The thunder of applause began to soften inside the grand **Zephina Banquet Hall**, but the excitement in the banquet hall refused to die down.
The guests were not satisfied and they weren't ready for Rachel to step off the stage yet.
Their voices rose again and it was accompanied by a storm of desperate cheers as they chanted:
"Rachel! Rachel! Rachel!"
Their chants sounded like that of frenzy fans at a sold-out stadium concert begging their idol for just one more song and each chant was louder than the last and it was loud and wild enough to shake the massive crystal chandeliers that was glittering above their heads.
Rachel stood tall under the spotlight and the glow of the spotlight that was shining at her SHN champagne-colored diamond dress made her look like a star shining in the night sky.
Her breathtaking smile stretched wide across her lips, her blue eyes sparkling with playful mischief.
She swept her gaze across the faces of the guests and each pair of eyes of the guests stared back at her with devotion, as if she was a goddess they had been waiting for all their lives.
Her smile deepened as she leaned closer to the microphone stand, then she tilted her head, raised her brows, and teased the crowd in a smooth and amused voice saying: "You guys really want me to sing another song?"
"YESSSSSSSS!" the crowd roared, their voices so loud that it could even shake the walls of the banquet hall.
Rachel pouted, her lips pushed forward in a cute way that made everyone in the room lean in, as if her expression alone pulled them closer to her.
"But I'm tired," she said softly and pretended to start walking away.
The reply of the guests sounded instantly, and it was loud and desperate.
"Drink an energy drink to recover your strength!" a young handsome man shouted from the floor.
But before Rachel could respond, a young woman came out of the crowd.
She was trembling in excitement as she held a chilled can of energy drink in her hands and her face were also flushed pink with excitement.
Stumbling onto the stage, she extended it towards Rachel like it was a sacred treasure.
Rachel accepted it gracefully and flashed a warm smile at her that melted the young woman's knees before sweetly saying: "Thank you."
The young woman stood frozen for a second with tears welling in her eyes, then after a short while, she hurried back down towards the audience and, nearly tripped because she was flustered.
Till she got back to her seat and sat back down, her gaze never once left Rachel's figure.
Meanwhile, Rachel cracked the energy drink can open and raised it to the crowd before finishing it in one long gulp.
After relishing the after taste of the energy drink on her tongue, she casually wiped the corner of her lips with the back of her hand and smiled at the guests which made the audience to explode again with their screams filling the entire banquet hall with a force that made the ground to vibrate.
Rachel laughed softly and with her voice rising above the noise, she smiled and said: "Alright then. Since it's my birthday, I'll sing one more for you all. But…" she dragged the word teasingly, her eyes sweeping over the stage, before saying: "…I don't see a guitar. I need one if I'm going to sing the song I have in mind."
Then She took a step as if she was going to leave and instantly, the horrified cries filled the air as they screamed:-"Noooooo!"
Then from the sea of guests, two figures emerged out of the crowd—one male, one female and both were young pop stars under **Shen Entertainment**.
As they got nearer to the stage, the male and female popstars were seen carrying a polished guitar and as the spotlight shone on the wood of the polished guitars, it gleamed.
They two popstars rushed to her like servants before a queen.
They had a nervous smile on their faces but they were eager to give Rachel their guitar.
Both of them extended their guitar with both hands with a gestures that was full of reverence.
Rachel's heart softened as she stared at their eyes that was brimming with hope.
She didn't had the heart or had it in her to refuse such sincerity so she reached out and accepted the guitar from the female popstar while flashing her a radiant smile that seemed to ease all her nerves.
"Thank you," Rachel said gently.
Then the hall went silent as Rachel crossed to the stool behind the grand piano.
She lowered the microphone stand and strummed the guitar once.
