?<strong>Chapter 490:</strong>


    After making his announcement, Karl Jimenez, Freda’s father, faced the restless crowd and proposed, “Since everyone is dissatisfied with the oue of thispetition, we’ll add another round.”


    The crowd quieted down, buzzing with whispers. Photographers from the media snapped away, energized by the new development.


    Freda, seeing her father offer Elyse another chance, stomped her foot in anger. “Dad, can you not favor an outsider?”


    “Shut up! Since when have you been so stupid and unreasonable?” Karl scolded, ring at her. “Competition is serious. Keep your tricks out of it.”


    “Dad!” Freda’s voice cracked, her frustration nearly bringing her to tears. She had hoped Elyse would lose, perhaps pushing Theo back toward herself.


    With tears brimming, she used, “Dad! Don’t you care about me? You never consider my happiness.”


    “What nonsense are you talking about?” Karl responded, his hand on his chest, his expression one of utter frustration.


    “I hate you!” Freda yelled, her anger boiling over as she ran away without a second nce, leaving chaos in her wake.


    Karl, pressing his chest, took a moment topose himself. He then turned to Gavin with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. My daughter is too spoiled and willful. She’s turned thispetition into a mess.”


    Gavin chuckled, watching the direction Freda had gone. With a smile, he reassured, “It doesn’t matter. She’s young and thoughtless. I won’t hold it against her.”


    Karl breathed a sigh of relief. Gavin, Cody’s most aplished apprentice and a rising star in the music industry, was someone he greatly admired and certainly did not want to offend.


    Seating himself at the judging table in Freda’s stead, he addressed the contestants on stage. “For the extra round, why don’t you perform ‘Devil’s Trill Sonata’?”


    The suggestion left the ten contestants visibly stunned. Mastery of “Devil’s Trill Sonata” could dramatically showcase their talents, impressing both the audience and the media. However, failure to perform well would clearly indicate ack of preparation and a need for further practice.


    Vicky, who had secured second ce, was visibly determined to win when she heard the selection. She knew the tune inside out.


    “Seems destiny wants me to be first. Even God is on my side,” she said, confidently ncing towards Elyse. She had been preparing, expecting topete internationally as the top contender.


    Elyse returned her look with an impassive expression. “You will still be second. The first ce is mine.”


    The announcement of the extra round stirred mixed emotions among the contestants. Some, disappointed with their initial rankings, saw it as a chance to excel and improve their standings. Others, satisfied with their ces, feared losing ground.


    Fiona felt differently. She saw this as the end of her future. Not having made the top eight, she was relieved to hear she and Elyse were unranked, thinking Elyse’s violin skills were ascking as her own. Yet, she hadn’t anticipated Elyse’s failure was due to the unjust scoring of a judge. If Elyse ended up winning first ce, where would that leave her? Could she settle for a mere top ten finish?


    Clutching her violin, Fiona’s fingers whitened with tension. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Gavin, fearful of seeing disappointment in his eyes. In her heart, shemented, maybe Elyse was the true prodigy among them, and she was merely taking up space.


    Meanwhile, Karl conferred with the other judges and proposed a restart of thepetition, with Elyse as the first contestant.


    Elyse stood on the stage, her eyes alight with determination. She was ready to prove her mettle once again.


    Below the stage, Darren watched her performance, his arms crossed, his expressionden with concern.


    “Devil’s Trill Sonata” was notoriously challenging. Expressing the deep emotional realm of this tune when yed solo was a formidable task. She was supposed to reflect the tension between earthly passions and spiritual aspirations, capturing the essence of the struggle between good and evil. Performing this tune demanded exceptional skill from the violinist. It involved a range of sophisticated techniques.


    Among the young violinists, Darren had seen only a few, including Vicky, who could master such aplex piece.


    Vicky, noticing Darren’s concerned look, approached him with a smirk. “Are you worried about Elyse? Afraid she’ll mess up?” Vicky asked, her voice tinged with provocation.


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