Chapter 200 Chapter 200: Rylie said nothing at first. She looked over the judges slowly. None of them met her eyes. At last, she spoke. “For the third round, revise the final rules. Ron will announce them before the competition begins p> When the competition ended, Rylie went to the

Chapter 199 Chapter 199: Her eyes narrowed at the unusually high marks across the board. Before Paola, contestant No. 33 — Novalee — had played. She had been emotional, but her technique was solid, and her original piece showed promise. Rylie recognized her as the woman she’d seen crying in

Chapter 198 Chapter 198: Novalee’s face was full of helplessness, her lips trembling. “They’ve… already taken the money p> Paola casually adjusted her bag. “Funny timing — didn’t your brother need a hundred thousand for his wedding? Seems like fate p> Defeated, Novalee pulled the sheet music from her bag

Chapter 197 Chapter 197: They gave each other a knowing glance, half amused and half curious, then turned to her with sweetened tones. One of them said, “Miss Owen, you’re dressed oddly. What’s with the men’s suit p> Another chimed in, her voice light but loaded, “Did you come to

Chapter 196 Chapter 196: Kendrick had no intention of letting his granddaughter rush into anything so soon. “She hasn’t even finished college. Her time should be spent on her studies and career. There’s no need to talk about marriage just yet p> Felix gave a short nod. “That’s right p>

Chapter 195 Chapter 195: Witnessing her struggle to hold back tears brought a flicker of annoyance to Johnny, but he knew she was only trying to help. With a sigh, he broke the tension. “It really isn’t a big deal, Dad. If Paola wants it, she can have it.” He

Chapter 194 Chapter 194: Once the lid was lifted, a piece of jade — vivid green and etched with tiny, gleaming circuitry — caught the light. “This amulet has a GPS and a built-in alert system,” Johnny explained. “If you ever need help, I’ll be able to find you in

Chapter 193 Chapter 193: Felix stood at the foot of Rylie’s bed, his voice distant as he addressed Johnny’s father. “Wilder, you really didn’t have to come all this way for something so trivial p> Wilder Reid advanced a few steps, his reply warm and earnest. “Please, don’t say that.

Chapter 192 Chapter 192: A sudden hush fell over the room. Rylie turned to her, voice calm. “That’s very specific. How would you know what he’s feeling? Did you meet him again last night p> “I didn’t! I just p> Paola stumbled backward, nearly hiding behind Laurel. “He often talks

Chapter 191 Chapter 191: Brad stayed silent. His eyes spoke what his mouth did not. He wasn’t fully convinced. Still, he didn’t press her or demand answers. Pushing her now would only make her run farther. By that evening, word had spread that Rylie had been taken to the hospital.