The sound was tender and sweet, pulling every ear toward her then she closed her eyes for a brief moment, drew a deep breath before she began to sing:
**STRONG WOMAN (Lyrics)**
*Verse 1:*
I stand tall, with tears in my eyes
A warrior's heart, with a soul that cries
I've been broken, but I won't give in
A phoenix rising, from the ashes within
*Chorus:*
I'm a strong woman, with a gentle soul
A heart of gold, with a spirit whole
I've been through fire, and I've been through rain
But I'll rise again, with a love that remains
*Verse 2:*
I've been shattered, like a fallen star
But I won't let the darkness go far
I'll find my way, through the darkest night
And shine like the sun, with all my might
*Chorus:*
I'm a strong woman, with a gentle soul
A heart of gold, with a spirit whole
I've been through fire, and I've been through rain
But I'll rise again, with a love that remains
*Bridge:*
I'm not just a woman, I'm a work of art
A masterpiece, with a beating heart
I'm a survivor, with a story to tell
A strong woman, who's learned to heal
*Chorus:*
I'm a strong woman, with a gentle soul
A heart of gold, with a spirit whole
I've been through fire, and I've been through rain
But I'll rise again, with a love that remains
*Outro:*
I'll stand tall, with my head held high
A strong woman, who'll never say goodbye
To the love I've found, to the strength I've gained
I'll rise again, with a heart that's not tamed.
---
The last note drifted like smoke into the air.
After a short while, Rachel stood up from the stool slowly with the guitar hanging at her side.
As she locked her gaze on the crowd of guests, her eyes were shimmering and reflecting the strength and pain of every word she had just sung.
The crowd erupted with their hands clapping, their tears streaming down faces, and their voices cheering loudly until some of their throats cracked.
Even the orchestra musicians whose faces were wet with emotions stood up from their seats to applaud Rachel.
But the chants began again, louder, and more desperate as they said: "Rachel! Another song! Please, one more song! Please, one more!"
Rachel chuckled softly while shaking her head like a mother staring at her kids.
"Alright," she said playfully then with a firm voice, she continued, saying: "Since you've made me so happy tonight, I'll sing for you all, one more song. But this time—it's going to be a pop song."
The reaction of the guests was that of excited chaos with some screaming, some cheering, and some stomping so loud—even the livestream viewers on **Shenstagram** could barely hear what Rachel was saying because of the invited guests' excited loud screaming and cheering.
After the screaming and cheering died down a little, Rachel tilted her head, curved her lips and said: "Do you guys want to hear *Shooting Star*? It's a pop song I just came up with right now."
"YESSSSS!" the hall thundered in unison.
Because of their excited scream, Rachel laughed and giggled before saying:"Alright then. But I'll need some help. Can I get on the stage, some lights, some fog machines and maybe even smoke?"
The hall erupted in applause.
"And the orchestra," Rachel added, glancing at them with a smile before saying: "I want you to play with me....Let's make it dramatic."
The male middle-aged orchestra leader gave a firm nod while raising his baton.
At the far side of Zephina Banquet Hall, **Popstar Zylara Ozai**, the reigning Norpondian music industry's Queen of Pop, leaned toward her young and handsome male manager and whispered some few words into his ear which made him to get up and slip away from the Zephina Banquet Hall, then after some minutes, he returned with a legendary crew carrying fog machines, strobe lights, and other stage equipment.
Rachel's eyes widened and shone with excitement because she knew this crew—every true fans of Zylara Ozai and every true artists did, and for her, she was a big fan of Zylara Ozai back when she was still at River City struggling without the memories of her eighteen past lives.
Her heart leapt as she inwardly screamed: "Yes! This is going to be epic!"
After some time, the Fog rolled across the stage while the lights dimmed.
The orchestra struck a tense note while the guests waited for Rachel to sing again with anticipation written vividly on their faces.
Rachel inhaled deeply while pulling inspiration from her past life as—**Scarlett Gallop**, the woman whose name had once ruled pop music and still holds the record for the widest vocal range in a female singer, spanning 10 octaves, according to Guinness World Records and Achromaxia World Records.
Rachel gripped the microphone tightly then with her eyes sharp and her body feeling alive with rhythm, she started to hum a melodious tune which made the guests to start chanting loudly: "Shooting Star! Shooting Star!"
