PopularNovelChapter 434:
Fiona held back her words, and Elyse chose not to pry. Ten minutes later, the concert hall's doors swung open.
One by one, the contestants entered, each holding their instruments. Their faces were etched with
determination. Amid the crowd, Elyse stood with her head high, unshaken. The rankings from the previous round
determined the grouping and performance order for the contestants in this semifinal round.
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Elyse was assigned to Group A alongside Rebekah. Upon realizing Elyse was her competition, Rebekah’s face
registered shock, which was quickly followed by a fierce glint in her eyes. “It seems you just keep showing up.”
Elyse pressed her lips together and responded, “The feeling is mutual. I'd rather we weren't grouped together
either.”
Memories of Mariana’s warnings from that morning made Elyse’s frown deepen. Could Rebekah really stoop to
underhanded tactics?
Lost in thought, Elyse was startled when Rebekah approached and inquired, “What piece have you chosen to
perform?”
Elyse eyed her warily and asked, “Why do you want to know?”
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt
Rebekah’s smile didn’t reach her eyes as she replied, “Just looking out for you.”
Stepping back, Elyse retorted, “That's not your business.”
Elyse walked off and soon bumped into Darren. Curious, she inquired, “What group are you in?”
“Group B,” Darren replied.
This took Elyse by surprise; Darren was grouped with Fiona. Observing that Darren’s fingers were steady, she
inquired with sconcern, “Are you feeling nervous?”
Darren shook his head and admitted, “I think you were right. | didn’t know myself that well. I'm more excited
than nervous.”
Elyse almost confessed that she had made it up, but reconsidering, she decided it was better that Darren wasn’t
feeling nervous.
Then, with a smile, she teased, “We'll get to see your true skills this time.”
Darren flashed a confident grin and declared, “Of course, it's t| showed you what | am capable of.”
Feeling reassured, Elyse was about to relax when she heard the host call her name. She then hurried toward the
stage. Alongside her and Rebekah, there were three other contestants. Their eyes flickered nervously toward the
judges. Elyse, having put in ample practice recently, was confident her performance would hold up well.
The judge in the center picked up the microphone, glanced over the contestants, and announced, “Group A, your
piece is The Czardas. First contestant, please get set.”
Elyse and her fellow contestants exchanged shocked looks. They had submitted their chosen tunes well in
advance. When had it changed to a predetermined selection?
Backstage, other contestants getting ready were also taken aback and murmured among themselves about why
the organizers had suddenly changed the rule.
In the audience, Irving, equally puzzled, turned to Gavin and asked, “When did they change the rules? Why
wasn't | informed? Are you aware of this?”
Gavin looked just as bewildered. “I've never heard about this either.”
“Do you think she can make it? | have never heard her play The Czardas,” said Irving, his expression fraught with
concern.
Gavin shook his head and added, “If she’s not familiar with the piece, we can pretty much guess the outcome.”
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmIrving's expression grew grim. He pursed his lips and was at a loss for words.
Onstage, the host checked the schedule and said to Elyse, “You're up first. Please begin whenever you're ready.”
Elyse nodded, drew her violin from its case, and prepared to play. Just then, she caught a glimpse of Rebekah’s
smug expression. Confusion washed over her. It was unfair for the contestants to learn about the change in the
piece at the last moment—unless Rebekah had already prepared for The Czardas. But what were the odds of
such a coincidence?
A sudden realization struck Elyse. She was taken aback by the thought, but she quickly shook it off. Right now,
her priority was to perform.
She positioned her violin, took a deep breath, and began to play. In the auditorium, Gavin and Irving held their
breath. Their attention was laser-focused as they dreaded that Elyse might falter.
Surprisingly, Elyse excelled in both the technical skills and the emotional depth of the piece. Midway through her
performance, Irving's tension melted away. Gavin, now relaxed, touched his chin and smiled. “Her steady
performance really caughtby surprise.”
Onstage, Rebekah watched, taken aback by the flawlessness of Elyse’s performance. She wondered how she had
improved so quickly.
Rebekah’s nerves only flared briefly. After all, she had an ace up her sleeve. No matter how well Elyse performed,
Rebekah was confident she would outshine her.
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