After Emily Blair stepped off the stage, she spotted a crowd of contestants blocking the doorway.

She strode right up to them, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

The other contestants stared at her, dumbfounded. It wasn't until the sound of her voice snapped them back to reality that they scrambled out of the way, watching as Emily walked past with a calm expression and steady steps.

Someone muttered under their breath, "Damn."

"Emily Blair is such a show-off."

That single comment broke the silence, and suddenly the quiet hallway was filled with hushed whispers.

"So what? With talent like that, who wouldn't show off a little? If I were her, I'd be even more dramatic."

"Exactly. I don't even think she's showing off that much—she's just really impressive."

"Seriously, when did Emily Blair get this good?"

As soon as the question left someone's lips, the hallway went silent again.

No one had realized Emily was capable of such a performance. Some people wondered if maybe they had underestimated her all along, but others, less generous, whispered that perhaps she hadn't played at all—that maybe the piano piece was just a clever recording.

But whatever they believed, the facts were there: when everyone was convinced Emily Blair was going to be eliminated, she had pulled off an extraordinary comeback.

Extraordinary enough to leave everyone stunned.

A heavy sense of unease settled over the group.

After all, who wouldn't feel a jab of anxiety watching a younger, more talented, and more skilled competitor suddenly rise to the top?

Especially when Emily Blair was the one everyone had always looked down on.

Now, the girl they had dismissed so easily was suddenly standing above them all. That was a bitter pill to swallow.

Someone in the crowd muttered quietly, "Well, no matter how bad we feel, it can't be as bad as how she feels."

Everyone knew who they meant.

Isabella Austin—the favorite to win the championship.

People shook their heads, and aside from the next contestant due on stage, the rest slowly filed back into the waiting room.

Emily entered the lounge, immediately spotting Andrew Lane and his two friends.

Andrew glanced at her, his eyes cool and indifferent. He looked her way for barely half a second before turning away, as if she were a stranger.

Emily quickly looked elsewhere, her face unreadable, and headed for the doors that led out to the main hall.

Suddenly, she heard Isabella Austin's voice behind her.

"Emily, I haven't congratulated you yet. That was a fantastic performance. You'll have no problem making the finals."

Emily paused and turned her head.

Isabella was sitting beside Andrew Lane, her slender arm looped through his, and when she noticed Emily looking, she tightened her grip, emphasizing their closeness.

Emily's gaze shifted to the person on Isabella's right.

Diana Harris didn't even acknowledge her, her expression icy, as though Emily simply didn't exist.

Emily gave a slight, indifferent smile. "It's a little early for that."

With that, she turned to leave, but Isabella called out again, "You might want to stay

in here for now. Larry Mitchell's still outside. If he sees you, he'll just make another scene."

There was an implied accusation in Isabella's words, as if Larry Mitchell's outburst was somehow Emily's fault.

Emily let out a soft laugh. “Well, unless we actually go see what's happening, how will we ever know who really let him back in?"

The people trailing behind Emily looked uneasy.

She was right—it was worth looking into.

The Starlight Piano Competition was a high-profile event, and to ensure everything ran smoothly, the organizers had security stationed on two entire floors of the hotel. Their main job was to keep out unauthorized visitors.

Ordinarily, contestants who'd already been eliminated were strictly forbidden from coming back in; security was supposed to be on high alert for that.

After all, there had been incidents in the past where eliminated contestants tried to sneak back in and stir up trouble.

So Larry Mitchell-already knocked out of the running-shouldn't have been able to get anywhere near the competition venue. Yet somehow he'd managed to sneak in, and security hadn't noticed a thing.