Chapter 215
Chapter 215:
After her last note, Rylie rose with effortless grace, offering the crowd a respectful bow.
Whispers rippled through the audience, growing louder with every passing second.
“This isn’t plagiarism at all. Rylie’s true creativity is quite impressive! She doesn’t need to copy anyone’s work!”
“The gap between Paola and Rylie is just too wide — it’s an utter rout…”
“I’m starting to think Paola isn’t being honest…”
At that moment, the Eshea regional head of the Wesdown International Piano Competition stepped into the spotlight, a USB drive in hand. His tone was grave. “A serious allegation has come to our attention regarding contestant thirty-four. After reviewing substantial evidence, we have no choice but to revoke contestant thirty-four’s second-place award and conduct a formal investigation.”
A cry broke from Paola. “There must be some mistake! I never cheated — I didn’t steal anything!”
Her voice shook, and wild strands of hair clung to her flushed, sweaty forehead, a mess from her stumble earlier.
“In the realm of music, there is simply no room for deceit or imitation,” the official continued, his words echoing through the hall.
On the big screen, proof appeared for all to see — a clear recording showing Laurel handing over ten million dollars for the very sheet music in question. Shockwaves tore through the crowd. Where whispers had once buzzed, faces now flushed with embarrassment or disbelief.
“So she actually bought that composition and pretended it was her own work?”
“Wow, even with purchased sheet music, Paola was completely outperformed by Rylie’s creative interpretation. Paola really has no integrity!”
“That so-called footage of Rylie plagiarizing Paola must be nothing but a fake!”
All of this played out live, and Laurel was powerless to stop the broadcast, forced to watch Paola’s humiliation unfold onstage.
As suspicion reached a fever pitch, the infamous video accusing Rylie of plagiarism was replayed for everyone. A sharp-eyed expert scrutinized the footage, exposing multiple digital edits, and boldly vouched for Rylie, declaring Paola guilty of false accusations.
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Everything crashed down on Paola at once. Overwhelmed by the uproar and shame, her knees buckled, and she fainted in front of everyone, this time without a trace of pretense.
From the far end of the hall, Isabella cast one last glance Paola’s way before quietly slipping out with her friends. Any loyalty she once felt was gone — helping Paola now would only drag her down. There had been a time when Paola’s name meant talent, prestige, and the support of the Owen family. Now, she had nothing left to offer.
Every step — from tweaking the competition website to convince Paola that Rylie had joined the preliminaries, to stepping down as a contestant in order to take a judge’s seat — had been Rylie’s handiwork.
With barely a flick of her wrist, Rylie had toppled Paola’s carefully built image, stripping away her reputation as a gifted pianist in one swift move.
Yet the damning proof—Laurel’s transaction for the sheet music—had come from a different source. Rylie knew someone else had been quietly lending a hand from the shadows.