Page 11 of Hunted Hearts
This wasn’t her stage anymore. While she had the skills to give great interviews, she felt the most in control with her fingers to the strings and bow in her hand.
She pulled back her shoulders and smiled at the audience and then the host.
He beamed. “Juliette, thank you for joining us tonight. It’s not every day we get someone with talent like yours on our show.”
She gave a small, gracious nod. “Thank you so much for having me.”
“So let’s start with the basics. How long have you been playing violin?”
“Since I was three.”
“Three! Most three-year-olds ask for dolls. What made you ask for a violin?”
She launched into the tale she’d relayed many times over the years, about how she watched a concert on TV with a woman playing violin and dancing around the stage. In that moment, Juliette knew she needed to get one into her hands.
“Fascinating story.” Camden Kline beamed at her again. “And did your parents buy you one?”
She nodded. “Yes, they did. They took me very seriously. As you may know, music runs in my family.”
“That’s right—a famous composer shares your bloodline.”
“That’s correct.”
“Antoine Dauvergne. Am I pronouncing that right?”
She issued a low laugh and nod. “He is a distant cousin, that’s true. But I worked hard to get this far in my career.”
The screen flashed to the portrait of her famous ancestor before changing to her name in neon lights.
Camden Kline chuckled. “Of course you did. You need a lot of devotion to play like you do. Now, tell us a little about your personal life. Are you dating anyone?”
Her heart sank. All too often, these interviews slid to things that weren’t important to her career and was an insult to everything she stood for.
A pause stretched. She forced a tight smile. “No. I have plenty of company from my amazing team.” She waved a hand at the people she couldn’t see standing in the shadows but knew were there.
The host grinned, glancing pointedly past her to the wings of the stage, where Theo stood like a statue in black. “Your new bodyguard included?”
Her jaw tensed. “He’s…very professional.”
“I’ll bet,” he muttered, then shifted in his seat. “You must rely on your team a lot when you’re on the road. You’ve been touring for four years now. Any plans to slow down? Settle down?”
Her heart didn’t sink this time at his question. It throbbed with a beat of anger.
She smiled. “I love the music, the audiences, the people I meet on the road—”
“But doesn’t it get lonely? After your tour wraps up in the States, do you plan to return to your homeland of France?”
Here was her chance to talk about what shereallywanted to focus on.
Juliette straightened her shoulders. “Actually, I’ll be spending some time in Romania.”
“Do you have more famous family members there?” Camden Kline propped his jaw on his hand, leaning across his desk as if he was truly interested, but she knew that wasn’t the case. This interview was just as empty and devoid of personal connection as all the others she gave.
That didn’t mean she couldn’t take back control.
“I won’t be visiting family there. I’ll be visiting an orphanage.”
“You’re visiting the children?”
