But she never got the chance to speak.
Seated at the piano, Serena's slender, elegant fingers were already on the black and white keys.
Slowly, she pressed down.
The moment the first note flowed from the piano, Isabella's face went deathly pale.
That was...
That was the piece she had just played!
The original song she had just performed!
How could Serena know how to play it?! Impossible!
That was her original composition!
This was the first time she had ever performed it publicly.
How did Serena know it?
Could it be... she learned it just by listening to it once?
How was that possible?! How could Serena possess such an incredible gift?
But as the notes continued to pour forth...
It was a complete and perfect replication of her original piece.
No!
It wasn't a replication.
It was an elevation.
The beautiful notes danced at Serena's fingertips.
Across the hall, guests closed their eyes, completely mesmerized.
"This... this is the same piece the young Miss Lancaster played just a moment ago!"
"It's true, it's just as this young lady said. Miss Lancaster's performance really did have mistakes! And they weren't minor flaws, either!"
"The same song, but in Miss Serena's hands, it flows like water. The power, the emotion... it's all so much stronger than Miss Lancaster's version!"
"It's like she's breathed a soul into this piece!"
With the same piece played one after the other, the contrast couldn't have been more obvious.
From technique to fingering to musical interpretation...
Serena's performance had utterly and completely decimated Isabella, leaving nothing but dust in her wake.
Even a layman could clearly feel the chasm in their abilities.
This time, Isabella had lost, completely and utterly!
Riley, hiding in a corner of the terrace, took a final drag from his cigarette and irritably stubbed it out.
"Where the hell is my goddess?! I've looked everywhere, and I still can't find her!"
He propped his hands on the railing, staring out at the green expanse beyond the estate and running a hand through his hair in frustration. "It's too loud in there. It's getting in the way of my search."
"You can say that again," Trevor
said, leaning back against the railing. "Riley, you just turned twenty. The way those socialites were looking at you... like a pack of hungry wolves spotting a lamb. They were dying fo throw themselves at you."
Darius clucked his tongue and grinned. "Our Riley has reached the age for a strategic marriage."
"Get lost!" Riley shot him a glare. "It's
supposed to be a coming-of-age party, but they had to turn it into a matchmaking banquet. They even had that talent show for the
socialites. On the surface, they say its about finding a great teacher but in reality... isn't it all just for marriage alliances?"
He pouted. "I can't be bothered to watch their pretentious
performances, especially... that one from the Lancaster family. The way she was looking at my brother she was practically devouring him with her eyes."
५
At the mention of Nicholas, Trevor's interest was piqued. "Riley, I heard something's going on with Nicholas. Is it true?"
Riley flicked his bangs. "I don't know what's going on with him, but I do know that
my heart belongs only to my dream girl! I'm staying pure for her! Saving myself for my goddess!"
Trevor and Darius were speechless.
Riley, that's enough!
Look at how pathetic you sound.
It's truly pitiful.
As they were talking, Riley, with his head of brightly colored hair, glanced toward the
banquet hall. "Why'd it get so quiet in there? Is the talent show over?"