Then, with fire blazing in her gaze and glistening in her blue eyes, Rachel began to sing:
**SHOOTING STAR (Lyrics)**
*Verse 1:*
I'm gonna look inside myself, and find myself a way
To push my doubts aside, and seize the day
I'm gonna believe in myself, and shine my light so bright
I'll tell myself that, I'm the best version it got, and I'll make it right
*Pre-Chorus:*
I'm gonna take a chance, and make it real
I'm gonna hold the world in my hands, and make it feel
I'll tell myself that I'm brave, and go ahead and take that dangerous leap
I'm not gonna stop until I make my mark, and even when I do, I'll never sleep
*Chorus:*
I know I can be anything I dream
I can be anything I wish
I'm gonna light up the whole world, cuz I'm a shooting star
I'm gonna shine so bright, and never lose my way, cuz, I'm a shooting star
I know anything is possible when I look into my heart
I'm gonna light up the whole world, Oh oh oh oh oh, cuz, I'm am a shooting star
*Verse 2:*
Who says I can't be a top student?
I know I can, and will be one day
Who says I can't achieve my dreams?
I know I'll make it happen with everything I got
I won't let fear hold me back
I will rise above, and never look back
Because I'm strong, and I'm bold
I will shine my light, and never let it dim
*Pre-Chorus:*
You stand with me, and shine your light
Together we make it real, and make it feel right
We're brave, and take the leap
We make our mark, and never sleep
*Chorus:*
You are a shooting star, I am a shooting star
We shine so bright, and never lose our way
Anything is possible when we look into our hearts
Oh oh oh oh oh, we are shooting stars
*Bridge:*
OHHHH… OHHHH… OHHHHH…
We shine our lights, and light up in the night
We are shooting stars, and we will make it right
We will hold the world in our hands, and make it ours
Because we are shooting stars, and we shine so bright!
---
The final note fell into silence like stardust on black velvet.
As Rachel lowered the microphone slowly, her chest was rising and falling and her eyes glowing like flames.
Then she spoke clearly into the microphone again with her voice as firm as steel, saying: "To who it may concern, this song is a message to you. I'm telling you to believe in yourself. And believe in your dreams... If you're serious about realizing your dreams or getting to the top you so desire then let this be your anthem. Sing it daily and remind yourself—that you are a shooting star....Remind yourself that you were born to shine."
The banquet hall broke into chaos again.
Their Cheers roared and some guests leapt to their feet while clapping their hands until their palms turned red.
Rachel's name filled every corner of the banquet hall as the guests kept chanting loudly with their voices laced in excitement.
The applause and chanting had not even fully died down before the world outside the banquet hall erupted.
Phones lit up, notifications exploded, and in every corner of the globe, timelines began to flood with her name.
Shenstagram's servers groaned under the weight of billions pouring in, yet the feed refused to slow.
Rachel Shen was everywhere — her voice, her name, and her face — was rewriting history in real time.
At the top of Shenstagram and other numerous social media apps worldwide, their trending board shifted so fast and changed to topics that were all about Rachel.
The Numbers kept blinking and climbing by the second, as though the entire planet had agreed to type Rachel's name at once.
---
## **Shenstagram Trending Now**
**#1 · #RachelShen10Octaves** — 489M posts ⬆️ (…490M…492M…)
**#2 · #EmpressOfMusic** — 371M posts ⬆️ (…372M…374M…)
**#3 · #ScarlettGallopReborn** — 325M posts ⬆️ (…326M…328M…)
**#4 · #ShenGroup3BillionViews** — 298M posts ⬆️ (…300M…303M…)
**#5 · #RachelVsZylara** — 254M posts ⬆️ (…255M…257M…)
**#6 · #WhistleNotesBeyondHeaven** — 233M posts ⬆️ (…234M…236M…)
**#7 · #TrillionaireSinger** — 210M posts ⬆️ (…211M…214M…)
**#8 · #GuinnessUpdate** — 198M posts ⬆️ (…199M…201M…)
**#9 · #RachelsBirthdayWelcomeHomeBanquet** — 176M posts ⬆️ (…177M…179M…)
**#10 · #RachelShenLegacy** — 163M posts ⬆️ (…164M…166M…)
*(the numbers climbed upward by the heartbeat, proof that the entire world was not just watching — they were obsessed)*
---
Below the blazing hashtags, the official **Shen Group livestream feed** rolled on. Gold-ticked icons filled the screen as global superstars, opera legends, and world-renowned producers typed frantically, unable to contain their awe.
