Backstage, Mia could hear the intense applause that far exceeded the faint applause she received after her performance.Watching Maria and Rivas talking and laughing on stage, Mia was furious!Why?!Rivas promised her that she would be the only special guest, but he also invited Maria. Was he helping her or humiliating her?Andrew even pleaded with him back then!Mia stared at Maria fiercely. Maria didn't leave the stage. Instead, she walked towards the backstage.Mia clenched her fists at once, and when Maria approached, she unleashed a torrent of curses."Maria, you're really something! Did you sleep with Rivas or did you ask Charles to buy him off? How could he invite you to be his special guest?"The smile on Maria’s face immediately vanished. She looked at Mia’s resentful eyes and frowned coldly."Mia, Rivas helped you. Is this how you repay him? How can you assume the worst of him?"Mia couldn't stand it anymore. Maria’s background was inferior to hers but still had the audacity
Maria groaned, her face quickly turning pale. But even so, her hands were still tightly holding onto Andrew."Andrew!""Young Master Lesser!""Andrew!""Ria!"Old Master Lesser, Old Mrs. Lesser, Eva, and Charles almost shouted simultaneously. The next second, they ran towards Maria.Andrew was on top of Maria. Old Mrs. Lesser and Old Master Lesser rushed over and helped Andrew up."Andrew, are you hurt? Let me see...""Andrew, are you okay?"Charles didn't care about Andrew at all. He squatted down and nervously looked at Maria. "Ria, are you okay? Can you move?"Nancy's coccyx had been severely injured earlier. Now she could hardly feel the pain. Even her mind went blank for a while.Only two seconds passed from her falling with Andrew to Charles rushing over, but her mind was blank and her eyes were unfocused.Charles was frightened, his face pale. "Ria..."He didn't dare to move Maria and could only keep calling her, "Ria, Ria..."After a minute, Maria’s brain was back to normal. T
At the hospital, Maria underwent a full-body examination. Her injuries were not too serious, but Charles was still concerned and wanted her to stay in the hospital for a few days.After taking the medication, as long as Maria didn't exert too much force on her waist, she didn't feel as much pain.The only inconvenience was that she had to lie on her side.Charles personally took care of her in the hospital room while Luna dealt with her work.Mia was in the same hospital as Maria, but she was deeply frightened and fell back asleep after waking up.Old Master Lesser and Old Mrs. Lesser booked a VIP room next to Maria’s. Eva took care of Mia, while Alexander and Andrew were called into the VIP room by Old Master Lesser and Old Mrs. Lesser."Alexander."Old Mrs. Lesser looked at Alexander and nodded approvingly. "You did well at the theater just now. If not for Mia going crazy, your actions would have resolved everything."Old Mrs. Lesser and Old Master Lesser had sharp eyes. Even though
Maria was lying sideways on the hospital bed, watching Charles patiently peel grapes. She smiled happily, "Honey, look closely. I don't like eating skin.""I know."Charles finished peeling a grape, raised his eyes, and saw the triumphant gleam in Maria’s eyes.He chuckled and threw the peeled grape into his own mouth."Hey!"Maria complained, "Honey, didn't you peel it for me? How come you ate it yourself? You're bullying me!"Charles leaned forward with a smile, held Maria’s shoulders, and pressed his lips against hers dominantly…A grape was pushed into Maria’s mouth by Charles. Maria chewed it with a frown. After spitting out the seed, she looked at him angrily, "You are taking advantage of me!"Charles raised his eyebrows triumphantly, "I peeled the grape for you. How can I not receive some benefits?"As he spoke, he picked up another grape and started peeling it.Maria stared at him, pouting. When he finished peeling the grape, she lifted her head abruptly, "I'm not eating anym
At that moment, someone knocked on the door to the ward.Previously, Maria and Charles were quarreling, so they didn't hear the sound of knocking. But now, everyone in the room heard it.Charles immediately got up and walked to the door. When he opened the door, Rivas' smiling face appeared in front of him."I came to see Ria.""Okay."Charles stepped aside and gestured for him to enter, "Please."Regardless, Rivas was a respected international piano master. Moreover, he was around the same age as Andrew, so he was also considered an elder by Charles.Although Charles was a bit aloof, he was polite and well-mannered.Rivas, however, was careless. He turned around, took the bouquet from the bodyguard, and then stuffed it into Charles arms, "This is for Maria. Find a vase to put it in."After speaking, he couldn't wait to enter the ward. When he saw that Andrew was also inside, he instantly became excited, "Andrew! You're here too!"Even if Andrew didn't turn around, he recognized Rivas
Rivas immediately blushed and gave Andrew a glare."So what if I am? My whole life has been devoted to piano. I never had time to take on apprentices. Many people mock me for having great skills but being unable to teach others. When I'm gone, I won't even have a successor..."He glanced expectantly at Maria and said, "Ria, your piano skills are already quite advanced. Although you still have a way to go compared to us, I believe that after this training, you will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us. This is an opportunity. Give me and yourself a chance.""Humph..."Andrew sneered again, "Rivas, with your current status in the piano world, you could definitely become a mentor. Why bother taking Ria as your apprentice and bringing her to the training? That would lower your status quite a bit...""I said it!"Rivas was truly angry this time. He said through gritted teeth, "I just want Ria to be my successor. In this training, I will teach her everything I know!"Andrew disdain
