Chapter 234:

That evening, Elyse went to bed early. To avoid being late, she left for the concert hall at dawn to change into her performance attire. Orchestra members began arriving one by one. Spotting Darren, Elyse approached him, only to find him staring intently at something, his brow furrowed with concern.

"What's wrong?" Elyse asked, her curiosity piqued. Darren glanced at her and nodded toward Vicky. "Doesn't she seem unwell?"

Elyse followed his gaze to where Vicky stood chatting with a group of orchestra members. After observing for a moment, she shrugged. "She seems fine to me."

Darren remained unconvinced. He approached Vicky briskly, grabbed her wrist, and demanded, "Vicky, stop acting. Are you out of your mind?"

"Let go!" Vicky retorted angrily, yanking her hand away. Her sharp, nasal tone echoed through the room, attracting everyone's attention. Darren sneered. "You're unwell, and you hid it from us. What if you collapse during the performance and shame our Celestial Sounds Symphony?"

"I'm not sick!" Vicky shouted, her voice raspy. "Stop lying!"

Darren turned to a nearby girl. "Ask the manager to check on Vicky." The girl nodded and hurried off. Vicky, panicking, tried to stop her, but dizziness overcame her. She swayed, fighting to stay upright.

Elyse rushed over and caught Vicky before she fainted. Feeling Vicky's heat, Elyse asked with concern, "Do you have a fever? Have you taken any medicine?"

Vicky pushed Elyse away. "I told you I'm fine! Leave me alone!" Elyse looked at Darren, her face a mix of frustration and resignation. Darren remained silent, his expression cold. Vicky glared at him.

Soon, the manager and staff arrived, one carrying a thermometer. They approached Vicky, but she dodged them. The manager, losing patience, fixed Vicky with a stern look. "Vicky, this isn't the time for stubbornness. We can't risk a mishap on our first tour stop. It would damage our reputation. Are you prepared to accept that responsibility?"

"You can't afford to make a mistake now. If you're sick, rest instead of performing. We've practiced so hard. Please don't ruin our efforts. Can you handle the responsibility to everyone? Even as concertmaster, you must follow the rules," the manager added.

Vicky hesitated, then relented. "Fine, give me the thermometer." The manager obliged, and Vicky placed it under her arm. Fifteen minutes later, she returned it. The manager checked the reading and exclaimed, "You have a high fever! Why are you so determined to perform? Don't you care about your health?"

Vicky remained silent. After a brief discussion, the manager appointed a new concertmaster, replacing Vicky. Feeling the orchestra's eyes on her, Elyse took a step back, nervously asking, "Is something wrong?"

The manager replied calmly, "I need to inform the concert hall staff about the change. We'll take Vicky to the hospital. Elyse, you'll replace Vicky. I'll inform the orchestra and handle any fallout."

Elyse's eyes widened in shock. She looked at Vicky, who returned a bitter gaze. Elyse tried to speak to Vicky, but the staff hurried her away. Elyse quickly adapted to the responsibilities and stage etiquette of the concertmaster role.

The once-peaceful backstage became tense. Vicky sat alone in a lounge, feeling abandoned, watching the others bustle around. Suddenly, a bottle of water appeared before her.

Surprised, she looked up and saw Darren's indifferent expression. Frustration laced her words. "Are you pleased now? I can't perform, and Elyse is taking my place. You went out of your way to ensure Elyse became concertmaster."

... (noveldrama continues)