NovelBookChapter 391
Against all odds, Stella Cameron took first place—again.
Wasn't this just another round of free publicity for Stella?
Meanwhile, Jasper Wilkinson's livestream was exploding with a frenzy of comments and digital confetti. Animated
gifts and emojis poured in from every direction.
Jasper had spent hours strategizing how to make Stella look foolish on camera. He'd even swapped to the best
phone money could buy, terrified that the feed might freeze or crash just as the audience broke into laughter at
Stella's expense.
But while dreams are sweet, reality can be ruthless.
Not only did Stella avoid embarrassment, she emerged from Jasper's trap with an even larger, fiercely loyal fan
base. The tables had turned.
On top of that, social media was ablaze with people accusing Franco-the so- called impartial judge—of being a
sellout, deliberately giving Stella a hard tfor sunder-the-table benefit.
Flustered and defeated, Jasper scrambled to shut down the livestream.
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At that moment, Rachel Pearce stared at the screen, so furious she nearly choked.
Useless. Absolutely useless. What kind of teammate sabotages their own side?
Why had she ever let herself be talked into this by Jasper? How many of his schemes had actually worked? Every
single time, Stella turned the tables and used it as a showcase for her own brilliance.
That realization made Rachel's heart skip a beat.
She suddenly turned to look beside her.
Haynes O'Brien and his son Keen-both tall and small-were gazing intently in Stella's direction, their attention
utterly fixed.
Panic crept into Rachel's chest.
The more she watched, the clearer it became: taking Stella down wasn't going to
be simple. Was it time...to reach out to that person?
Just then, Rachel's phone buzzed in her pocket.
A chill ran down her spine as she glanced at the screen. The sender was an unknown number.
The message was short and to the point:
"If you can't handle this, then cback. My door is always open for you."
Rachel's hand trembled; her phone slipped and clattered to the floor.
Haynes noticed her distress. "Rachel, are you alright?"
"I'm-fine," she managed a strained smile. "Maybe I've just been sitting here too long. I'm feeling a bit
lightheaded."
Rachel's so-called "terminal illness" was, on paper, still in recovery. She couldn't make a miraculous recovery too
quickly; there had to be a process. While she no longer passed out every three days or required emergency care
every five, she still used her "condition" to summon Haynes whenever she needed.
Soon, the remaining performances wrapped up.
Stella and Marvin Connolly's duet earned a perfect score and first place. Rachel and Keen landed second with an
average of ninety-eight points.
Afterwards, Stella and her friends were about to head to a restaurant for a celebratory meal when someone
called her name.
"Ms. Cameron." It was Noah, one of the judges. "Could | have a word with you in private?"
Stella nodded, excused herself from Abby Murphy and the others, and followed Noah to a quiet corner.
Noah's eyes, a striking shade of blue, met Stella's with a calm, focused intensity that felt more reassuring than
intimidating.
He smiled. "I've heard your violin playing is extraordinary, Ms. Cameron."
He produced an elegant invitation from his pocket and offered it to her.
"Three days from now, Mr. Walden will be hosting a private music gathering. | wonder if you'd be interested in
attending?"
Mr. Walden-a legend among musicians, admired by all.
The moment Stella saw the invitation in Noah's hand, her eyes lit up.
Five years ago, she'd missed her chance with Mr. Walden. Now, she hadn't even hoped for an opportunity to
meet him.
She longed to attend, but Stella had never been one to accept something for nothing.
She looked up at Noah. "Mr. Noah, if there's anything you'd liketo do in return, please don't hesitate to ask."
Noah was taken aback, but the admiration in his gaze deepened.
He'd always had a fondness for women from the East. Watching Stella on stage earlier, he'd found her
captivating-graceful, poised, exactly his type.
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