Chapter 226

Elizabeth muttered under her breath, then glanced at the other pianos with a glint in her eye. “Honey, maybe you could ask Charlotte to help tune Olivia’s piano?”
Steven looked over at Charlotte. His lips pressed together. He didn’t budge. With her attitude, asking for her help felt impossible.
Elizabeth noticed his hesitation and switched tactics. “Come on, you know how much this competition means to Olivia. If she doesn’t win, we’ll owe ten million
The number made Steven swallow his pride. He walked over to Charlotte.
Charlotte had already finished tuning all the pianos and was leaning against the wall, lazily wiping her fingers.
“Charlotte, could you
“No.” Charlotte cut him off before he could finish. She raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “I wouldn’t dare touch Olivia’s piano. If she loses, she’ll blame me. How would I ever explain myself?”
Steven’s expression soured. Elizabeth snapped, “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying Olivia’s going to fail?”
Their little scene drew some stares. Just a minute ago, they’d acted like Charlotte didn’t belong, and now they were begging her for help. When she refused, they turned nasty. People around them were whispering, some of them shaking their heads.
“Is he really her dad?” someone whispered. “Look at her. She’s so pretty, and she doesn’t look anything like Steven.”
“True,” another agreed.
Charlotte’s blunt rejection and the crowd’s judgment made Steven’s anger boil over.
“Dad—” Olivia stepped forward,
looping her arm through his, her smile sweet and mature. “It’s alright. The professional tuner will do just fine. What really matters is skill on stage. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best.”
Olivia’s gentle words only made Steven feel worse. Compared to Charlotte’s sharp attitude Olivia seemed like the perfect daughter. Regret twisted in his gut. Maybe bringing Charlotte back from the countryside had been a mistake.
“Is this drama over? Get out of here.” Steven’s voice was sharp as he glared at Charlotte.
Charlotte slid her hands into her pockets, her voice cool. “What’s the rush? The real show hasn’t even started yet.”
As Charlotte walked away, Olivia watched her, a flicker of guilt passing through her chest before her gaze turned cold and hard. Charlotte better not try anything If she ruined this for Olivia, sheać wouldn’t get away with it.
Everyone’s attention stayed on Charlotte, so nobody noticed the brief change in Olivia’s eyes. Except for Laura, who watched from the corner. She caught everything, especially the look that flashed across Olivia’s face.
“This girl Laura pressed her lips together, a trace of disappointment on her elegant face. “There’s something wrong with her character.”
If someone’s heart wasn’t in the right place, no matter how skilled they were, their music was just empty notes. Laura had no interest in a student like that.
The other girl who played earlier seemed so genuine and honest. Laura liked that.
She watched as Charlotte headed toward the competition hall. Laura frowned and quickly followed after her. “Hurry, stop that girl.”
She had to find a way to make Charlotte her student.