Rivas stomped his foot in frustration and asked, "Why? Ria, why?"Maria smiled at Andrew and said, "Because he took me in!""Great!"Old Mrs. Lesser exclaimed excitedly and looked at Maria admiringly.Maria had told Old Mrs. Lesser before that she came to see Andrew not to become a daughter of the Lesser family or for their wealth but simply to find her father whom she had shared joys and sorrows with for over twenty years.At that time, Old Mrs. Lesser didn't believe her because the Lesser family was like a delicious cake and anyone, whether related or not, wanted a piece.For example, Alexander.But at that moment, Old Mrs. Lesser finally believed that Maria was sincere. By choosing Andrew as her master over Rivas, Maria showed that what she cared about most was the bond between her and Andrew.Her remark explained everything.Since she couldn't be Andrew's biological daughter, she would become his apprentice and continue to treat him as her father, which was her deepest desire.Old
When Mia woke up and learned from Eva that Andrew planned to accept Maria as his apprentice, her hatred for Maria deepened.Just the thought of Maria frequently interacting with Andrew and going to the Lesser family's mansion made her furious."Why? Why her?!"Mia sat on the bed, her face pale. There were shocking bruises on her fair neck. She pounded the bed with all her might like crazy."Bitch! Who does she think she is?! She's just a scheming woman! She wants to enter the Lesser family in this way!"Eva stood aside watching Mia indifferently and said casually, "Yeah, Mom and Dad seem to like her. If she becomes Andrew's apprentice, she will probably have a place in the Lesser family."A sly smile appeared on her lips, "Mimi, what you did today has disappointed Mom and Dad. I'm afraid that once Maria becomes Andrew's apprentice, you won't have any position in the Lesser family."As soon as Eva finished, Mia’s angry eyes instantly turned bloodshot. She raised her head abruptly and s
After leaving the banquet courtyard, Maria and Charles got into a sightseeing car and headed towards the Lesser family gate.Along the way, Charles remained silent, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, and his face looked terrifyingly solemn.Maria also didn't say anything. She held his hand tightly as if she wanted to give him her strength.Even when they got into their own car, Charles didn't say a word. He just gently rested his head on Maria’s shoulder, like an injured child.**********Back at the villa, Maria fetched a bottle of red wine, opened it, and took out two glasses. She tilted her head at Charles."Let's go and drink in the room."She smiled and raised the wine bottle in her hand. Charles noticed and finally relaxed the corners of his tightly pressed lips.He stood up and laughed softly, "How is one bottle enough? You are never drunk after a thousand cups."Maria looked at him speechlessly, seeing him take out two more bottles of red wine. She felt like things wer
Eva had been with Eric for more than twenty years, and she had no doubt about his feelings for her. Moreover, Eric always took good care of her and loved her deeply. If there was any rift between them, it was Charles.For the past twenty years, she had always been cautious in protecting their relationship, never inquiring about any news about Charles. That's why they had been living in harmony, until Mia came to Beijing. She had started investigating Charles' affairs under the old lady's orders.And since then, she felt that Eric had become more and more distant from her, a distance that she couldn't close no matter what she did.Now that Charles had come to Beijing, she had to make a choice between Eric and Charles. She didn't want to, but she had to…"Eric…"Her voice trembled as she pleaded, looking at him. "Can't you…?""No!"Those two resolute words instantly crushed the only hope in Eva heart.On one side was her husband, and on the other was her biological son, and she owed C
David and Hamya exchanged glances as they heard this. It was as if they had made a decision. They immediately said in unison, "We want to go too!""Huh?"Charles looked at them with confusion.David patted his stomach and smiled at Charles, "Young Master Smith, I wonder if your company is in need of pianists? What do you think of me?"Hamya chuckled and nodded, "I think I can do it too. Young Master Smith, please consider signing both of us. We don't ask for much, just a chance to perform in top music halls."David was worried that Charles would disagree, so he put on an even more sincere smile. "Ah yeah, haha... We just feel that Patrick is not enough on his own. With Hamya and I joining, after all, we have better qualifications than him. When the three great piano masters embark on anglobal tour together, and with Maria and Linda, it will be twice as successful.""Exactly!"Hamya laughed happily, "Young Master Smith, a single concert takes too long, Patrick won't be able to handle i