---
# **Shenstagram Comment Feed**
**Pinned Host:**
\[@ShenGroup]✔ (Gold Tick glowing)
"Welcome to Rachel Shen's twenty-first Birthday/ Welcome Home Banquet."
\[@AriezaOfficial]✔ (Gold Tick glowing):
"I thought my whistle range was the ceiling… but Rachel just shattered the sky. She is the second after Scarlett Gallop. Respect. 👑🎤"
\[@MariyaGlobal]✔ (Gold Tick glowing):
"For decades, I've been recognized for my five-octave whistle tones. Tonight, I bow. Rachel Shen is history in the making."
\[@LiamKeys]✔ (Gold Tick glowing):
"This is beyond pop, beyond classical. Ten octaves?? Rachel Shen just joined Scarlett Gallop as one of the only two voices ever to do it. 🙌🔥"
\[@ZylaraOzaiOfficial]✔ (Gold Tick glowing):
"…I don't even know what to say. Respect where it's due. Rachel Shen is on another level."
[@StarryLuv]: THIS SONG IS EVERYTHING! 🔥🔥🔥
[@DreamChaser22]: I'M CRYING. SHE JUST SPOKE TO MY SOUL 😭💖
[@GalaxyKing]: Rachel Shen is not human. SHE'S A LEGEND.
[@PopQueenFan]: Scarlett Gallop reborn?!!! OMGGGG
[@MoonlightMuse]: My idol forever. Rachel, thank you for this gift!
[@DiamondHeart]: OMG, I JUST CHECKED THE VIEWS ON THE OFFICIAL LIVESTREAM CHANNEL OF @ShenGroup✔ (Gold Tick) AND IT'S 3 BILLION!! BILLIONS OF US ARE WATCHING AND WE'RE ALL SCREAMINGGG!
[@MusicSoul88]: HOW CAN SHE BE A TRILLIONAIRE HEIRESS, PLAY CLASSICAL PIANO PIECES, GUITAR, COMPOSE SONGS, AND STILL SING HIGH NOTES LIKE F6, G6, EVEN A7???!!!
[@ScarlettTruth]: She IS Scarlett Gallop. There's no other explanation.
[@CrownlessKing]: Zylara Ozai should bow. Rachel Shen is the new Empress of Pop! 👑
[@InfinityStar]: Not even Zylara can pull this off. NO ONE CAN.
[@EchoDreamer]: HOW?? How can she compose on the spot and still sound perfect??
[@GoldenEraFan]: Rachel Shen = once in a lifetime legend.
[@FallingNotes]: This young woman hit a whistle note higher than Marinya who is globally known and revered for been able to hit five. 😭🔥🔥🔥
[@VelvetVoice]: Is Rachel secretly an angel? Because this power isn't human.
[@StageLight89]: I've been in music 30 years. I'm telling you now: she's beyond human.
[@TruthBeTold]: SHE IS SCARLETT GALLOP REBORN. Period.
[@NewCrown]: Forget Queen of Pop. Rachel is EMPRESS. 👑👑👑
[@ShadowBeats]: Zylara Ozai is shaking right now. She could never.
[@MiracleChild]: How can one person have it all?? Trillionaire + talent like THIS?!
[@HeartsOnFire]: If she drops an album, the whole world is buying. Mark my words.
[@SilverStrings]: Rachel Shen didn't come to play. She came to rewrite music history.
[@NoteSeeker]: Wait—how is it possible she can hit A7 and B7 like it's nothing??? 😱
[@CrescendoQueen]: I studied opera 15 years and even I can't believe this range. Rachel is not real.
[@RisingSunFan]: Trillionaire + voice of heaven?? HOW??
[@GallopLegacy]: She doesn't just remind me of Scarlett Gallop. SHE IS Scarlett Gallop.
[@TrueFanatic]: Rachel just proved Zylara Ozai is yesterday's news. Bow down to the Empress. 👑
[@PianoAddict]: She plays Liszt, Chopin, Mozart, and even the legendary classical songs of Miya Hall like water… then sings higher than Arieza??
