Chapter 176
The murmurs in the audience swelled like a rising tide.
“Wow. I didn’t expect Kelly to be that good on the violin.”
“She’s better than the private tutor I hired for my kid.”
“My friend’s a top-tier professional violinist, and even she’s not at Kelly’s level.”
“No wonder Carter treats her like a queen. One song from her, and all my stress just melted away.”
Over at the judges’ table, a rare consensus appeared: 99.9.
Not quite a perfect 100-because of Theo. (1
Kelly’s solo performance had deserved full marks, no question. But this was a duet. And next to her brilliance, Theo’s playing came off a bit plain. The 0.1-point deduction wasn’t a knock on him-just a quiet nod acknowledging his role.
Even so, that score launched Kelly and Theo straight into first place.
Kelly was satisfied. Her technique, her delivery-everything had gone exactly as she envisioned.
With Theo by her side, she gave a slow, elegant bow and stepped off the stage. Her lips curved into a calm, confident smile as she returned to her seat.
Nate flashed her a thumbs-up. “Flawless. Everyone’s totally hypnotized. When Sharon goes up, no one’s even going to be paying attention.” 1
Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, he whipped out his phone and started a livestream.
“Sharon, you smug little thing… Just wait. I’ll make sure the whole world sees you crash and burn.” 2
Just like Nate predicted, even after the stage lights dimmed, the audience didn’t stop buzzing.
By the time the lights came up again and Sharon and Matty were standing under the spotlight, hardly anyone noticed.
They were still caught up in the magic of Kelly’s performance.
Wendy scanned the room, her expression dark. The audience was whispering and chatting, completely ignoring Sharon.
Even the judges seemed distracted, still murmuring among themselves..
That’s when it hit her.
Kelly had planned this-going right before Sharon, grabbing all the attention so nothing afterward could compare.
“Shameless,” Wendy muttered.
But Xavier remained silent, eyes fixed on the stage.
Then the violin music began.
At first, the sound barely registered. The background chatter continued, indifferent.
But slowly, something began to change.
The noise faded-gently, almost without notice-until the entire hall fell quiet. 1
1/2
All eyes turned-gradually, without realizing-to the stage.
People had seen Sharon before. Her feud with Kelly had been loud, dramatic, messy-great gossip. She had no background, no formal education. Most people thought she was just a pretty face.
In elite circles, real respect came from heritage, brains, and skill. Good looks meant little. And that’s all she had, right? Just her looks?
That’s what everyone thought-shallow, quiet, unimpressive.
But now, under the stage lights, something felt different.
The way she stood. The way she moved. Even the focus in her eyes-it had all changed. She was completely locked in, like the world had narrowed to just her and the violin.
Music flowed from her fingers-fluid, weightless-like time itself slipping through cracks.
Each note shimmered, crisp and clear, winding like a silver stream.
The golden stage lights washed over her pale, graceful face, softening her features until she looked almost ethereal.
Her slender fingers drew out a sound so beautiful it felt like magic-music and musician melting into one, soul and sound fused together.
In that moment, the world held its breath.
2/2
