?<strong>Chapter 857:</strong>


    Elyse didn’t have the time or energy to delve into these emotions. She picked up her violin and started to y.


    From his seat, Jayden watched Elyse on stage, thinking she looked radiant.


    He had always recognized her immense talent and believed that her brilliance would eventually captivate the world with her skills.


    This made him fear that he might not be able to keep up with her.


    He knew she was even more extraordinary than she realized.


    Meanwhile, in the audience, conversations buzzed.


    “The Charles family has started a betting pool. I’ve ced bets on several contenders. How much did you bet?”


    “Not a lot. The finalists in this Swan Cup are all strong contenders. I couldn’t make up my mind.”


    “The Charles family offered you an opportunity, and you didn’t grab it. You’re such a coward! If you picked the right one, you could strike it rich in no time.”


    “So, who did you bet on to win?”


    “Edward. He’s clearly the top contender here.”


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    Jayden, with his legs crossed, half-listened to the gamblers chatting next to him. He wasn’t interested in gambling. His interest was piqued by the mention of the Charles family.


    The Charles family was another influential force in the state, though they steered clear of arms dealing. Their focus was on investing in variouspetitions and setting up betting pools.


    They had maintained a low profile at majorpetitions over the years, never meddling but discreetly establishing betting markets.


    In this operation, the governor had focused solely on the Hudson family, overlooking the Charles family.


    While Jayden was deep in thought, Elyse finished her performance. Watching her gracefully bow, Jayden felt a surge of warmth.


    No matter how harsh the world seemed, just seeing Elyse made everything feel beautiful.


    After Elyse took her bow, she left the stage, where Darren was waiting, looking somewhat troubled. He said, “You were too good—how can I possibly top that?”


    Elyse replied yfully, “If you can’t beat it, it just means I’ll be the one winning first ce.”


    Darren immediately shook his head in disagreement. “No way. I still have a shot at beating you.” With that, Darren stepped onto the stage as the final contestant.


    After Darren’s performance, it was time for the judges to score. All the contestants who had finished waited nervously. Elyse was no different. After carefully storing her violin, she stood off to the side, watching Darren’s performance intently, showing no signs of easing up.


    When Darrenpleted his performance, all the contestants returned to the stage, anxiously awaiting the judges’ decision, wondering who among them would be dered the winner.


    The scoring process seemed to take longer than usual this time. Some judges even appeared to be debating, each with a favorite contestant, yet unable to persuade the others.


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