Paris Opera House.
With its classic railings, magnificent Y-shaped staircase, and Baroque-style sculptures adorning the walls and columns, the grandeur of the place is overwhelming.
The colorful marble beams, exquisite murals, and both the interior and exterior exude luxury and opulence, dazzling anyone who enters.
The double-helix staircase leads up to the performance hall.
The massive eight-ton crystal chandelier hangs from the ceiling, its branches glowing. Above, Marc Chagall's painting on the dome adds a sense of innocence and mystery.
The rose-red velvet seats, with golden trimmings, exude an air of nobility and elegance. The entire ceiling is adorned with gilded sculptures, epitomizing grace and grandeur.
The auditorium, shaped like a horseshoe and capable of holding over two thousand spectators, is packed tonight.
Audiences from all over the world have gathered to see the star soloist's performance of the ballet—Giselle.
As the lights dim, only a soft spotlight illuminates the stage.
Anna Monroe, dressed in a delicate ballet dress, reveals her porcelain-white neck and shoulders, her slender figure, her waist so small it could be clasped with one hand.
Her elegant ballet updo highlights her radiant, refined features.
With the rhythm of the music, she moves with perfect precision, her upper body blending perfectly with the music's emotions.
Her steps and arms are as light and graceful as feathers.
The transitions are crisp and clean, her Attitude turns flawless…
Every pose is like a painting.
At this moment, she is the most magnificent sight in the opera house.
Her deep understanding of her character, the way she interprets the music and acts, and the subtle expressions in her dance—all captivate the audience and stir their emotions.
It is an unparalleled visual feast.
After an hour and a half, the ballet concludes perfectly, and the audience erupts into thunderous applause that doesn't stop.
Anna returns backstage, where her fellow dancers approach her with compliments, "Anais, you were amazing."
Every performance she gives is nothing short of awe-inspiring.
The ballet dancers in her troupe all admire her dancing skills and the subtlety and expressiveness of her performances.
She embodies the perfect example of "effort is worthless in the face of talent."
She was born for dance.
Anna smiles her signature playful smile, her peach blossom eyes twinkling, and red lips part slightly, "Thank you."
One of her fellow dancers sits beside her and asks, "Anna, I heard you applied for time off with the director. Any plans? Where are you going?"
"Back home." Anna sits at her vanity, leisurely undoing her hair.
Sophie, sitting next to her, isn't surprised. Anna always returns home whenever she gets time off.
"How long are you planning to rest this time?"
As the lead dancer, Anna has much more freedom than the other corps members or background dancers.
She essentially has absolute power in the troupe.
When she makes a request, the director almost never refuses. They fear that if she's unhappy, she might leave for another company or even return home.
Having someone with her kind of talent in the troupe is invaluable, and people like her are always respected.
"I'm not sure. It might be a longer break this time." Anna removes her U-shaped clip and hair tie.
Her honey-brown hair cascades down in soft waves, exuding a subtle, sophisticated floral-fruity scent.
"Yeah, I guess." Sophie nods slightly, "You didn't have a break at all last year. You really do deserve to relax a bit."
Talent alone isn't scary; what's truly terrifying is someone who's both talented and hardworking.
Anna is exactly that. Every time she rehearses or prepares for a performance, she treats it like the actual show.
Sophie says, "I hope you have a great time off."
"It will definitely be great." Anna grins, "Send me a list of things you want to eat. I'll buy them for you when I'm home."
At those words, Sophie excitedly hugs her, speaking in an exaggerated tone, "Anna, I love you so much."
"You're so sweet, knowing I can't handle the food here."
"You're the best, girl." Sophie nuzzles Anna's cheek.
In their ballet troupe, where beautiful dancers are everywhere, Anna stands out—not just for her dance, but for her looks and perfect body proportions.
She's stunning.
"Girls shouldn't be so close." Anna laughs and pushes Sophie's head away, getting up from her seat, "I'm going to change."
Anna heads to the dressing room, where she changes into a light purple French halter dress.
The 3D floral design on the dress adds a touch of romance and a bit of sexy flair.
She quickly tidies up her things and leaves, getting into the black chauffeur-driven car waiting outside the opera house.
The car heads to the 16th arrondissement, stopping in front of a luxurious French-style mansion.
This location is just a few steps away from the Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
With an expansive rooftop terrace of over a hundred square meters, the view of Paris is breathtaking.
Inside the villa, the pure cream-white decor, six-meter-high ceilings, and a chandelier made of fine crystal reflect the purest light.
The curved floor-to-ceiling windows and the delicate carved crown moldings enhance the luxurious yet tasteful design. Every detail speaks of aristocratic elegance.
"Our princess is home."
A woman dressed in a custom-made dress walks up to Anna.
She's nearly fifty but looks incredibly well-maintained, exuding an air of elegance. Time has left no marks on her face.
"Mom." Anna opens her arms and warmly hugs her mother.
"Must be tired," Grace says, gently patting Anna's arm.
For the past few days, in preparation for tonight's performance, Anna has been getting up early and staying late at the theater for rehearsals.
Even though this isn't her first time performing the ballet, she never slacks off.
As a mother, seeing her daughter work so hard makes Grace's heart ache.
Anna shakes her head, "I'm fine."
Anna began ballet at the age of three, and now at twenty-two, she has been dancing for almost twenty years, accustomed to the intense training.
Grace strokes her hair softly, "Go eat dinner, and later, get a spa treatment downstairs."
The villa's lower floor has a dedicated spa room with professional therapists.
Anna nods, "Okay."
It's almost 9:30 PM, and she hasn't eaten since lunch.
The hours before a performance are strictly no-food hours.
Anna washes her hands and sits down at the long dining table, which is decorated with a vintage gold-and-white design.
"Mom, have you eaten?"
Grace sits across from her, eating with her. "I ate at the company, but I asked the maid to prepare this for you."
Her daughter's career requires a special diet, tailored by a nutritionist during competitions or performances.
Grace then asks, "What time is your flight tomorrow?"
Anna takes a sip of freshly squeezed juice, replying, "2:30 PM."
"Mom, do you want to come back to the country with me?"
Grace picks up the clean chopsticks in front of her and adds some food to Anna's bowl, "You go first. I still have some things to take care of at the company. I can't leave yet."
"I'll wait for your dad to return from his business trip before going back together."
It's only when her husband is away on a business trip that Grace often goes to the office. Otherwise, she only goes once or twice a week unless there's something urgent.
"Okay." Anna suddenly changes the subject, "You and Dad don't need to come back to Brighton City because of me. You can take a trip if you have time."
Her parents return to the US more often than she does, though usually for work.
Before Anna was five, the family lived in Brighton City. They moved abroad for one reason—to provide Anna with better conditions and environment to learn ballet.
Ballet originated and flourished in Europe, and here, resources are richer, which helps nurture her sensitivity to art and cultural understanding.
Their family also has a branch here.
However, with the times changing and the market expanding, the company headquarters moved to France a few years ago.