Chapter 367:

Elyse spent the entire afternoon playing her violin, stopping only when dinner was ready. By the time she returned to the living room, Jayden had already arrived home. He set down his phone and raised an eyebrow. "Why so much practice today?"

Lifting her chin proudly, she replied, "Cody accepted me as his apprentice. I start at his studio tomorrow, joining four others."

Jayden looked taken aback. "You're sure? Maybe you misunderstood."

Frustrated by his disbelief, Elyse quickly asked Driscoll to confirm. "Tell him I've been accepted by Cody."

Driscoll nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Yep, I was there. Mr. Tucker really sees her potential."

Jayden's tone softened. "Well, he's good, and he clearly has an eye for talent."

Elyse snorted. "I'll be learning from him, and I'll improve so much."

Excitement bubbling inside, she hurried upstairs with her violin case. Jayden watched her with a helpless smile before turning to Driscoll. "She's quite lucky, isn't she?"

Driscoll shook his head. "No, she's genuinely talented."

Jayden smiled warmly.

In her room, Elyse messaged her friends from the Celestial Sounds Symphony, but with a performance imminent, they were too busy rehearsing to respond. She then messaged Richie and Tracy.

She didn't expect an immediate reply, but Richie called. Answering quickly, she asked, "Aren't you busy?"

"I'm done," Richie replied. "I have time now." After a pause, he asked, "So you just found out you're his apprentice?"

His question confused her. "What do you mean? You already knew."

"Yeah, he came back from abroad for you. He knew from the beginning."

Elyse was stunned. "But I've never met him. Why would he come here for me?"

Richie explained, "I showed him a video of your performance in the park, and he was intrigued. When you later competed for concertmaster of the Celestial Sounds Symphony, and word got out he was looking for an apprentice, I was confused because you were already his choice."

Elyse felt overwhelmed. "So I've been his apprentice this whole time? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Richie seemed embarrassed. "At first, Uncle Cody told me not to say anything. Then I got caught up in my own work and forgot. I assumed you knew."

"Why do you call him uncle?" she asked.

"Because he is my uncle," he replied proudly.

Elyse was taken aback. "Wow, I guess I missed that completely."

Richie chuckled. "When you visit my uncle's studio tomorrow, you'll meet his other apprentices. They're not easy; they're stuck-up and hard to please."

The description made Elyse nervous. "Really? Are they difficult?"

"I can't handle them, so I rarely visit," Richie said definitively.

Elyse bit her lip, her emotions swirling. After Richie hung up, she sat on the sofa feeling uneasy. His description of them as stuck-up made her think of Vicky. Would four Vickys be waiting for her?

Meanwhile, in his office, Theo stared blankly at a photo on his phone. An assistant approached. "Elyse isn't on the list for the Celestial Sounds Symphony's performance. I'm looking into it."

Theo raised his head, surprised. "Wasn't she the concertmaster last time? Why isn't she on the list now?"

The assistant replied respectfully, "I'm investigating. I'll get back to you."

Theo frowned, concerned. Was Elyse sick? He hadn't heard any recent updates.

(noveldrama)