?<strong>Chapter 770:</strong>


    “Don’t forget, you’re in the same boat,” Elyse replied with a cool nce, her voice slicing through the tension.


    Three minutester, the judges emerged from their huddle, their decision finally crystallized.


    “For ‘Fantasy on Carmen,’ we have three contestants. Elyse Lloyd scores 9.63, Geraldine Lawson 9.61…” The host’s voice boomed, “Congrattions to Elyse for advancing to the next round!”


    For a heartbeat, Geraldine stood frozen, disbelief washing over her. “I lost? By just 0.02 points?”


    Elyse exhaled slowly, the weight of the contest clear in her words. “I’m only 0.02 points ahead of you. You’re really tough to beat. I definitely don’t want to face you again in the nextpetition.”


    Geraldine’s gaze was a tempest of frustration and fierce determination, her teeth clenched like a steel trap. “As expected, it gets tougher toward the end. It’s not a bad idea to see how strong you are in the semi-finals.”


    Elyse epted the apuse with grace, then turned to Geraldine, her expression resolute, whispering, “This time, I edged you out by 0.02 points. Next time, I’ll aim to widen that gap. But don’t think you’ll be the only one sharpening your edge. I’m eager to see how you challenge me next.”


    Once offstage, Elyse approached Darren, weariness etched in her features. “I’m happy I won, but I’m about to pass out.”


    Darren, ever the steady pir, gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “I knew you’d win. The next group is Vicky’s turn. She asked if you could stay backstage and watch her performance.”


    Following Darren’s gaze, Elyse spotted Vicky, violin in hand, poised and ready on stage.


    “Why didn’t she ask me herself?” Elyse asked, a puzzled frown creasing her brow.


    “Because she’s too shy to speak for herself,” Darren replied simply.


    Elyse watched as Vicky stood poised and ready, determination shining in her eyes. But then, a sense of unease crept in. Something was off.


    Pointing toward the stage, Elyse asked, her voice tinged with suspicion, “Isn’t each group supposed to have three contestants? Why are there only two?”


    Darren scratched his head, equally perplexed. “I’m not sure. I remember there were supposed to be three contestants.”


    Elyse shrugged it off, assuming that another contestant had perhaps withdrawn from thepetition.


    Vicky’s performance was wless, securing her the top spot with ease. However, the moment was interrupted by a sudden uproar in the corridor.


    Curious, Elyse left the backstage area to investigate and found a girl in tears, clutching her violin tightly. The girl’s voice, thick with anger and despair, echoed through the hallway. “Someone trapped me in the lounge! I tried to escape, but there was no one to help! They sabotaged my chance! I missed my performance! Years of hard work, gone! This can’t go unpunished! If this isn’t made right, I’ll take this to the authorities!”


    The girl’s cries quickly drew a crowd of onlookers, each trying to grasp the situation.


    Perplexed, Elyse asked someone nearby what had happened. It soon became clear that the girl was Vicky’s missingpetitor, the one everyone had assumed had withdrawn from thepetition. But instead, she had been locked away, trapped in a room where no one could hear her pleas.


    The girl sobbed uncontrobly, her cries drawing sympathy from the other contestants. But the oue was set in stone, and there was no way for her to turn back time and undo the mistake that had cost her thepetition. Elyse watched the scene unfold, feeling a pang of empathy for the distraught girl.


    .


    .


    .