Ready to Rule: The Real Heiress Strikes Back novel Chapter 485

The entire room fell silent again, everyone still reeling from the shock.

Maestro Richie’s own mentor was the legendary Melody Mastro. Even Richie himself had mentioned he’d only met her a handful of times. And yet…

Kylie and Cameron could barely breathe from the excitement and disbelief. Was this really their daughter? Their sweet, quiet girl turned out to be this extraordinary?

Melody Mastro.

How many more secrets did Lydia have? How could she be at the top of every field she touched? She was only eighteen.

On stage, Lucinda finally let herself glance over at Lydia’s side of the room. She’d been so sure that Lydia and Connor would be staring at her, wishing they were in her place, surrounded by all this attention. She wondered, was Connor already regretting his choice, picking that plain country girl over her? Were their parents and Blake finally seeing who truly deserved the spotlight?

And Lydia—was she burning up with jealousy, wishing she could be as graceful and admired as Lucinda?

Lucinda had imagined every possible scenario, but not the one in front of her now. Lydia was surrounded by people. Not just a few, but a much bigger crowd than Lucinda had. And right by Lydia’s side stood none other than Juliette, the president of the International Piano Society, along with Maestro Richie himself.

Wait… what was happening? Why were they all with Lydia? Did they actually know her?

Lucinda shook her head. That couldn’t be. Lydia had never even played the piano, so how could she met someone as important as President Juliette?

Then she spotted Kylie and Cameron nearby, and suddenly, Lucinda thought she understood. Maybe her performance had been so impressive that her mentor and Juliette had gone over to congratulate her parents. And Lydia, not even knowing how to play piano, was probably just jealous and hoping to get Richie to take her on as a student.

That idea made Lucinda’s expression tighten.

Lucinda’s jaw clenched as she held back her frustration. She stepped right up to the group and spoke, her voice sharp and clear. “Sir, is my sister asking to be your student?”

The sudden interruption brought everything to a halt. Everyone looked at her, confused.

Richie blinked, unsure. “Your sister?” he asked.

He honestly thought Lucinda must mean someone else. After all, Lydia was his own mentor, Melody Mastro.

Lucinda nodded quickly. “Yes, she’s my sister. Mom and Dad wanted to introduce her to you before, to see if she could become your student, but she always refused. Is she changing her mind today? Does she want to study with you now?”