She Was the Treasure All Along novel Chapter 165

But there was nothing she could do. Her expression hardened with resolve. She would just have to fight for it. She was, after all, considered the most talented young lady in Metropia. A single piano competition wasn't going to defeat her.

...

The day of the finals arrived. Loyce appeared at the venue dressed in a chic, classic white suit. She entered through the main doors and headed directly for the backstage area, a route reserved for staff and performers. Her familiar silhouette was spotted by Yuna.

"I think I just saw Loyce," Yuna immediately told Sybil. "She went backstage."

Sybil's posture stiffened. "Backstage? What would she be doing there?"

"It looked like she was heading toward the judges' area," Yuna added.

"Loyce never even entered the competition," Sybil insisted. "You must have been mistaken. There's no reason for her to be near the judges."

"How can you be so sure she didn't enter?" Yuna challenged. "I definitely saw her. What if Morris arranged for her to compete secretly? Sybil, you need to be careful. Don't let her steal the prize from you again."

Doubt began to creep into Sybil's mind. What if Loyce had been lying all along, planning to ambush her in the finals? Her thoughts began to spiral. "What should I do?"

Yuna gripped her arm and whispered, "Doesn't your mother know the organizers? Call her. Now."

...

Meanwhile, backstage, the staff and judges were buzzing about Mr. X's mysterious protégé. The competition was about to begin, and the guest of honor still hadn't arrived.

"So, when is this protégé of Mr. X actually going to show up?"

"Shh." Loyce raised a finger to her lips, signaling for him to be quiet. "The competition is about to start. Please show me to my seat."

As a special guest and Mr. X's protégé, Loyce was to remain behind the scenes for the first part of the competition, only making her appearance for the final duet segment. Her role was to watch the entire event from backstage and select one finalist to perform with.

The first part of the competition began.

As the finalists took turns on stage, Loyce sat in the wings, idly twirling a pen. The new format quickly weeded out the less adaptable performers, leaving only the truly talented.

She had to admit, Sybil had a solid foundation. The pressure seemed to have brought out her full potential, and she delivered a nearly flawless performance in the first round.

Loyce scored her fairly, giving her high marks. She did the same for Helena, another contestant who followed. The girl had come on stage with a visible injury, but her eyes burned with a fierce determination. Playing with an all-or-nothing attitude, she delivered a spectacular performance that also earned her a top score.