The video call rang a few times before someone picked up. On the screen appeared a man with a refined, scholarly air, around fifty years old.
“Natalie?” His voice was warm, tinged with pleasant surprise. “What brings you to call me today? How are you?”
The easy, familiar tone made everyone at the table freeze. They all started wondering who was on the other end of the
line.
Natalie said, nodding at the screen. “Mr. Lopez, I’m doing great. There’s something I’d like to trouble you with.”
Evelyn thought, ‘Mr. Lopez? Which Mr. Lopez?‘
A wild guess shot through her mind, making her heart pound, but she immediately dismissed it. She thought, ‘How is that possible? Natalie’s been living in some poor village all this time.
‘Plus, she just finished her SATS a few days ago. There’s no way she knows Mr. Lopez.‘
“Oh, really? That’s a first. You’re actually asking me for a favor? What is it?” the man on the screen said, clearly intrigued.
Natalie didn’t answer right away. Instead, she angled the phone toward the dining table, aiming the camera at the group.
The moment everyone at the table saw the face on the screen, they were shocked. It really was Edward, the
world–renowned pianist, the man they called the Poet of the Keys.
Evelyn gasped, her eyes going wide. She nearly shot out of her chair. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from screaming.
The others were no less stunned. None of them could hide their shock.
Natalie said, her voice steady, “Mr. Lopez, this is my cousin, Nora. She’s been studying piano for years and greatly admires you. She has some questions. I was hoping you might give her a bit of guidance.”
“Your cousin?” Edward leaned closer to the screen, peering at Nora with curiosity. “Since when do you have a cousin?”
“I’ll explain another time,” Natalie replied, steering the conversation back on track.
Edward remarked, “Fine. Honestly, I don’t even need to hear her play. If you say she’s good, that’s good enough for me.”
The words landed like a thunderclap. The room went dead silent.
Evelyn’s heart leaped into her throat. Overjoyed, she was on the verge of tears.
She thought, ‘Did Mr. Lopez actually say that if Natalie gives the word, he’ll take Nora on as a student? It feels like hitting the jackpot.
Though Evelyn was baffled as to how her niece could know someone of such stature, her joy quickly drowned out her
confusion, and she didn’t dwell on it.
The way Evelyn looked at Natalic shifted instantly, her eyes now burning with eagerness and hope. She was practically
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19:36 Thu, 30 Apr G
Chapter 38
itching to accept on Natalie’s behalf.
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Nora’s head snapped up, disbelief flashing in her eyes. She thought, ‘It’s that easy? Just because Natalie said so?‘
Natalie’s brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. She turned the phone back toward herself. “Mr. Lopez, you haven’t even heard Nora play. Me saying she’s good is only my personal opinion,” she said, her tone still calm but carrying a hint of disapproval.
She glanced at Nora, who seemed conflicted. “Besides, studying under a master is a two–way street.”
Natalie’s bold words sent another ripple of shock through the table. The Mitchell family was quite nervous. They thought, ‘How does Natalie even know Mr. Lopez? And they’re this close?‘
Edward, instead of taking offense, let out a laugh. “Still so serious, aren’t you? Fine. You win. So, what do you suggest?”
Natalie had already thought it through. “Didn’t you say you’re performing in Harbor City next month? Find some time then to listen to her play.”
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