Chapter 556

“Kathleen, I just told you that I’m not used to being physically close with people outside my family. I don’t have anything against you, and I’ve left the past in the past. If you wish to make that argument, then would it be right for me to think that you’re the one who has been bothered by it all along?” Tessa asked.

Kathleen was stunned as she hadn’t expected Tessa to escape so easily. “It seems like I must have misunderstood you, Tessa.” Kathleen narrowed her eyes a little as she let out a laugh. In contrast, Tessa frowned when she heard those words. “Do you have anything else to say? I would like to head off to practice if there’s nothing else…?” Tessa was all out of patience when it came to Kathleen.

“1 just heard about the orchestra competition s rules, and I think you’ll do a great job. Good luck!”

Kathleen pretended not to hear the impatience in Tessa’s voice, and she cheered on Tessa instead.

Tessa felt goosebumps forming on her skin when she saw the sincere look on Kathleen’s face. Is she really the Kathleen that 1 used to know?

Although Tessa felt really uneasy, she didn’t show those emotions on her face as she replied graciously, “Thank you. I’ll work hard.” Then, she turned around after nodding goodbye.

The smile remained on Kathleen’s face even as she watched Tessa leave. However, there was a cold and sinister look in Kathleen’s eyes. She gritted her teeth as she thought, Do you think you’re going to get the role as the concertmaster, Tessa? In your dreams! I’ll never let you have it your way!

The very next morning, the orchestra’s management team released the competition’s rundown to everyone. All of the orchestra members gathered at the announcement board. “The orchestra will hire five of the most outstanding musicians in the industry as judges of the competition. These people will be the ones picking the concertmaster in order to ensure that everything is fair and square. As of now, the judges are Guntram Muller, Boris Smirnoff, Edgar Traynor, and Elijah Efron,” Hathaway announced.“Oh gosh, I can’t believe you managed to hire Mr. Muller as one of the judges, Miss Hathaway.” Guntram was one of the most widely recognized musicians—he was an all-rounded musician.“Hold on. There are only four judges here. Where’s the fifth?” a member piped up.“Could the fifth one be Scott?” someone asked.“I think it’s possible. Scott is really close to Miss Hathaway, and he’s a skilled musician as well. So, I bet that there’s a high chance of him being the last judge.”Many of the orchestra members noted agreeably. After that, they continued to look at the announcement. They realized that the date of the competition was set at the start of the following month. Everyone felt extra pressured by the thought of it. It was only a few weeks until the competition day. Soon enough, all of the members who had been surrounding the announcement board returned to their practice rooms. They didn’t have much time, after all—they had to cherish every moment that they had to practice. Tessa could sense the tension in the air, making her train even harder than before.When afternoon came, Scott showed up and jogged over to the rest of the orchestra team. He was tall and lanky—every part of his appearance screamed elegance. All the members hurried over to welcome him when they saw him arrive. “There you are, Mr. Brooks. It’s been a while.”“Can you tell us if you’ve agreed to be one of the judges for our competition?” someone asked out of curiosity.

However, Scott only smiled without making any comments. The few members decided to stop asking about the competition since they didn’t have an answer to it. A while after that, Scott followed Tessa to her practice room. However, she wasn’t aware of his presence as she was extremely focused on her violin.Scott didn’t bother to disturb her, either—he simply stood by the front door quietly. Tessa was dressed in a simple dress, and the smooth skin on her face made her look good even though she didn’t apply any foundation. Scott was utterly mesmerized by her looks, and a mixture of emotions seemed to fill his gaze as he stared at her. Finally, after a while, Tessa finished playing an entire song, and he raised his hands to applaud her.Tessa turned to eye the man puzzledly when she heard his voice.

“When did you come over, Mr. Brooks?” she asked.“I just arrived a while ago. I saw you practicing, so 1 didn’t want to bother you,” he explained. Then, with a smile on his face, he walked over to Tessa. “I realized that you’re really serious during your recent practices. Have you been stressed out over this matter?”“I guess so.” Tessa couldn’t deny it.“You’ll have to work hard, then. I’m not going to give you an easy way out,” Scott teased.