?<strong>Chapter 469:</strong>


    Elyse appeared drained and herplexion was as pale as a ghost.


    Fiona watched her closely and couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.


    She recalled how Elyse had acted out of character recently in the studio. She had insisted on fresh cherries and broke down in tears when they weren’t avable.


    Elyse wasn’t typically fussy, which led Fiona to wonder if she was pregnant.


    Feeling as though she had stumbled upon a revtion, Fiona stared at Elyse incredulously and pressed, “You’re pregnant, right?”


    Elyse intended to deny it, but the overpowering scent of Fiona’s perfume hit her, causing her to gag again.


    Fiona suspected that the cake she brought might be the culprit behind Elyse’s sickness, so she moved back a bit.


    With a little space between them, Elyse ceased her retching.


    In astonishment, Fiona blurted out, “Elyse, you have to be pregnant, and you’re keeping it from us!”


    Elyse pulled a tissue from her pocket to clean her mouth. Though she hadn’t actually vomited, some stomach acid hade up her throat.


    Looking miserable, she got to her feet and pleaded, “Fiona, please keep this between us. I’m not ready for Irving and Gavin to find out yet.”


    Fiona’s face was a mask of confusion. “Why keep such big news to yourself? You won’t be able to hide it once your belly starts showing.”


    Elyse felt unfairly judged by Fiona, and her eyes welled up with tears. “Tomorrow is the grand final. I just want to wait until thepetition is done before I tell everyone. I only need to keep it secret for a couple more days.”


    Fiona started to object but stopped herself. The final was just around the corner, and they really couldn’t risk any disruptions now.


    However, with Elyse being pregnant, Fiona wondered how she could possiblypete.


    A hidden spark of pleasure flickered within Fiona at Elyse’s dilemma, but she quickly covered it with a show of worry. “Alright, I’ll keep your secret for now, but you have to promise to tell everyone after thepetition.”


    Elyse, moved by the gesture, gazed at Fiona. “Thank you, Fiona. You’re really kind to me.”


    Fiona squirmed under Elyse’s thankful eyes, feeling as if they were shining a light on the darker, unspoken parts of her conscience.


    Later, during the afternoon practice, Elyse found it easier to hide her secret with Fiona’s help.


    That evening, Elyse had decided not to stick around for extra practice. As she gathered her things, Irving strolled up with his hands in his pockets and a smile on his face. “You seem much moreid-back about thepetition this time around. I was expecting you to practicete into the night again.”


    Elyse made a face and retorted, “I can practice at home too. Don’t assume I’m just goofing off when I leave here.”


    Irving shrugged. “I didn’t say that. You’re just putting words in my mouth.”


    Elyse huffed, hoisted her violin case onto her shoulder, and bid farewell to Gavin and Fiona.


    Once Elyse left, Gavin looked Fiona’s way. “Elyse might be more rxed, but Fiona seems on edge. Looks like she’s gearing up to practice till midnight.”


    Irving watched Fiona intensely practicing her violin and frowned slightly. “She really needs to put in the effort. She barely scraped into the finalst time. I was hoping we’d secure the top two spots.”


    Gavin gave Irving a helpless nce. “Keep it down, man. Don’t embarrass Fiona by saying that out loud.”


    Irving remained unfazed. “It’s about her skills. If she can’t handle a bit of criticism, she’s not going to get any better.”


    Fiona overheard Gavin and Irving’s exchange and did her best to keep herposure. She was determined not to let their words get to her.


    Indeed, Elyseing first ce had caught her off guard. Ideally, Fiona had envisioned herself winning first ce with Elyse right behind her in second. But now, finding herself at the bottom was eating away at her.


    She knew the only way she could move past this setback was by outperforming Elyse in the final.


    As Irving listened to Fiona y, his frown deepened. Eventually, he dered, “I’m hungry. I’m heading out. I won’t be practicing with you guys anymore today.”


    He could sense the chaos in Fiona’s heart. Her music overflowed with personal emotion which waspletely distorting the intended essence of the piece.


    Continuing to practice in such a state was unlikely to lead to any improvement.


    Watching Irving walking away so decisively left Gavin taken aback. “You’re just leaving? Aren’t you going to help?”


    Irving rolled his eyes. “You handle it, Gavin. I can’t deal with this, and frankly, I don’t want to.”


    Fiona stopped ying and looked up at Irving. “Do you hate me?”


    She had always felt that Irving was not a big fan of her.


    Irving nced at Fiona’s stern expression and sneered, “Why would I like you? Are you really as genuine as you appear to be?”


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