?<strong>Chapter 393:</strong>
After bubbling with excitement, Elyse turned to Fiona, her voice agitated. “Fiona, what about you?” Fiona shed her phone screen with a smile. “I clinched the first spot in Group D.” Darren cleared his throat and pulled out his phone. “I’m topping Group B this time, and I didn’t fumble this time.” Irving cut in bluntly, “If you flub the first round, you might as well hang up your violin. No need for more practice, just head home.” Darren’s smile faded gradually; Irving’s words hit hard.
Elyse noticed someone had posted the leaderboard for each group online. When she saw Vicky’s name, she remarked calmly, “Vicky’s in Group C, and she’s also sitting pretty in first ce.” Despite Vicky’s nasty character, her talent was undeniable. Failing this round wasn’t an option for her. Elyse kept scrolling down the list. When she saw the name of the person topping Group E, she was taken aback. “Darren, is this person leading Group E who I think it is?” Darren looked puzzled and came over to check.
It was the first time Gavin had heard the name. Curious, he asked, “Who’s she?” Elyse’s expression was conflicted. She started to speak, but Darren cut her off, his tone sour. “Rebekah got kicked out of Celestial Sounds Symphony some time ago. She’s so mediocre. And now she’s iming the top spot in her group.” “Maybe leaving Celestial Sounds Symphony made Rebekah stronger,” Elyse said uncertainly. Darren sneered, “You really believe that?”
Darren’s words caught Elyse off guard, leaving her speechless. Irving scratched his head irritably. “Whatever she did to get first ce, it’s none of our business. The next round is in three days. If you want a shot at the internationalpetition, focus on your practice.” They nodded and started to leave, grabbing their violin cases. After saying goodbye to Darren, Elyse headed back to Blue Sea Music Studio. Since Cody wasn’t there, Gavin called him, though he sounded busy.
Upon hearing the results, Cody said, “Good job, but this is just the beginning. Being my apprentice requires more than just making it through this stage.” Encouraged by Cody’s words, Elyse and Fiona threw themselves into practicing the violin. Irving watched them and asked Gavin, “How far do you think those two can go?” Gavin replied, “As far as they can. I’m not here to discuss philosophy with you.”
“Oh, well, forget it. It’s like talking to a brick wall,” Irving said, feeling that he and Gavin were just talking past each other. After a brief exchange, Irving grew impatient. By three in the afternoon, both Gavin and Irving had left for othermitments. Elyse was drenched in sweat from practicing the violin. She didn’t dare to let up. The grouppetition rankings made her realize that Fiona, Darren, and Vicky were herpetitors.
Now Elyse finally understood why Irving called her naive. This was the battleground; there were no allies, only adversaries. As Elyse rested on a chair in the yard, a ck car pulled up at the driveway. Taking a sip of water, Elyse nced towards it. It was Theo who stepped out of the car. After the sip, Elyse twisted the cap back on, stood up, and approached him. “What are you doing here?” Theo, wearing a ck overcoat with a neatly pressed ck suit underneath, seemed to have lost weight. His jawline was sharper.
Elyse’s stance, blocking his way, was clear. She obviously didn’t want Theo to enter. Seeing Elyse’s guarded expression, Theo swallowed and said softly, “You don’t have to be wary of me. I’m not here to cause trouble.” Elyse sneered. “Really?” Theo said, “I know you don’t trust me, and I don’t expect you to.” He paused, his deep eyes filled with affection and pain fixed on Elyse. “I put Kaelyn behind bars. She deserves it,” Theo confessed.
Elyse’s expression turned cold. “What does that have to do with me? I’m the one she hurt.” Theo said, “I want to take you to see Kaelyn. She has something to say to you.” Elyse found his proposal amusing. “So you’re here to take me to fulfill Kaelyn’s wish?” Theo looked sad. “No, I promised her I’de because I wanted to see you.”
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