[@LyricLover22]: She made up lyrics on the spot and they SOUND BETTER than chart-toppers 😭
[@OctaveMaster]: SHE JUST WENT TO C7 AND C#7 ON A LIVESTREAM LIKE IT WAS NOTHING 😭🔥
[@LegendWatcher]: Rachel Shen is literally rewriting music standards in real time.
[@ShadowFan]: How does someone this rich still have THIS kind of talent?? Unreal.
[@MelodyBlood]: Scarlett Gallop reborn, no debate. End of story.
[@CrownPrince]: Rachel isn't Queen. She's EMPRESS of Music. 👑
[@PulseOfMusic]: Zylara Ozai cannot dream of pulling this off. Rachel ended her reign tonight.
[@VoiceDivine]: She just went from soulful ballad to whistle notes higher than G#7 live 😭
[@NextEra]: This woman IS music. She's history in the making.
[@VoiceWitness]: TEN OCTAVES?? Guinness better update that book tonight. Rachel Shen just broke music.
[@RangeWatcher]: A human voice is NOT supposed to span 10 octaves… but Rachel just did it. She's the second person in history after Scarlett Gallop to reach that range. HISTORY MADE. 👑🔥
[@CelestialTone]: TEN OCTAVES. Do you hear me?? TEN. The widest vocal range in the world and she's still flawless.
[@GuinnessUpdate]: Congrats Rachel Shen! Guinness World Records and Achromaxia World Records already confirmed: widest vocal range ever recorded by a female singer—10 OCTAVES. 👑🔥
[@OctaveFlow]: She doesn't just reach those octaves—she switches back and forth like water flowing. Effortless.
[@GallopReturn]: Watching her shift through 10 octaves is like Scarlett Gallop live in the flesh. I can't believe my eyes.
[@FrontBackRange]: She jumped from low bass to glass-shattering whistle in SECONDS and back again. WHO DOES THAT??
[@InfinityRange]: Rachel Shen isn't singing. She's bending music itself. Ten octaves, seamless transitions, like a goddess of sound.
… *(millions more scrolled beneath, hearts rising nonstop on the screen, while the counter at the corner ticked higher — 3.2 billion… 3.3 billion… still climbing)*
---
Within minutes, Rachel's name was everywhere. Phones buzzed across the banquet hall as the headlines rolled in, spreading like fire. Guests gasped as they scrolled, their screens glowing with breaking news.
BBC (UK): "Guinness & Achromaxia Confirm: Rachel Shen Holds Widest Vocal Range in a Female Singer — 10 Octaves"
The New York Times (USA): "Scarlett Gallop Reborn? Rachel Shen Becomes the Second in History to Reach 10 Octaves"
NHK (Japan): "World Stunned as Rachel Shen Displays 10-Octave Range — Music History Rewritten"
CCTV (China): "Rachel Shen Shatters Human Vocal Limits: 10 Octaves Verified, 3 Billion Viewers Watch"
Al Jazeera (Middle East): "Trillionaire Idol: Rachel Shen's Historic Performance Redefines Music Stardom"
Le Monde (France): "Rachel Shen Crowned Empress of Pop After Record-Breaking Banquet Performance"
O Globo (Brazil): "Shooting Star Rises: Rachel Shen's Voice Soars to A7, Global Legacy Secured"
The headlines kept pouring in in real time one after another like a tidal wave while some of the guests who were reading the news headlines from their buzzing phones started to gasp aloud in shock. Some of them even slapped their hands over their mouths as if to keep their disbelief from spilling out.
Some Whispers erupted, saying:
"She broke Scarlett Gallop's record…" someone murmured, disbelief thick in their voice.
"No—she didn't break it. She joined her. Scarlett was first, Rachel is second," another corrected sharply, their eyes locked on the glowing phone screen.
A woman near the front gasped. "Ten octaves. Guinness and Achromaxia World Records have confirmed it already. Do you understand what that means? Rachel is the only living singer to ever reach that."
"She's not just an heiress anymore," one guest whispered to his companion. "She's a legend. Tonight, history bent around her."
