The crowd buzzed with spection, everyone whispering their own theories and opinions.


    The hotter Ste''s fame burned, the more controversy swirled around her.


    Not that any of it touched her. Ste remained unbothered.


    Soon, the day of the finals arrived.


    To prevent the strongestpetitors from knocking each other out early-letting a lucky underdog slip through to second or third ce thepetition wasn''t set up as a simple elimination. Instead, they used a points system.


    The ten finalists would each face a gauntlet: solo performances, ensemble work, and a round-robin of head-to-head duels. Every match and performance earned points, and in the end, the three highest scorers would be crowned champion, runner-up, and third ce.


    This format demanded not only skill, but also stamina and steady nerves. For every contestant, it was a true test of endurance and mentality.


    Ste had made it to the finals. Abby, Candida Fletcher, Antoney, Neville, and Marvin Connolly all showed up to support her.


    The concert hall was packed-every seat taken. Scanning the crowd, Ste even spotted quite a few international faces.


    This time, Mr. Walden himself had been invited to deliver the opening speech.


    He spoke at length, his words brimming with encouragement. Up on stage, most of the contestants-everyone except Ste and Rachel-looked visibly moved, some even trembling with excitement.


    Ste wasn''t surprised. Once, she too had idolized Mr. Walden. These days, the pedestal she''d ced him on had long since crumbled, but she still respected him. His talent and achievements were unrivaled in the field-no one could deny that.


    When Mr. Walden finished, the host smiled and asked, "We''ve heard that your most promising protégé ispeting today, and she''s the odds-on favorite to win. Mr. Walden, how do you feel about that?"


    With decades of fame, Mr. Walden''sposure was legendary. He responded with a few gracious, diplomatic remarks.


    In the audience, Antoney frowned at the scene. "Bringing up Mr. Walden''s student so openly before thepetition even starts is bound to put pressure on the others. It''s not fair."


    Abby rolled her eyes. "Since when is anything in this world actually fair? The fact that Mr. Walden was invited to give the opening speech might be a way to boost Rachel."


    Antoney suddenly lowered his voice. "I heard from some people in the industry- three of the four special guest judges at the finals are Mr. Walden''s protégés."


    After all, if the organizers were inviting special guests, they''d want big names. And among those qualified to judge or mentor, at least half were linked to Mr. Walden. Of not his direct students, then they''d been mentored by him, or they were


    students of his students.


    It was clear: Mr. Walden''s influence in the field was unshakable.


    Abby looked worried. "Do you think they''ll try to trip Ste up? Or maybe give Rachel an easy ride?"


    Antoney shook his head. "With so many eyes on them, I doubt they''d be that tant. But... whether they''ll make things difficult for Ste, that''s another question."


    With Mr. Walden''s speech concluded, thepetition finally began.


    To ramp up the excitement, the organizers changed the original schedule-solo performances would have to wait. Instead, the first day


    Kick off with the head-to-head


    round robin.


    Each contestant would face every other contestant twice, giving the judges a


    chance to see who had improved since thest round.


    Though no one would be eliminated after a single loss, the format was still merciless.


    A win meant ten points; a loss, zero.


    That meant if someone kept losing, they''d be left in the dust, while a winning streak could put a contestant so far ahead, nobody else could catch up.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!