Chapter 584

The moon cast silvery beams through the music room windows as Evelyn Carter remained late into the night, her cello practice echoing through the empty halls.

With the internal competition looming and her wager with Cassandra Brown, every moment counted.

Cassandra's position as principal cellist proved she possessed genuine talent, making Evelyn push herself harder.

Though Leonard Herty had been giving her private lessons, the rest of the orchestra remained unaware of her rapid progress.

The deserted practice room provided perfect solitude, allowing Evelyn to immerse herself completely in the music.

Her fingers danced across the strings with newfound precision, unaware of the shadow pausing outside the door.

As principal cellist, Cassandra immediately recognized the mastery in the performance. The vibrato resonated with perfect pitch, each note brimming with emotion.

Her steps slowed involuntarily.

The technical brilliance combined with emotional depth surpassed anything she'd heard from their orchestra.

Cassandra edged closer, peering through the door's small window. When she saw Evelyn's focused expression, her face drained of color.

"This can't be!"

Evelyn's playing had been amateurish before - rough technique, frequent missed notes.

How had she transformed so dramatically in such short time?

If this continued, the internal selection...

Cassandra's nails dug into her palms, bitter envy twisting her features.

"Of course," she thought bitterly. "Private lessons from Maestro Herty make all the difference."

"But why her? Just because she comes from money?"

The injustice burned through her. Cassandra vowed to expose Evelyn's privileged advantage and humiliate her before the entire orchestra.

The selection would occur at the prestigious Symphony Hall nearby.

Participants were granted access the day before to familiarize themselves with the venue.

Leonard's coaching session ran overtime, discussing nuanced interpretations of the competition piece.

By the time Evelyn arrived, the orchestra group had already departed.

She hailed a cab, relieved the venue was only two stops away.

The grand concert hall stood empty, its usual bustle absent without scheduled performances.

While others knew the layout well, Evelyn navigated the maze-like backstage area for the first time.

After locating her assigned dressing room, she found nothing amiss and turned to leave.

Then came the unmistakable click of a lock engaging.

Her pulse spiked.

Evelyn rushed toward the sound, but the door was already secured from outside.

"Hello? Someone's still in here!" Her voice echoed unanswered.

This made no sense. The security desk had been manned when she arrived.

They'd confirmed locking wouldn't occur until after 8 p.m.

Her watch showed 7:30. Even accounting for getting lost, she should have had ten minutes.

Realization dawned - someone had deliberately trapped her.

Hands trembling, Evelyn grabbed her phone.

No signal.

The shadows seemed to press closer as the reality of her situation sank in.