Chapter 206
Chapter 206:
“Hey, I’m pretty sure I just saw Rylie. She went backstage,” said Isabella, alerting Paola.
Paola stiffened. “She went backstage? Why would she be there?”
“It looks like she’s heading to the judges’ area,” Isabella replied.
Paola shook her head. “Rylie didn’t even join this piano competition. You must be mistaken. There’s no way she’s back there.”
Isabella frowned. “How can you be so sure she didn’t come for the finals? I saw her walk into the judges’ area. What if Marcus helped her sneak in? Paola, you need to stay alert, or your rank could be stolen again.”
Paola’s confidence faltered. What if Rylie had tricked her, only to surpass her when it mattered most?
Her mind spun as she whispered, “What should I do?”
“Your mom knows the organizers, doesn’t she? Call them now,” Isabella urged, gripping her arm.
Backstage, the staff and judges were discussing X. Aria’s last disciple. The competition was about to begin, yet no one had seen this mysterious person.
“When is X. Aria’s last disciple arriving?” one asked.
“No idea if it’s a man or a woman. Maybe the whole story is fake,” another muttered.
“Impossible. We sent out the special judge invitation. We just need to see it at the entrance.”
As Rylie neared the backstage entrance, two staff members stopped her.
“Sorry, this area is for judges only. You can’t enter without permission.” They eyed her with suspicion, having just received a call from Laurel warning them about a wealthy woman trying to bribe her way in.
Rylie calmly pulled out a gold-foil invitation from her handbag. “I’m invited.”
The staff examined the card. The words “Special Judge” made their expressions change instantly. One of them stammered, “You — you’re X. Aria’s…”
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“Shh.” Rylie pressed a finger to her lips, her eyes demanding silence. “The competition’s starting. Take me to the judges’ seat.”
As X. Aria’s final disciple and the special guest, she stayed backstage for the time being, waiting for the duet composition round to begin. From there, she would watch every performance and then choose one contestant for the duet.
The first segment of the competition began in full swing. Each finalist stepped onto the stage one by one, while Rylie leaned back backstage, idly spinning a pen between her fingers. With the new format in place, the real talent of the players began to shine through.
Paola proved that she had a strong foundation. She pushed her limits and finished the first round without a single slip.
Rylie gave her a fair score, doing the same for Novalee, who performed right after her. Despite battling an injury, Novalee’s sharp focus and all-or-nothing resolve carried her through, earning her a high score as well.
The current rankings placed a girl named Lillian Tucker firmly in first place. Novalee followed in second, while Paola had climbed into third with her skills. The moment the results were announced, Paola was thrilled. She had made it to the final segment. During the break, she quietly met up with Lillian. The two disappeared into the lounge for a long private talk.