Too Late to Hold Me Back novel Chapter 63

Liora later filled Mira in on the details. Natalie had called Mara shameless for trying to steal her sister’s ranking, a schemer colluding with her brother, and accused them of all sorts of underhanded tricks.

In Liora’s words, it was as nasty as it could get. Afterward, the Rivers family car drove off, following the Mercers. Her sole purpose in coming had been to make Mara’s life miserable.

Of course, Damon quickly suppressed the fallout from the incident.

But that was all in the past. Now, Mira needed to focus on the third stage of the competition.

Although there were only four opponents left, each one was more formidable than the last. This was the true battle of titans.

The first to perform was Hannah. She had won international awards for her violin playing, and she received a wave of applause just by stepping onto the stage.

Her performance was mesmerizing. Mira couldn’t understand how she had lost to Naomi and Sienna in her previous life.

When the piece ended, it was no surprise that she received unanimous praise from the judges and the audience, earning a high score of 9.7. This put immense pressure on Mira and the others who followed.

Sienna was second, performing a solo on the electric piano. Her skill was as exquisite as ever, and she scored a 9.6. It seemed she wouldn’t be taking second place this time around.

Naomi performed third and scored even higher with a 9.8. It was truly a battle of titans. Mira had thought she was only a good singer, but her mastery of an instrument was just as profound.

Finally, it was Mira’s turn. She took a deep breath and told herself, *It’s okay. Even if I lose, I’ll still be in fifth place, which is respectable enough.*

Then, her long, slender fingers with their distinct knuckles danced across the white strings of the the zither—plucking, sweeping, pressing…

The melody flowed out like water, a magnetic force that descended from the heavens, making it impossible for anyone to look away for even a moment.

Images of lush green mountains and the gentle gurgling of a mountain spring filled the audience's minds.

Birds soared joyfully through the air, chirping and occasionally dipping down to touch the wildflowers on the slopes.

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