Chapter 1920
Cornelia beckoned with a warm smile as she entered the garden and spotted her granddaughters,
"Be, Alma, you''re both here. Perfect,e over, my dears."
Arabe had only wandered off a short distance when she heard her grandma call. She quickly
returned to Cornelia''s side.
"Grandma Cornelia, you needed to see both of us?" Alma''s face broke into a smile as if nothing had
happened earlier.
"Well, my dears, I have a friend who''s a violin maestro, and she’s been on the lookout for a protege.
She messaged me to ask if I knew anyone who might fit the bill. She''s looking for real talent."
Cornelia still held her smartphone, the chat window open, "Be''s already a master in her own right,
way beyond my friend''s skill level, so it got me thinking about you."
She patted Alma''s head affectionately, "You''ve loved the violin since you were a little girl, and you even
took lessons from Oswald, but he never truly passed on the torch. My friend, she''s more skilled than
Oswald, and I think you could really flourish under her tutge. Given some time, you could do great
things."
"Me?" Alma was caught in a bind. She couldn’t admit that she could no longer y the violin.
"Be here is Jamie Noelle. Since she''s around, why don''t you y something for her? Let’s see where
you stand. My friend has very high standards, and even if you''re talented and skilled, she might not be
convinced."
Cornelia was about to fetch a violin when Alma quickly interjected, “Grandma Cornelia, I’ve decided not
to pursue the violin professionally."
"Why ever not?" Cornelia was clearly surprised.
"I''ve set my sights high, you see. I had even thought about studying under Jamie Noelle." Alma
revealed with a yful grin as she spoke, "But I''ve realized that’s not really my calling. So I''ve made up
my mind. Music and arts will remain hobbies, and I n to focus on building a different career. But
thank you, Grandma Cornelia, for always thinking of me when opportunitiese up."
Seeing Alma had other ns, Cornelia nodded, "You''ve always been decisive, my child. If that''s what
you want, I won''t push. Whatever you both choose to do in the future, I''m behind you all the way."
Relieved, Alma offered a smile.
"Well, then, I''ll let my friend know I don''t have a suitable candidate at the moment." Cornelia was about
to leave when something else urred to her, "If you''re ever in need of advice, you can always turn to
Be. When ites to chess, she''s a Queen, a master of all sorts. For music, she’s both Melody and
Jamie Noelle; and in medicine, she''s Dr. Bell. Whatever path you choose, Be can surely give you a
few pointers."
Alma, not to be outdone but resigned to the situation, replied, "Of course, Grandma Cornelia."
"But I''ll say this upfront: just a few pointers. Don''t bother her too much. Be''s a busy girl," Cornelia
chuckled as she tapped her screen, replying to her old friend''s message, and walked back toward the
house.
Feeling a bit awkward, Alma looked up to find that Arabe had slipped away at some point.
What was with Arabe, not even wanting to spend an extra second with her? Why the rush?
N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.
That bitch Serena used to be around the Collins family all the time, and Arabe never seemed so put
off.
Could it be that she was even less appealing than that Serena?
From a distance, Arabe spotted the head of the bodyguard confronting a man who had been blocked
from escaping. Crossing half the garden, she approached the unfolding scene.
"Ms. Collins!" The head of the bodyguard seemed relieved at her arrival, his gaze falling on the
uninvited guest with suspicion, "This fellow was lurking around the basement skylight, acting all
sneaky."
At the bodyguard’s feet was a skylight that led down to the basement; a nce through it offered a
view into a corner of the subterranean space.