Rising From Betrayal Reborn As The Family Outcast novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

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

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

songs.

“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 you think?”

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

“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.

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.

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Chapter 54

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

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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.

After playing a skillful piece on the piano, Nicole moved gracefully to a violin, then a cello, each time sharing a personal anecdote about the instrument.

“I first saw this violin in a gallery overseas and completely fell in love with it,” she recalled. “I tried to buy it, but it wasn’t for sale. They wouldn’t take any offer. I left feeling so disappointed.

“Then, on my birthday, my eldest brother gave it to me as a surprise.

“I have no idea how he managed to get it, but I know it couldn’t have been easy. It meant the world to me.

“And this one,” she added warmly, “was from my second brother…”

It gradually dawned on the students that this wasn’t merely a display of musical talent. It was a curated exhibition of familial devotion.

They played along with appreciative remarks. “Your brothers are so thoughtful, Ms. Hammond.”

Nicole’s expression grew tender. “All three of my brothers are wonderful. Having them in my life is my greatest blessing”

She even sighed lightly, adding how her family would have the housekeeper deliver an assortment of instruments whenever she expressed interest in learning a new one, just so she could find the perfect fit.

Yet the ones she truly valued, she emphasized, were always those chosen personally by her father or brothers, each gift a tangible token of their affection.

The underlying message was elegantly clear: she belonged to a world of privilege and was cherished without reserve.

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Chapter 54

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The students responded with smiling nods and murmurs of admiration, while the live chat filled with fervent praise from Nicole’s fans.

They eagerly reminded other viewers that the Hammonds were genuine old-money aristocracy, emphasizing the family’s deep legacy and the formidable influence of Hammond Group.

Nicole, they declared, was the living embodiment of that legacy, a treasured princess whose life was the very definition of being loved and lavished upon.

All of this served Nicole’s underlying purpose for today’s performance.

With Alicia’s departure from Starlight Entertainment to Lucent Media, she had effectively freed herself from the narrative control and public relations machinery that had previously constrained her.

As long as Alicia remained in the entertainment industry, their paths were bound to intersect, and their true identities would eventually become public knowledge.

Nicole was convinced that Alicia was quietly preparing a significant move against her, and she had been meticulously planning her own response.

Beyond showcasing her musical versatility, today’s display was carefully designed to reinforce her image as the beloved favorite of the Hammond family.

Even if Alicia were the biological daughter, Leo had never gone to such lengths for her, buying a historic piano at auction overseas, for instance.

Nicole, though a stepdaughter, was the one publicly recognized and celebrated.

The fact that she, not the biological child, received such visible affection was meant to inspire envy and admiration from onlookers while simultaneously unsettling Alicia.

After demonstrating each instrument, Nicole decided to incorporate the flute into her upcoming song.

The visual of her playing it while dancing on stage, she believed, would create a memorable performance.

The trainees, as expected, offered their unanimous approval.

***

Elsewhere, in another practice room, almost coincidentally at the same time, Sean and his team had just finished rearranging their song and were discussing adding instrumental layers.

“Let’s experiment with blending in different instruments,” Sean suggested, looking around. “We could try bowed lyre, harp, flute, guitar, bass, drums. See what complements the track best.”

He then asked, “Who here plays any of these?”

Several hands went up. “I play electric guitar.”

I’m on bass.”

I can handle drums.”

Darren also raised his hand. “I play guitar, and I know a bit of drums, too.”

After everyone had spoken, the team’s attention turned naturally to Alicia.

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She smiled easily. “I can play all of those. Just point me where you need me.”

A soft chorus of impressed murmurs and a few audible “wows” filled the room.

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Sean grinned, looking relieved. “Ms. Delaney, would you mind taking the lead on the classical instrument arrangements, then?”

“Glad to,” Alicia replied with a nod.

The team submitted their requested instruments to the production group, who promptly fulfilled the order.

Sean then assigned each instrument to the members who could play them, and the rehearsal began in earnest.

One by one, they listened as Alicia moved between the harp, the flute, and the bowed lyre.

The production group had also supplied a cimbalom and a mandolin, which she fluidly incorporated into the arrangement at the team’s request, testing how each instrument blended with the song.

It quickly became evident that Alicia was not merely familiar with these instruments. She possessed a notable degree of skill.

Curiosity piqued, the team asked her to demonstrate the electric guitar, bass, and drums as well, which she did with equal

ease.

[Alicia is seriously impressive.]

[I had no idea she was this capable with instruments, not just singing and dancing.]

[She’s skilled in both classical and modern instruments. How is she this versatile?]

[And she’s genuinely proficient in all of them.]

[Is there anything Alicia can’t do?]

[Funny. Nicole is also showcasing instruments right now. Both rooms synced up.]

[Though Alicia’s doing it because the team needed it. Nicole seemed to plan hers out, complete with a whole narrative.]

[She’s not just showing off instruments. It’s more about flaunting her wealthy family, the doting dad and brothers, that whole “look how privileged I am” vibe.]

[Right, she didn’t even use the show’s instruments. Had to have the family butler deliver her own.]

[Did the drama queen next door change tactics?]

[First, she’s all about being professional and responsible, and now it’s just showing off]

[Maybe this is closer to who she really is.]

While dedicated fans tended to stay within their favorite contestant’s livestream, general viewers often moved between all four rooms.

Those who switched from the first stream to the fourth noticed Alicia also performing with instruments and couldn’t help but draw comparisons.

The response was telling: viewers perceived Alicia’s demonstration as organic and skill-based, eliciting admiration.

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In contrast, Nicole’s carefully staged showcase, which emphasized familial wealth over musical talent, was met with considerably more skepticism.

Moreover, on a purely technical level, Alicia’s command of both classical and contemporary instruments clearly surpassed Nicole’s more limited repertoire.

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