The two of them walked onto the stage and sat down at the piano. Maria raised her head and exchanged a glance with Linda, who placed her hands on the keys.The young pianists were curious about what music Maria and Linda would play. This was the second round of the training camp's open competition, and they usually wouldn't get to hear it.Suddenly, the piano played a melancholic melody, carrying a touch of elegance in the air, instantly striking at people's hearts!"This is..."Some couldn't remain calm instantly. "Butterfly Lovers?!""Is that possible? Butterfly Lovers arranged as a piano piece?""Yes, everyone knows that Butterfly Lovers is best played on the guqin, or the zheng would also work. It's my first time hearing it played on the piano.""Hey, no, this version of Butterfly Lovers has been adapted for piano. It suits the instrument perfectly while still preserving the essence of the original piece. It's absolutely refreshing!"After a few seconds of discussion, an unexpect
Two days later, Maria and Linda arrive at the venue of the exchange conference in their finest attire.They hand over their invitation cards and wait for the security guard to check them.Suddenly, a mocking voice comes from beside them, "Oh oh, who is this? Linda!? Am I mistaken?"The one speaking is Linda manager, and standing next to her is the pianist signed by Linda economic company."Aria, you're not mistaken, isn't that Linda herself?"Hearing their voices, Linda's face darkens. She turns her head and glares at them, "Aria, your eyesight is really not good, you can't even recognize me. You should go to the hospital to have your eyes checked."Aria originally wanted to embarrass Linda, but she didn't expect her to retort so sharply. She immediately gets furious."Linda, the company didn't give you an invitation card. Tell me, where did you steal it from?""Hehe..."Linda raises her chin triumphantly, holding Maria's arm. "Do I need the company to give me one? Just look at who's
After arriving in Beijing, the feeling of uneasiness never appeared again, and Maria felt an indescribable relief.Charles had sent someone to take Andrew back to the Lesser family, while Patrick and Linda followed Charles and Maria back to their villa.Originally, Andrew had strongly invited Patrick to come back to the Lesser family with him, but Patrick knew that the Lesser family was big and complicated, so he used the excuse of being with Linda and followed Charles.***********On the third day, when Luna returned from Brussels, she went directly to Maria’s place and looked at Linda, her expression becoming more flattering."Linda, I heard that your contract with your previous agency is about to expire, right?"Maria sat next to Linda, holding a big doll in her hands, feeling very angry."Yes, they told me before that if I could achieve good results in the training camp this time, they would sign me for another ten years and give me all the resources. But just when I announced my
At this moment, Maria had already packed up and left the hotel with Charles, Linda, Andrew, and others.On the way to the airport, Linda still couldn't understand and turned back to Maria, "Ria, as long as the misunderstanding is resolved, we can still stay in the training camp, right?"Of course, Maria knew that if she returned to the training camp now, everyone would treat her like a deity.Just kidding, being able to decide the life and death of their teacher, they would definitely flatter and serve Maria obediently.Maria shook her head, "Actually, I have already achieved my goal. Linda, if you want to go back, you can go back, no need to accompany me.""Hey!"Linda casually waved her hand, "Without you here, why should I go back? Besides, I have hugged your thigh, and you have hugged Master Smith's thigh. Am I still afraid of not being able to reach the pinnacle of the international piano world?"She said it so casually, as if she was joking. But Maria could tell that she still f
Maria, so smart, why couldn't she understand what they meant?She smiled and turned to shout inside the house, "Honey, it turns out they are looking for you." Charles was inside, and he had heard everything at the door clearly. The girls had looked down on him before and said he was weak, but now they all came to beg him with a straight face. It was really funny.He remained silent for a while before saying, "Ria, in our home, I make the major decisions and you make the minor ones. But in my eyes, besides you, nothing else is a major matter. So, you make the decisions."The girls outside, "..."Didn't that mean that Maria would be in charge of everything in the house?They felt a toothache and couldn't believe they were caught off guard by this unexpected situation.Maria shrugged and looked at them again.Originally, they came to apologize to Maria as a pretense, hoping that she would persuade Charles, but now, the initiative was completely in her hands, and they had to lower their
Maria was not foolish. Why did her reputation stink so much? Was it only because of the ambiguous relationship between her and Charles at that banquet?Just that one time was not enough to make everyone dislike and envy her.Lucy's face was extremely embarrassed, but at this moment, she had already lost all confidence in front of Maria and could only cry helplessly."Maria, I really know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Please...""Lucy, your intentions were truly wicked. You even used Rivata as a weapon. Honestly, I admire you for that."Even while saying this, Maria's expression remained calm, her tone as if chatting with a close friend."You, alone, have bewitched the hearts of all the girls in the training camp. You treated others as pawns to sacrifice for your own gain. Wasn't your goal to drive me out of the camp? Congratulations, you achieved your goal. You should be happy, so why are you crying?"When Maria said this, the other girls immediately began pondering.After thinkin