With just a few words, Arianna George's heart softened completely.

Emily Blair's voice was calm, but Arianna could hear the hurt beneath her steady tone.

Arianna reached out and placed her hand gently over Emily's, her voice warm and steady. "Tell me everything. I'll stand up for you."

It sounded simple—almost casual-but the weight of those words was immense.

If Arianna chose to believe Emily, she'd be taking a stand against Isabella Austin. And standing against Isabella meant opposing Andrew Lane.

Everyone knew Andrew Lane had already said he wanted this whole thing to end here.

His wealth, influence, and connections were obvious to anyone paying attention. And his favoritism—his protectiveness toward Isabella Austin wasn't exactly a secret either.

If Arianna spoke up now, she'd be defying Andrew Lane's explicit wishes. If he decided to retaliate, there'd be a price to pay.

So Arianna's promise wasn't just comforting-it was a huge risk.

Emily's heart trembled. She swallowed and her voice sounded rough. "Ms. George..."

She cleared her throat, then nervously licked her dry lips.

She was anxious-how could she not be? In her previous life, she'd tried to expose Isabella Austin for plagiarism, but by then Isabella was already an internationally acclaimed pianist. No one would believe the word of a high school dropout, much less risk their own reputation to challenge Isabella's.

After enough failed attempts, Emily had given up. She stopped thinking about it. But Arianna's words gave her hope, a little spark she thought she'd lost for good.

"I had a teacher-Vivian Martin," Emily said softly. "She was the one who introduced me to the piano. She wasn't some alias Isabella used-she was a real person. She dedicated her whole life to the piano, and her skill was extraordinary. Her compositions were beautiful... but she never found fame. No matter how hard she tried, nobody really knew her. The lack of recognition... it broke her."

Arianna's eyes darkened with understanding.

Emily went on, "She took her own life. Before that, she composed a piece called 'Desire' she finished it on June 26, 2021. The video I showed you was recorded the next day. She died on the 28th."

Arianna's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

"You heard it yourself," Emily pressed. “Vivian's ‘Desire' and Isabella's ‘Love’— they're almost identical. Maybe an amateur couldn't tell the difference, but to anyone who really listens, it's obvious. And Isabella's 'Love' it wasn't released until October 15, 2022."

Her gaze grew intense. "Ms. George, Isabella Austin plagiarized Vivian Martin. I've checked everything."

Arianna's eyes narrowed, her concern growing.

None of this surprised her, not really. But Isabella's excuses during the competition's finals had been...

Emily could tell what Arianna was hesitating over, and her heart sank. She said bluntly, “I've never heard of Vivian Martin having some anonymous friend online. Isabella's story is just ridiculous."

"She comes from a powerful family—if they wanted to make a pianist famous, they could do it with a snap of their fingers. Why would she have to go to all the trouble of 'borrowing' someone's work to promote Vivian, and get herself tangled up in

scandal? That excuse is just what a plagiarist would say."

Emily's voice shook as she spoke, her frustration mounting.

Arianna squeezed her hand reassuringly. “I understand. I believe you. There's no need to rush."

She paused, then asked, "Is this the real reason you entered the Starlight Piano Competition?"

Emily nodded. "Yes. That's why I didn't play one of my own pieces in the finals-I played 'Desire' instead."

But in the end, Isabella had muddied the waters and the truth about plagiarism was lost.

Arianna looked troubled. "But if Mr. Lane decides to get involved, things will get messy. Even if Isabella is found guilty of plagiarism, Lane can sway public opinion. If that happens, you'll end up looking like the villain for exposing a friend.”

Emily smiled faintly. "It's all right, Ms. George. As long as one person believes me, that's enough."

Arianna sighed. "I used to think so highly of Isabella. I never imagined she'd stoop so low. I'm just grateful I realized in time, before I lost the chance to mentor someone as promising as you."

She was genuinely regretful.

Once, she'd treated Isabella like her own student—pouring in time, attention, and care. She never imagined Isabella would cross that line. Plagiarism was the ultimate betrayal for any musician—a line you simply don't cross.

But Isabella had crossed it. That was that. No more regrets.

At least she'd recognized the truth before she made a terrible mistake.

"We'll need to plan this carefully," Arianna said at last. "For now, we can't move

against Isabella just yet."

Emily nodded. "I understand."

Arianna patted her hand gently. "Get some rest. I need to meet with the other judges

to go over the final scores. I'll come by tomorrow to check on you."

“Go ahead, Ms. George," Emily said softly. "I'll be fine here."

Arianna hesitated, then decided to be honest with Emily.

"There's something you need to know. Your score in the finals... it might not look good. I just want you to be prepared."

After all, Emily's performance had been completely derailed by the plagiarism scandal-there was no way she could have scored well.