Chapter 331: The Present

At 6:00 PM, after dinner with Nathael, Maggie returned to the Camerons' mansion. The atmosphere was tense, with the University Piano Competition only a week away. Joseph remained listless; since Maggie leaked the recording, Ronald was visibly disappointed and barely acknowledged him. Olivia, while urging Sierra to practice, also attended to Joseph, adding to the strained atmosphere. A palpable tension existed between Olivia and Ronald, further contributing to the house's air of unease.

"You're home, Maggie," Noah greeted, smiling.

"Hello, Uncle Noah," Maggie replied, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze.

Ronald chimed in, "You're back. How's the preparation for the upcoming round? Are you confident?"

Maggie paused. "Dad, I played piano for a while, but due to lack of time and systematic learning, I'm not very confident."

Sierra, overhearing, sneered. She seemed to interpret Maggie's comment as a criticism of her own lack of practice.

"If that's the case, Maggie, you must be naturally talented, being self-taught," Sierra quipped.

Maggie glanced at her. "I received guidance from Mr. Dunphy a few times, but without structured learning and consistent practice, I'm rusty."

Sierra sneered again. "You need to compose yourself for the third round. How's your preparation?" (In the previous round, she'd advanced thanks to her grandfather's connections. The third round, however, focused on composition. Her grandfather had enlisted experts to help, and she'd practiced diligently, confident of success.)

Maggie smiled. "I'm still working on it."

Ronald nodded. "Make sure you all prepare well. We've invested heavily in this, but things are worsening. I hope you give your best."

Upstairs, Maggie passed Sierra in the hallway. Noticing the hickeys on Maggie's neck, Sierra's hand clenched, anger surging within her. She turned and called out, "Maggie!"

Maggie faced her in the dim light. Sierra's face, though still attractive, looked fierce. "Where did you sneak off to last night?" (She knew who had left the marks but couldn't help asking; the thought of his gentleness toward Maggie filled her with misery.)

Maggie chuckled. "Do I need to report to you?"

"You're not even married, yet you shamelessly sleep with others. Have you no shame?" Sierra exclaimed.

Maggie sneered, her eyes cold. "I didn't know you were so old-fashioned. Are you living in the ancient times?"

Sierra knew her words were unfounded but couldn't restrain herself.

Maggie gave her a cold look. "Instead of worrying about this, focus on winning the next round. Don't repeat your embarrassing mistakes. You've played for so long; I feel embarrassed for you," Maggie said with a smirk. "And don't try anything with Nathael. He's not interested in someone like you. You're a joke to him," Maggie added, exposing and crushing Sierra's secret desire.

"Maggie!" Sierra's eyes reddened, her anger escalating.

Is she losing her mind? Maggie thought. That's exactly what I want!

Moving closer, Maggie whispered, "So what if you're a Cameron? Right now, you're a nobody. You're useless to the Camerons, and soon, everything in this house will be mine."

Enraged, Sierra pushed Maggie and raised her hand to slap her.

Tears welled in Maggie's eyes. "Sierra, I know you want to win. Don't worry. I won't steal your thunder"

Ronald's angry voice cut through the tension. "Sierra! What are you doing?"

Sierra sobbed. "Dad, this bitch wants to take everything from our family! From me!"

Maggie looked down, smiling bitterly. "You're overthinking it. I won't take anything from this family."

"Y-You just said something completely different!" Sierra trembled.

Ronald looked at her coldly. "If you embarrass us again in the third round, you'll be sent abroad. I won't want to see you again. I can't bear it!" (His mood had been terrible lately, burdened by debt and pressure. Nothing was going smoothly, and he could no longer pretend otherwise.)

Olivia intervened, pulling Sierra away. "What's wrong with you? You've been fine until Maggie returned," Olivia said, prompting a smirk from Maggie. Olivia's still more cunning, Maggie thought.

With such troublesome children, I wonder if her life will ever be smooth sailing, Maggie mused.

"Dad, I'll go back to my room to write music" Maggie said, heading to her room.

Sierra, hearing this, looked at the bag in her hand. Write music? She was curious to see what Maggie would compose.

That night, Maggie practiced piano late in the upstairs living room, deliberately keeping Sierra awake. She practiced intermittently, also writing music on the sofa.

Around 10:00 PM, Sierra could take no more. She stormed out, scolding, "Will you ever stop? I'm trying to sleep!"