Some of the guests clapped and cheered out of pride with some chanting Rachel's name louder as they demanded for Rachel to sing another song while some foreign popstars and popstars who were invited to Rachel's Birthday/Welcome Home Banquet started to feel jealous as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
Meanwhile, Rachel laughed softly, shaking her head as the noise threatened to break the hall apart.
"Wait… you guys still want another song?"
"YESSSSS!"
She pressed a hand to her stomach, pretending to pout. "But I'm hungry. I need to cut my cake before I faint right here."
The crowd groaned loudly, some pretended to weep dramatically while some guests even teared up in a comical and exaggerated way.
After a while, Rachel giggled and said softly: "Alright, Stop crying... It breaks my hearts to see you all like this... This is my birthday not a funeral, right? You know what, I'll make you guys a promise. When I have time, I'll go to Shen Entertainment's recording studio, record every song I sang here tonight, add some few more, and release it as an album. That way, you can listen to me whenever you want."
The hall erupted again with their cheers so wild that the chandeliers trembled.
The Cameras of the reporters flashed endlessly as it kept capturing Rachel's glowing smile as she bowed and blew kisses to the crowd.
The guests were still applauding when Rachel set her guitar aside and slowly walked to the towering cake table before gesturing for her family to join her in cutting her birthday cakes.
Erica, Susan, Saul Shen with his wife Pamela and their kids Ashton and Ashley, Silas Shen with his wife Elena and their kids Paul and Josie—all rose from their seats with radiant smiles on their faces and joined Rachel at the towering cake table.
Together, they cut through twenty-one magnificent and extravagant cakes and each of the twenty-one magnificent and extravagant cakes were sparkling with sugar jewels and sheets of gold leaf.
Rachel and her family fed each other some cake slices while Rachel kept snapping multiple selfies with her eyes glowing with pure joy.
Soon the waiters served the guests their cake slices, and the hall buzzed with laughter and chatter as everyone devoured the sweet desserts.
Then Erica clinked her glass gently, pulling everyone's attention.
She stood tall, her face calm but her eyes shining as she said: "I want to make an important announcement tonight… Eight years ago, I lost my son, and Rachel lost her beloved father, Gabriel alongside her beloved mother, Madonna in a car accident... It was a hard time for me and Rachel was only twelve then....And to make it worse, she was expected to take over Shen Group at that tender age because of the will of her late father.
After the mourning period was over, Rachel came to me and said, 'Grandma, I can't take over Shen Group. Not right now.'
When I asked her why, she said she wasn't ready, and that she also wanted to repay the little boy who saved her life by rushing her away from the accident scene to the hospital.
Then she made a deal with me, and asked me to give her eight years and promised she would be ready then.
Tonight, the time has come. I stand here proudly to announce that Rachel, my beloved granddaughter, will be inaugurated one week from now as the new Chairwoman, CEO, and President of Shen Group.
As a proud grandmother, I am filled with joy. And I am certain Shen Group, under Rachel's leadership, will soar to greater heights."
The guests froze in stunned silence. Then they erupted into thunderous applause, their cheers rising as they celebrated Rachel's coming era.
When the applause finally calmed, Rachel herself took the microphone from Erica and smiled faintly before saying: "If I'm to run Shen Group properly, I have no choice but to make Chel Corporation a subsidiary of Shen Group, so I won't be stretched too thin and I am saying this as the Founder and Chairwoman of Chel Corporation, a company I founded at age fifteen."
As soon as Rachel finished talking, the hall dropped into pin-drop silence.
Even the netizens watching Rachel's Birthday Banquet through Shenstagram and other numerous livestream channels all froze in disbelief.
They couldn't believe that the mysterious Chairwoman of Chel Corporation—a rising billion-dollar company everyone was curious about—was none other than Rachel herself.
This mind-blowing revelation shook everyone's minds.
And then, to confirm it, the tall, handsome CEO Jon Snow of Chel Corporation stood up from his seat among the audience and started to walk towards the stage.
His shoulder-length braided black hair swung as he climbed the stage and after walking for a while, he stopped before Rachel, bowed at a perfect 90 degrees, and extended his hand with a charming smile and said: "Good evening, Chairwoman. May I have the honor of the first dance tonight?"
