?<strong>Chapter 499:</strong>


    Gavin nced at the nearby river, then calmly shifted his attention back to Freda. Her hands were trembling.


    He stayed quiet and slowly rolled up his sleeves as he walked toward her.


    Freda, feeling uneasy, took a step back. “What do you want?”


    “You’ll push me over the edge and into the stream. Sounds fair, right?” Gavin said with a smile.


    Freda reacted sharply. “Are you out of your mind?”


    As she continued to retreat, nearly reaching the very edge, Gavin sighed in frustration and added, “Do you really want to fall into the river and need me to rescue you?”


    Freda nced back and realized she was indeed on the verge of falling into the water. She stopped abruptly, looking at Gavin with a mix of anger and embarrassment.


    Gavin nced at his watch and decided it was time to end the teasing.


    “Gotta go. Please be mindful of your safety. Excuse me.” With a friendly smile, Gavin turned and walked away gracefully.


    Freda watched him intently, not rxing her gaze until he was out of sight.


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    Unbeknownst to her, Gavin had another surprise in store. He pulled out his phone and called Karl, informing him that Freda was by the riverbank and suggesting he send someone to escort her home.


    Karl was appreciative of the gesture.


    He arranged for his men to take Freda home, discipline her, and allow her some time for self-reflection. Once she understood her missteps, he nned for her to apologize to Elyse and Gavin.


    It was then that Freda realized it was all Gavin’s fault. He had orchestrated the apology from the start.


    “Curse you, Gavin Cramer! I’ll get back at you!” Freda hunched over her bed. Her stepmother was applying medicine to her bottom. identally, she put too much. Freda let out a cry in pain. “Mommy, that hurts! Please be gentle!”


    After wrapping up his scheme, Gavin drove through the city, visiting all the ces Fiona might have been, but he came up empty-handed.


    Finally, he decided to give it another shot and headed back to the Blue Sea Music Studio.


    The evening had settled in. Gavin parked his car on the driveway and entered, only to find Fiona dressed in herpetition outfit, a pink feathered dress that made her look both pretty and adorable.


    Gavin finally confirmed she was safe and sound, breathing a sigh of relief. In a ming tone, he asked, “Where were you during thepetition earlier? Why didn’t you participate in the extra round? You even turned your phone off. I’ve been searching for you all day. Do you realize that?”


    Fiona could sense his frustration and felt apologetic, yet she believed she hadn’t done anything wrong.


    With a slight frown, she avoided his gaze and responded, “Gavin, why are you so upset? I didn’t do anything wrong. How would participating in the extra round have benefited me? It was only going to help Elyse. The judges wanted her to win. It was just unnecessary.”


    Her reply made Gavin furrow his brows. “How can you see it that way? The extra round ofpetition was a chance for you too. You didn’t even make the top eight initially. What if it could have changed that?”


    Rubbing her forehead, Fiona answered with irritation, “Do you really think I would have improved my rank in the extra round? I felt like I would just fail again. Can you imagine how that would feel? To lose twice in the same contest? The humiliation, the unwillingness, the helplessness. Can you understand that?”


    She closed her eyes as she spoke. “Gavin, you’re God’s favorite. You can’t understand how I feel. Nor can Irving. And certainly not Elyse. She’s always been at the top, never experiencing a loss.”


    Gavin realized Fiona was deeply troubled. She was struggling to cope with her failures in the contest, and her thoughts had be negative.


    He tried to reassure her, “Fiona, you are also talented. Right now, you’re just unable to face the setback and are overthinking things. Let’s talk. Skipping the extra round wasn’t the end of the world.”


    Fiona didn’t respond. After a few seconds, she muttered, “Sometimes, I don’t understand why I joined the Blue Sea Music Studio when I’m not particrly talented or excellent. Why could I be Mr. Tucker’s student?”


    Gavin couldn’t just stand by; he walked towards her, intent on having a serious discussion.


    But Fiona suddenly snapped, “You’re all so talented. You must have just been tolerating me, right? I don’t need your pity or your sympathy. I can leave the Blue Sea Music Studio. We can part ways.”


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