Chapter 268:
The reporters were unconcerned by Elyse's late arrival, preventing Vicky from exploiting the situation. Vicky sulked in silence. Once Elyse returned, the reporters focused their questions on her, ignoring Vicky entirely. Unlike Vicky, Elyse didn't monopolize the attention. She acknowledged other orchestra members, even mentioning those rehearsing. She genuinely suggested, "If you're curious, I highly recommend watching our rehearsal. You'll see how hard everyone's working. That dedication is why our first performance was so successful."
Vicky resisted rolling her eyes at Elyse's sincerity, but the cameras kept her from doing so. She was the only one unhappy. The reporters' presence allowed everyone to speak openly without considering Vicky's feelings.
After the interview, they led the reporters to the rehearsal room. The rehearsing musicians were initially confused, but their excitement grew when they realized the reporters were filming them. Once the filming was complete, the reporters left.
Their manager arrived shortly afterward and sharply asked Elyse, "Where were you? How could you disappear at such a crucial moment?"
"I'm so sorry. It was my fault," Elyse admitted softly, her voice serious.
The manager gave her a brief reprimand before dismissing her. Elyse limped away, unsure who had locked her in, vowing to find out and confront them.
Vicky had been assigned concertmaster for the next performance. Elyse followed the manager's instructions, participating fully in rehearsals despite not holding the concertmaster position.
A fortnight later, Elyse completed her second performance as concertmaster. She had already gained a significant following.
After the performance, as Elyse left the concert hall with the orchestra, she was immediately surrounded by enthusiastic young fans eager for photos. Staff members escorted her to the bus, one joking, "Looks like we have a real star concertmaster!"
Flustered by their teasing, Elyse blushed, clutching her violin case as she found a seat and sat down quietly. She didn't notice Vicky's dark, bitter expression. Vicky, a former rising star with her own fanbase, considered herself the true star concertmaster and resented Elyse's success. She suppressed her anger.
"Hey, Elyse, you're trending," a girl beside her said, pointing at her phone. "Everyone's praising your performance."
Elyse glanced at the screen but quickly looked away at another trending topic: "Mabel'sNewAlbum." She felt uneasy. How could Mabel release a new album so quickly? Had she commissioned ghostwriters?
She put on her headphones and listened to Mabel's songs, her face paling. They were her songs. How had Mabel obtained them? The thought that Mabel would steal and release her original works hadn't occurred to her.
Watching fans praise Mabel's album, Elyse's anger flared. Those were her compositions.
Late that afternoon, instead of going home, Elyse instructed the driver to take her to Mabel's agency. After identifying herself to the receptionist, she was told, "Mabel isn't available. She has a very busy schedule. Can I help you with anything else?"
Elyse asked, "Is Mabel's agent here? I need to speak with her."
The receptionist, though puzzled, relayed the message. Mabel's agent, still on her phone, soon appeared, a businesslike figure in a suit and heels. She hung up after a few minutes.
"Ms. Lloyd, I remember you. How may I help you?" she asked, then offered two glasses of water, one for herself and one for Elyse.
Elyse stared at the water, her expression grim. "Are you aware that the songs on Mabel's latest album were composed by me?" she asked sharply.