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 take part in the second round? Are you hoping to charm the judges by dressing up like this?” The third girl added, “But this round, the judges are to give scores only based on performance, without seeing the contestants’ appearance. No matter how eye-catching you are, it’s useless p>
Rylie didn’t blink. Her face gave nothing away. “I’m not here to compete,” she said plainly.
Their smiles twisted. One girl, her tone soaked in sarcasm, leaned forward. “Oh? So now you don’t even need to pretend? Just going to buy your way to the finals? I recall you didn’t even make it through the first round p>
“Then what about Paola?” a fourth cut in. “She followed every rule. Now she’s stuck p>
“Too bad for her,” said the last one. “All her ideas got stolen, and now she’s caught up in someone else’s scheme p>
Without offering them a glance, Rylie checked the time and walked off. She slipped her mask into place and crossed into the judges’ section without a word.
The moment she appeared, the panel of judges brightened. One of them smiled and said warmly, “Mr. X. Aria, you’ve arrived p>
Behind her, the women she passed could only stand and watch, their eyes following her with contempt.
The moment Paola heard that Rylie planned to buy her way into the finals, she wasted no time instructing Isabella to spread the word. Her main goal? To make sure Johnny heard every detail — that Rylie was nothing but a spoiled fraud hiding behind her family’s wealth.
After confirming the gossip had started to spread, Paola made her way to the restroom. Inside, a girl dressed in plain, worn-out clothes was already standing there, waiting for her.
Without a second thought, Paola pulled out a bank card and handed it over with a sneer. “Alright then, hand over the music sheet p>
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Novalee Adams’ fingers tightened at her sides, hesitation flickering in her eyes. After a deep breath, she finally met Paola’s gaze. “Miss Garrett, I’m sorry. I can’t give you my composition. I’ve entered the competition myself… I made it through the second round. I want to fight for this chance p>
Paola let out a derisive snort, her gentle facade crumbling into something grotesque. “You want to compete with me? Remember, your parents work for my family’s company. It’s already a struggle for them to keep you in school, isn’t it? If they lose their jobs… who’s going to fund your little dream of playing the piano p>
Color drained from Novalee’s face. “So this is a threat p>
Paola casually fixed her lipstick in front of the mirror, her gaze flicking toward Novalee with thinly veiled scorn. “A threat? Well, even if it is, so what?” she sneered. “It was your parents who came crawling to my mother, boasting about your so-called talent and creativity. After reading your sheet music, I figured I’d throw you a bone and buy it. If I could’ve bought a composition from a famous pianist without raising suspicion from the judges, do you really think I’d waste my time on yours? Instead of being grateful for the chance I gave you, you’re trying to betray me? Fine. Since you’re so determined not to sell, fine. But your parents already took a one-hundred-thousand down payment from my mother. Go ahead and pay it back p>