Chapter 169
\nReturn Of The Real Heiress: Secrets And Masks novel Chapter 169<\/p>\n
Chapter 169<\/p>\n
As Shirley finished speaking, whispers rippled through the audience<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, Shirley\u2019s performance was flawless. Why not a perfect score?<\/p>\n
\u201cHaven\u2019t you heard? Shirley and that judge Arlina\u2013Cherise\u2013they\u2019re half\u2013sisters. An 8 must mean Cherise is giving her at hand time.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, that explains it. Let\u2019s see how this unfolds in front of so many people?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love to see how incredible Arlina\u2019s live performance is supposed to be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSame here! Arlina has been a legend for so long, but we\u2019ve only heard recordings. Can she really perform live?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis should be interesting. Many so\u2013called legends can\u2019t even match up to amateurs on stage. I\u2019m eager to see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo matter her fame, Liam, the president of the Clusia Pianists\u2018 Association, gave a 10. What\u2019s Cherise\u2019s deal with an 8? If not a feud, what else?\u201d<\/p>\n
Amidst the crowd, someone boldly shouted in Clusia\u2019s grand piano hall, \u201cArlina, Arlina, play something for us..<\/p>\n
Another voice joined in. \u201cArlina, are you scared or something?\u201d<\/p>\n
-Standing on stage, Shirley was secretly delighted by the growing commotion.<\/p>\n
Henry and his group felt their earlier gloom lifting considerably<\/p>\n
Mandy especially allowed herself a smug smile, thinking to herself. Let\u2019s see how you handle this. Hopefully, it\u2019s just all hype, and you mess up big time when it counts,<\/p>\n
Tina looked over at Cherise with a hint of concern. She knew Cherise could handle it, but still, being taunted like that in front of everyone had to sting a bit.<\/p>\n
Liam, on the other hand, seemed thoroughly entertained, almost like he was waiting for snacks to appear to complete the<\/p>\n
show.<\/p>\n
In the middle, Cherise slowly raised her gaze, moving it from Shirley\u2019s feet upward until she locked eyes with her. She said nothing, maintaining an unhurried demeanor.<\/p>\n
Shirley felt a strange chill as Cherise fixated on her. However, with so many people present, she held her ground and took another step forward. \u201cMaster Arlina, could you kindly point out where I fell short?<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd of course, we all hope you\u2019ll grant us this chance to enjoy the sight and sound of your performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shirley appeared to be humbly pleading with Cherise. Then she turned to the audience and said sweetly, \u201cDear audience members and fellow contestants, don\u2019t you all, like me, want to witness the Master Arlina perform live?\u201d<\/p>\n
The crowd responded with a chorus of agreement followed by thunderous applause from everyone\u2013except the students from the Traditional Medicine Department in the third row<\/p>\n
Calvin patted Zander on the shoulder. \u201cZander, doesn\u2019t Shirley remind you of some scheming stepsister from an old fairy tale? She seems so two\u2013faced.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if our Ms. Leach can\u2019t handle all this pressure? I just want to drag that stepsister offstage. She\u2019s already got the highest score! Why can\u2019t she just stop yammering?\u201d<\/p>\n
Chapter 169<\/p>\n
Zander remained silent simply watching the judges panel. Inside, though, he had every confidence that Cherise could handle this small interruption effortlessly.<\/p>\n
Cherise on the judges\u2018 panel stood up calmly, left the panel, and walked towards the stage.<\/p>\n
She wore a sleeveless light blue dress of high quality. The dress\u2013line in shape, stopped just above her knees, revealing her anns and slender, slightly toned calves. Her every step exuded poise and grace.<\/p>\n
Reaching the center of the stage, she stopped exactly a meter away from Shirley.<\/p>\n
Up until now, Cherise had been sitting with her back to most of the audience, so they hadn\u2019t had a clear view of her face. With her now standing so close, Shirley\u2019s initial glow seemed to diminish instantly.<\/p>\n
In terms of beauty, poise, and presence, Cherise stood head and shoulders above Shirley, who appeared no more than a sidekick by comparison.<\/p>\n
A few audience members whispered among themselves, \u201cShirley looked pretty good on her own, but once Arlina stepped up there? Man, it\u2019s like a pigeon next to a peacock.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo kidding. Look at those features, that aura. She\u2019s like a masterpiece come to life.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo beautiful and talented. It\u2019s like the world\u2019s playing favorites\u2026 not fair!\u201d<\/p>\n
As Arlina took the stage, the crowd settled down immediately. An assistant handed her a microphone shortly after. Glancing briefly at Shirley with a faintly mocking smile, she said. \u201cYour performance of \u201cThe Laurel was technically proficient. To the audience and even Mr. Wilson, it seemed flawless.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe piece is inspired by the composer\u2019s personal story about a blind girl striving to become a pianist.<\/p>\n
captured the ambition as her fame grew in the latter parts of the piece, but you missed expressing the heartache and le of being mocked for her blindness in the first sections. It came across too flat, with no real highs or lows.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shirley\u2019s expression soured at Cherise\u2019s critique.<\/p>\n
\u201cMoreover,\u201d Cherise continued, \u201cyou didn\u2019t just fall short emotionally; there were two transitions between segments that you didn\u2019t nail either. But you were clever enough to gloss over them and fool the audience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Shirley was taken aback. Panic and unease stirred inside her because she knew those transitions weren\u2019t up to par. She had hoped they\u2019d go unnoticed and played boldly through them.<\/p>\n
SEND GIFT<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-194","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/kampoengnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/kampoengnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/kampoengnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/kampoengnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}