After Being Replaced I Left Them All Behind-Now They Regret It novel Chapter 99

Chapter 99

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Chapter 99

The next two days were spent in a focused rush of creativity, with each team working intensely to rearrange their songs.

That afternoon, Nicole gathered her four trainees and presented them with a revised draft of the lyrics and melody.

“Tell me what you think,” she said, before singing the updated version for them from start to finish.

When she finished, the trainees offered polite, unanimous praise. “It sounds great, Ms. Hammond.”

One of them ventured cautiously, “Does this mean the arrangement is final?”

In Nicole’s team, all creative decisions rested firmly with the guest mentors.

The trainees weren’t invited to contribute ideas. They could barely even offer feedback.

Their main hope was simply for Nicole and Felicity to settle on a version quickly so they could begin choreography.

But Nicole shook her head lightly. “Something still feels incomplete.”

She fell quiet for a moment, then looked up. “Maybe it needs instrumental texture. What do

“Instrumentation could help,” one trainee agreed mildly. “What did you have in mind?”

you think?”

“Since we’ve shifted the song toward a pop style,” Nicole said after musing, “maybe we should try some contemporary instruments.”

“Could be worth trying.” The trainees nodded, less out of conviction than habit.

They had come to recognize Nicole’s pattern, She rarely asked for their opinions unless she was gently steering them toward a decision she had already made.

Sure enough, a pleased smile touched her lips. “Actually, I had a few instruments brought over from home. I’ll try each one, and you can tell me which sounds best.”

The trainees responded with practiced enthusiasm. “That’s amazing! We’ve never heard you play before.”

“Go ahead, Ms. Hammond. Let’s hear it!”

But beneath their encouraging tones lay a shared sense of resignation.

Being assigned to Nicole’s team felt like a stroke of bad luck, a realization that the guest mentors were less interested in collaboration than in using the trainees as a polite audience for their own showcase.

Nicole made a brief call, and not long after, a polished grand piano, a flute, a violin, a cello, a saxophone, and a high-end acoustic guitar were wheeled into the practice room.

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13:16 Wed, May 13

Chapter 99

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The collection was visibly expensive, and the trainees exchanged glances, especially at the sight of the piano, given that a perfectly functional one already stood in the corner of the studio.

Noticing their silent curiosity, Nicole offered a light explanation. “I perform best with my own instruments. Using anything else disrupts my focus. That’s why I had them sent over.”

The trainees murmured understandingly. “Of course, familiarity makes a difference.”

But inwardly, many found the gesture unnecessarily indulgent, not that any of them would dare say so aloud.

Nicole settled onto the piano bench, her fingers brushing lightly over the keys.

A quick-witted student smiled and chimed in, “Ms. Hammond, this piano looks special, like it has a story. Would you tell us about it?”

Nicole’s expression softened. “Good guess. It once belonged to Mr. Drake Pierce. Actually, it was auctioned off in Meridia about three years back.”

A fond smile touched her lips. “When my father heard how much I loved it, he bid on it overseas and surprised me with it as a gift.”

Another student chimed in warmly, “So this piano really has a history.”

With admiration, he added, “Your dad sounds amazing, Ms. Hammond.”

A soft light filled Nicole’s eyes. “He is. Honestly, he’s the best father I could ever ask for.”

She was, of course, referring to her stepfather, Leo, a man who had shown her a kindness and stability her birth father never had.

Through him, she learned what true paternal love felt like.

There were no raised voices or harsh punishments, no sense that she was an investment to be traded away one day, and certainly no disappointment over her gender.

Instead, Leo gave her not just an allowance but genuine generosity, celebrated her milestones, showed up at school events, and even threw her an elaborate coming-of-age party.

It was a love she cherished deeply and one she was determined to protect from Alicia’s rivalry.

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