Chapter 436:

Elyse, concerned for Fiona, turned to Darren and said, "I'm going to check on her."

"Go ahead," Darren replied, exhaling heavily but making no move to stop her.

Elyse quickly followed Fiona, who had just disappeared down a dimly lit corridor. The sparse light cast a ghostly glow on Fiona's pale face. Approaching cautiously, Elyse tried to offer comfort. "Fiona, please, don't be upset."

"Get lost! Just stop bothering me!" Fiona snapped, her hands covering her face as she doubled over in pain. Her sharp, cutting voice reverberated through the empty corridor.

Elyse, rooted to the spot, struggled to find the right words. After a pause, she ventured, "Try not to look on the dark side. Perhaps you'll move on to the next round."

"Get the hell out of my face! I don't want to see you. You're just making it worse!" Fiona's voice was thick with irritation, her agitation increasing at the mere sight of Elyse. Fiona pointed toward the corridor's exit and shouted, "Just go! I can't stand to look at you."

Elyse quietly exited the corridor, realizing Fiona's distress was deeper than she'd anticipated. Sighing, she turned to head back, but as she passed the restroom, someone emerged and collided with her.

Elyse nearly lost her balance but recovered quickly. "Sorry, I was lost in thought and didn't see you." Noticing a piece of paper on the floor, she picked it up and handed it to the man.

He smiled gratefully. "Thanks."

Elyse shrugged off the incident and continued backstage, finding Darren already seated and relaxed. He casually inquired about Fiona's condition, though he didn't delve too deeply. After all, they were competitors, and his concern didn't run as deep as Elyse's.

They exchanged a few words, and as the competition drew to a close, they both waited anxiously for the results. Suddenly, a scandal erupted. A contestant was accused of conspiring with a judge to obtain their pre-selected music piece ahead of time.

The rumor quickly spread among the contestants, sparking curiosity and whispers about who might be involved in such deceit.

From the crowd, Mariana's voice rose sharply. "Who else could it be but Rebekah Bentley? She was in my group during the first round. She messed up twice in one piece yet still scored higher than me. Who else but she could have cheated?"

Rebekah clenched her jaw and retorted, "Don't throw accusations without proof. I can sue you for defamation!"

Mariana smirked, undeterred. "Then explain how else you could have done better than me?"

Caught in the middle, Rebekah glanced at Elyse, who stood bewildered.

Elyse was baffled by Rebekah's stare. Was she being accused of cheating? Had Rebekah gone insane?

Backstage was bustling, yet the judges seemed unaffected as they continued scoring. Eventually, the results were announced. The host summoned ten contestants to the stage for the final round, vying for the last eight spots in an international competition.

From below the stage, Elyse watched as Vicky, Darren, and Rebekah, along with Fiona, who had faltered earlier, were called. Her name, however, was conspicuously absent. She stood dumbfounded.

Onstage, Darren noticed Elyse was missing and saw Rebekah smirking. He was well aware of Rebekah's usual performance level. Rebekah had never even passed the internal competition at the Celestial Sounds Symphony, so how could she have outperformed Elyse?

Puzzled, Darren stepped forward and challenged, "Is this ranking truly reflective of our skills?"

Vicky rolled her eyes. "What else would it be based on?"

Darren, undeterred, gestured toward Rebekah and pressed, "If skill is the criterion, does Rebekah Bentley's presence here seem justified to you?"

Vicky glanced at Rebekah. Though she found it odd, it didn't personally affect her standing.

Rebekah defensively retorted, "What are you implying? That I don't deserve to be here? My performance was flawless!"

Darren scowled. "But there were rumors of a contestant bribing judges to obtain the piece name early. Knowing your usual level, it's plausible you're involved."

Rebekah, indignant, countered, "That's absurd! I earned my place here honestly."

Darren shot back, "Then how did you manage to outdo Elyse? You're the least skilled among us in our orchestral group."

The argument escalated until a judge slammed his hand on the table, demanding, "Silence!"

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