as most of them had visited this bar before and were familiar with the nightly resident performances. However, what no one expected was that as soon as these musicians took the stage, they began to play the introduction to Tawanna's famous song, "Love Story." Fans of Tawanna recognized the prelude instantly and were pleasantly surprised. They thought it was an interesting twist for the band to cover one of her songs. But then, Tawanna's voice began to fill the room unexpectedly. Everyone was taken aback for a moment. Surely, a resident band couldn’t replicate her sound so closely. The female singer in the band was happily swaying with a hand bell and wasn’t singing at all, so where was that beautiful voice coming from? Was it a live recording? That didn’t make sense either, since the musicians were playing live and it seemed implausible to use a recording of Tawanna's voice. Just as confusion filled the air, a tall beauty with blonde hair and blue eyes, dressed in a Chinese cheongsam, emerged from the passage behind the stage. Holding a microphone, she walked out singing. Someone in the crowd recognized her immediately and exclaimed, "Ah! It’s Tawanna! It really is Tawanna!" A loud cheer erupted around the bar. Anyone who knew the song couldn’t help but scream and jump, singing along with her. The atmosphere quickly escalated! Not just the younger fans, even Elaine was jumping up and down with excitement. Although she couldn’t carry a tune, she filmed the moment on her phone and rapidly posted to her social media: "We are at White Horse Island in the Maldives! The hotel has specially invited international superstar Tawanna to sing for us high-end guests! While others are chasing after Tawanna at concerts, here she is singing just for us. This treatment is absolutely phenomenal!" Tawanna had envisioned countless scenarios about how people would react when she took the stage, but she never expected someone like Elaine would exaggerate as if she were performing exclusively for them. Meanwhile, Charlie was in his hotel room scrolling through his phone when he stumbled upon Elaine’s social media post, left speechless. His mother-in-law was indeed one-of-a-kind, going to great lengths to enhance her image, even at the expense of others. To label an international superstar like Tawanna as merely a bar singer shows how far Elaine would go. Claire also checked her mother’s social media. Unlike Charlie, who found it amusing, she felt a wave of embarrassment. The realization that Charlie could see her mother’s posts intensified her shame. Moments later, they received a notification from TikTok: "Top singer Tawanna Sweett is on vacation in the Maldives and performing live! Tune in now!" Charlie wondered why the broadcast had started so soon. Subconsciously, he turned off his phone and clicked back in. He discovered a live audience streaming right there, and millions rushed into the broadcast room, with comments flooding the screen at lightning speed. Claire seemed intrigued by the broadcast, so she put on her Bluetooth headset. Charlie’s acute hearing picked up the faint sounds from her headphones and confirmed she was indeed watching the live stream. Inside the bar at that moment, after Tawanna finished singing "Love Story," applause, cheers, and whistles rang out one after another. The guests were exhilarated. They never imagined they would not only see Tawanna in person but also hear her sing right in front of them. The proximity and experience were unparalleled, better than being in the front row of a concert.

As Tawanna concluded her song, she smiled while holding the microphone and said, "Hello everyone, I’m Tawanna Sweet. I’m thrilled to be here for this event. I want to thank the White Horse Group and Mr. Bernard Arnault for the invitation. I hope you all enjoy an unforgettable night on this beautiful tropical island!" The fans went wild at that moment. Bernard Arnault and his wife then took the microphone on stage, smiling as they said, "Ms. Sweet is truly the most popular female singer in the world. Her live performance is simply mesmerizing. Even this old man can't help but sway to the music. I want to ask all the guests here: do you want to continue listening to Miss Sweet's enchanting voice?" "Yes!" the guests cheered in response. Tawanna smiled and added, "You all know that I held 20 concerts in China recently. The reason I'm here in Baima Island is to take a break. Mr. Bernard Arnault invited me to this party, and since you wish to hear more from me, I will sing a few more songs. However, the next song I want to perform is not one of mine; it’s a song by Ms. Stefanie Sun, with whom I collaborated during my China concerts. Her song 'Assassin' captivated me, and I hope you all enjoy it as well!" The audience erupted in cheers, but Claire’s expression paled. Even though the Bluetooth headphones had low volume, it was enough for Charlie to hear. Upon hearing Tawanna sing "Assassin," he felt embarrassment wash over him and said to Claire, "Honey, I’m going to step out to the recliner on the terrace for a bit." Claire nodded, feeling awkward. "Oh, okay..." When he stepped onto the villa's terrace, the night sky was beautifully illuminated by the Milky Way, which sparkled like scattered beads, creating a breathtaking and majestic view. Charlie reclined in the lounge chair, gazing up at the clear stars and reminiscing about his previous nights under the starry sky, both of which were shared with Maria. Once, they searched near Dianchi Lake for the Mother of Pu'er, and another time, they marveled at the polar night sky in Northern Europe, filled with stars and mysterious auroras. However, he hesitated to use any silly handprints again, believing them to be magical sources of energy, only to later realize that they drained his own energy. As he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard the distant sound of a speedboat engine and the hull crashing against the waves. This snapped him back to attention. He had seen various yachts and seaplanes in the Maldives, and during the day, numerous vessels circled around White Horse Island. Yet, he remembered that those were all luxurious yachts, lacking high power. The engine noise he heard from afar was powerful and fast, as if dozens of engines were racing toward Baima Island at tremendous speed—something he had only seen in coastal cities. That sound was characteristic of high-powered speedboats used for smuggling, often referred to as "Dafei." Dafei needed extreme power to maintain high speeds while fully loaded. Their purpose was to outrun anti-smuggling vessels, so speed was the only consideration, with no limits. But the Maldives is a tourist destination; the nearest landmass is India. Who would be foolish enough to smuggle goods from India over six or seven hundred kilometers of sea? Moreover, what could possibly be worth smuggling from India to the Maldives? Aside from some residential islands, hotel costs in the Maldives are generally more expensive than in Europe or the United States. They desire luxury goods from Europe, Fiji’s drinking water, and the finest ingredients from around the globe, but not goods from India. So, Charlie could confidently conclude that these speedboats were certainly not involved in smuggling. What, then, were all these speedboats doing approaching Baima Island at such high speeds? Though he couldn’t pinpoint their exact motive, he was certain that their intentions were anything but friendly. Frowning slightly, he thought, "If these visitors aren’t here for good, who are they after? Bernard Arnault? That’s a possibility, considering he’s the richest man in the world. A kidnapping would yield considerable profit. And then there’s Tawanna—she's no stranger to dangers. Today, these people might be after her too!"