Chapter 145

Chapter 145:

Giana hadn’t expected to be caught by Madisyn, leaving her deeply humiliated. As she grappled with how to explain herself, Madisyn simply turned and walked away.

Giana clenched her fists so tightly that she couldn’t even feel the pain in her palms, her emotions consumed by humiliation and embarrassment. She returned to her room to rest. Jenna called her name several times, but Giana didn’t notice.

“Giana, what are you thinking about?” Jenna asked, slightly irritated.

Coming back to her senses, Giana replied, “Just pondering something. What’s up?”

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“It’s nothing major. You did well this time. I think you might win the championship,” Jenna said with a bright smile.

Giana nodded. Suddenly, a melodious voice filled the air, its beautiful yet sad tones weaving a sorrowful tale. It captivated her, drawing her in to absorb every note. After the song ended, Giana snapped back to reality.

“Who… who is that?” Giana exclaimed, stunned. Jenna was just as surprised. She wasn’t well-versed in music but recognized the quality of the song.

She quickly checked the performance lineup, then nearly yelled, “Evie?” Giana was also taken aback.

She knew Evie had majored in music in college, but since she was an actress in the entertainment industry, Giana had assumed her singing would be average at best. But this voice… it seemed divinely gifted!

Giana knew herself well enough to realize that she had to work incredibly hard and needed exceptional songs just to barely reach the top. Yet, Evie’s voice far surpassed hers. Moreover, Evie’s song was truly magnificent. It enveloped listeners in the scene the song painted.

“How can Evie sing so well?” Jenna was the first to voice her anger. She absolutely did not want to be outdone by Madisyn! Now, she was practically seething.

Giana clenched her fists, her face drained of color. A thought struck her, and she suddenly walked towards the door, where she could overhear the audience chatting.

“Wow, what a voice!”

“Such power! Who is she? How do I not know her?”

“Don’t you know? That’s Evie. She’s an actress.”

“She sings so well. Why is she acting? Isn’t that just wasting her talent?”

The judges were clearly impressed.

“Evie, you’re a new singer, so I didn’t expect such a polished piece from you. Your song is excellent. Did you write it yourself?”

Evie responded, “Yes, I wrote it, but it was modified by someone else.”

“Oh? You have a knack for music.”

The competition rules didn’t prevent singers from getting help with songwriting. Evie confessed, “Actually, the original piece I wrote was completely different from what it is now. It’s really the person who modified it who did something extraordinary.”

The judges, unused to such candor, chuckled. They grew even fonder of Evie—honesty was rare in the entertainment industry.

One judge smiled and said, “Really? Then you’re fortunate to have such a talented person enhance your song. I’m very pleased with your performance this time. Make sure you give your best in the final!”

With that, it was clear Evie was heading to the final. This was unprecedented—a contestant’s advancement confirmed so directly by a judge.

Evie beamed with excitement. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

Amidst a round of applause, Evie stepped down from the stage.

Some people were whispering, “Evie reminds me of the early days of Giana. I just hope in the final, Evie continues to shine and doesn’t fade like Giana did, who started strong but then…”

“I really feel bad for Giana,” someone said.

“I think Giana peaked too soon. Her first song became a classic, but her later music felt ordinary. Without her agency’s promotion and clever marketing, she might have already faded into obscurity.”

Giana’s face paled further upon hearing those comments. It took her a while to collect herself. Her songs had always enjoyed high streaming numbers, but deep down, it was clear that no one truly appreciated her music. Everyone thought her later songs only succeeded because of her agency’s marketing.

As Giana slowly walked back to her seat, Jenna was still fuming. “Damn it! That bitch! She knew how talented Evie was, so she brought her into the competition! Giana, didn’t you mention having a friend who’s great at songwriting? The one who wrote your first hit? Who was that? Get that person to write another song for you. You need to win this final!”

Giana’s expression darkened. That person was Madisyn! Now that they had fallen out, how could she possibly approach Madisyn again? Wouldn’t that be utterly shameless? Yet, if she didn’t set aside her pride, she had no hope of winning the championship.

Lost in her thoughts, Giana seemed distant.

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