The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

"Stella! Stella! Stella!"

At some point, the crowd's cheers swelled into a tidal wave, thundering through the entire concert hall.

Everyone was on their feet, swept up in the moment, unable to hold back their applause for Stella.

Tonight, they'd witnessed a miracle.

Even Abby Murphy found herself carried away by the electric atmosphere.

Standing amid the sea of people, she gazed at Stella on stage, tears brimming in

her eyes.

This was the glory Stella had always deserved.

Over in the audience, Mr. Walden had collapsed back into his seat, looking utterly shell-shocked.

He muttered under his breath, "How... how is this possible?"

Rena and the others were equally stunned, their faces a picture of disbelief.

"How can this be? She actually outplayed Harry?"

Backstage, Harry shook his head over and over. The easy smile he'd worn earlier had vanished, replaced by a ghostly pallor and a look of utter disbelief.

That familiar wave of dread crashed over him.

"No! This can't be! There's no way she could play The Gaze in a higher key and still pull it off! I don't believe it!"

But no matter how much he refused to accept it, Stella had done just that-with absolute perfection.

It took a long moment before the host and the panel of judges managed to collect themselves.

The host gestured for quiet, though his own hand trembled with excitement, his voice quivering as he spoke.

"Ms. Cameron's performance was simply breathtaking. I'm every bit as moved as the rest of you! However, we do still have to finish today's competition. Now, I'd like to invite Mr. Harry to the stage."

Only then did everyone remember-the showdown between Stella and Harry had all started with a bet.

Harry walked to the stage, looking utterly defeated.

He shot Stella a look so venomous it sent chills down the spine.

As a seasoned master, he knew all too well-he had lost.

Not only had Stella raised the difficulty, she had delivered a flawless rendition of The Gaze.

There was no need for the judges' expertise; even a casual music lover could see that Stella was the undisputed winner.

Several judges' gazes toward Stella had changed. No longer did they see her as just another newcomer or lant. They looked at her as an

artist of stature, a true master.

One of the judges stood and announced, "After discussion, the judges have decided the winner is Stella!"

The applause and cheers erupted again.

In that moment, Stella was the pride of everyone in the hall.

"Oh my God, Stella from our region actually beat the violin virtuoso Harry! I can't believe it what a triumph!"

"Serves Harry right. He's always looking down on the other contestants. That's karma for you!"

"I never liked Harry's attitude. Just because he's talented, he thinks he can trample everyone else. Deep down, he's just afraid of being surpassed."

"I can't stop laughing-Harry, brought down by a newcomer! By his ownnoveldrama

standards, he ought to quit the scene altogether!"

"What's the point of Stella winning this one time? When it comes to reputation and credentials, she'll never match Harry!"

"You say Harry's arrogant, but Stella's no better. Making someone get on their

knees and bark like a dog? That's just as bad. Pot, meet kettle."

"He lost the bet fair and square. Harry was the one who made the challenge public-no one forced him."

"Yeah, their contest was already a tie. Harry was the one who insisted on settling it, who pushed Stella into a rematch."

"He was so desperate to force Stella out of the scene-he'd do anything, even

this."

"I just don't believe Stella will really make Harry get down and bark like a dog. No matter what, Harry's still her

senior. She can't possibly be that ruthless."