Gasps filled the room while some guests nearly fainted in disbelief.
"Who was Jon Snow? A handsome young CEO with stunning facial features that was nicknamed "Adonis," the most handsome mortal in greek mythology.
After staring at his body that was trembling due to nervousness, Rachel smiled gracefully and placed her hand into Jon Snow's hand and said: "Sure."
Then the two of them moved to the dance floor, and started to dance as soon as the music sounded.
They both danced slowly and their movements was graceful and almost regal.
Rachel glided across the floor like a swan queen and danced some dance moves that mesmerized the crowd.
One by one, other guests joined them with their respective dance partners and in no time, the dance floor was filled with swirling colors and laughter.
After the dance was over, the invited pop stars came on stage and performed their hit songs which drove the guests into frenzy after frenzy.
After a while, Rachel walked over to Erica who was chatting with some of her friends, hugged her, kissed her cheek, and whispered:"Thank you for a memorable birthday, Grandma."
Erica smiled at her with pride, then guided Rachel to meet her powerful friends, introducing her one by one.
These friends of Erica who were titans of industries, politicians, and names that carried heavy weight—were all eager to meet Rachel, the birthday girl and the star of the night.
Rachel wore a polite smile on her face and socialized with them effortlessly to the extent of using the memories of her eighteen past lives to effortlessly speak about business with some of the world's most spoken languages to the foreign guests and friends of Erica who couldn't understand english and the languages she spoke with the foreign guests and friends of Erica are: "Mandarin Chinese, Swedish, Italian, Korean, Hindi, Spanish, French, Arabic, Bengali, Portuguese, Russian, and Urdu."
The foreign guests and friends of Erica where all amazed by Rachel's ability to speak multiple languages fluently and were all impressed by how much she knew about business.
Some of them even received some pointers from Rachel with one of Erica's friends even saying: "Rachel, With all these knowledge you have about running a business and a conglomerate, it isn't surprising you could establish Chel Corporation at age fifteen and turn it into a multi-billion-dollar company in the space of five years, a feat not all can achieve... You really are a Shen... You not only have the blood of the Shens coursing through your veins, you also have the Shens genes and brains... Keep it up."
When Erica heard this compliment, her face beamed into a proud smile but just as she was about to praise Rachel, Rachel said she needed to use the restroom and left them.
Rachel left the Zephina Banquet Hall quietly with her heels clicking against the polished floor.
After walking for a while, she arrived at the hallway that was stretched long and lined with doors leading to restrooms.
But before she could push one of the restroom doors open, a scream echoed.
Rachel turned sharply towards the direction she heard the scream and saw her cousin, Ashley Shen crouched down and screaming with her body trembling beside a girl lying lifeless on the ground.
Rachel's chest tightened as she hurried forward.
Stopping behind Ashley, she placed a hand on Ashley's shoulder and as Ashley turned, her face was streaked with hot tears.
Ashley's voice shook as she stammered: "Cousin… J…J…Jo…Jos—"
Rachel leaned in gently, patting her back. "What is it, Ashley? What are you trying to say?"
Ashley sobbed harder as she said: "Josie… Uncle Silas' daughter… she's missing. I think she's been taken by them. And her friend… I think her friend tried to stop them but got shot....She's… she's dead."
Rachel froze in shock and she could feel her heart dropping every second.
At the same time, Elena Shen, Josie's mother who had been searching desperately all over the hall for her daughter, Josie, entered the hallway at that exact moment while hoping that Josie might be there.
And what she saw in the hallway was Ashley crying into Rachel's arms.
Then the words—Josie is missing—hit her like a blade.
The air in Elena's lungs vanished immediately which made her to gasp for air as her body started to tremble violently.
After some seconds, her breaths turned shallow and uneven.
Then, unable to take the weight of Ashley's words, she collapsed onto the floor with a heavy thud.
Rachel and Ashley turned around immediately because of the thud and their eyes widened in horror as they saw Elena lying unconscious on the ground.
"Elena!" Rachel gasped in shock and screamed.