?<strong>Chapter 773:</strong>


    Kallie nced at Sophie. “No matter if you win or lose, you’ll always be the best to me.”


    Kallie’s words offort had the desired effect. Sophie’s nerves began to melt away. She beamed at Kallie. “Thank you.”


    The tenderness in their exchange only seemed to irritate R more, and with a huff, she mmed the lid of her piano shut. Her anger and frustration were met with a dismissive apathy.


    Now it was Sophie’s turn. She approached the piano, taking a deep breath to steady herself.


    Sophie sat up straight, her posture far moremanding than R’s. This wasn’t something Kallie had pressured Sophie into training for. It was the result of Sophie’s self-discipline.


    Sophie believed that before engaging in anything she loved, she needed to adopt the right mindset and present herself in the best possible light.


    Sophie raised her hand and gently brushed the piano keys, producing a faint, monotonous tone at the start. R let out a loud, mockingugh, but Sophie stayed focused.


    Gradually, the rhythm picked up, and Sophie’s fingers danced effortlessly across the keys. The music flowed, filled with delicate tenderness and vibrant energy.


    It wasn’t just a showcase of skill. Sophie’s music resonated with her emotions, captivating everyone in the room.


    When Sophie finished ying, many in the audience hadn’t even reacted. Then, one person began to p, and soon a wave of apuse swept through the room, far more genuine and enthusiastic than the apuse R had received.


    It was just a piece of music performed on a mediocre piano. The performance would have been even more breathtaking had Sophie yed on R’s piano. A formal judgment was unnecessary. It was clear who had won.


    R stood frozen, her face flushed with disbelief. How had Sophie, with an inferior piano, yed so beautifully? She could ept someone talented, but this level was another matter entirely. It felt like a personal insult, a mockery of all her years of practice.


    Sophie stood up and, with a slight smirk, faced R. “So, who do you think won?”


    R gritted her teeth, her face a mixture of fury and humiliation. She didn’t want to admit it, but with so many eyes on her, she relented. “You won. I won’t bother that girl anymore.”


    Sophie nced at Kallie, and their shared smile was a beacon of victory. Their radiant smiles felt like daggers to R.


    But just as they were about to walk away, R shouted in frustration, “She’s fine, but I’m going after you now! My dad’s the main investor, and I’ll make sure you’re disqualified frompeting!”


    R raised her hand and pointed usatorily at Sophie. The smiles on Kallie and Sophie’s faces instantly froze. R snapped at thepetition staff, “Get these two out of here! I’m just saying she can’tpete. What’s so unreasonable about that? If you don’t, I’ll have my dad pull his funding!”


    Once R finished speaking, she slipped back into her typical arrogant demeanor.


    A staff member approached awkwardly, addressing Sophie and Kallie, “Ladies, please… You need to leave.”


    Noticing that Kallie and Sophie remained defiantly in ce, the staff exchanged uneasy nces before nudging them, gently but firmly, toward the exit. Just then, a team of towering bodyguards strode into the room, each exuding silent, menacing authority. Their eyes flicked toward Kallie and Sophie with a cold, calcting look, as if sizing them up, ready to act at the slightestmand.


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