"Between you and me, I have a half-sister named Julia, and playing the violin is her thing."Julia's violin skills were no joke; she was the celebrated violin goddess of Avalon City.Oddly enough, Minnie brought up Julia's specialty to Evangeline.A spark of recognition flashed in Evangeline's eyes, and looking at Minnie again, she could not shake the feeling that this woman bore an uncanny resemblance to the mysteriously missing Julia.Minnie shook her head with much conviction. "No way, I couldn't have gotten it wrong. Plus, I brought my violin just for the chance to play with you!"Alex, seeing this, jumped in with a scolding tone. "Cut it out, Minnie. It's Evie's birthday bash, not a talent show. What's the point of this stunt?"Evangeline knew all too well that Alex was looking out for her. However, she was more interested in Walter's reaction. That guy always seemed to be on a mission to contradict her. With Minnie putting her on the spot, Walter was bound to jump at the ch
Yeah, Walter definitely did it on purpose. He was dying to find out if Evangeline would turn green with envy seeing him flirt with another girl right in front of her.Nonetheless, Evangeline shot Walter a blank look before her eyes landed on Minnie. "Looks like there's no way out of playing the violin today," she said."Ms. Kast, just playing together is kinda boring, don't you think? How about we spice things up with a little wager? It'll make our face-off more exciting."Minnie had been hoping for this moment.Back when she went by Julia, she had never heard a peep about Evangeline playing the violin. This showdown was in the bag—Evangeline did not stand a chance.Of course, Minnie played it cool. "Oh, wouldn't that be awkward? If I win against the birthday girl, it'll be such a slap in your face, won't it?" Minnie asked innocently.Evangeline let out a cold huff. If Minnie really saw herself as the birthday girl, she would not pull a stunt like this.Arguing about it at this
Walter faced the crowd and announced confidently, "Well then, I won't hold back. Since we're celebrating our birthday star today, let's raise the stakes. If you lose, how about you choose one of your gifts from tonight to give to Ms. Kast?"The challenge sent a collective gasp through the room.The night's haul for Evangeline was nothing less than five million in value.As for Minnie—just who was she? If she won, it would be like hitting a jackpot."Deal."Evangeline did not even pause to think. In any game, there was a chance to win or lose, and she was ready for either.She was not the least bit concerned.No sooner had Walter finished speaking than she had picked out the gift she would part with if she lost.In full view of the crowd, Evangeline lifted her right wrist, showing off the Glacial Crown Jade bracelet Walter had just gifted her."If I lose the bet, I've got my gift ready. It's the bracelet Mr. Walter gave me."She was no longer tied to the Gordons, and wearing t
Minnie's hands worked magic, coaxing from the violin a melody that was both haunting and exquisite.Evangeline, waiting in the wings and not showing a trace of nerves, beamed as she watched Minnie play, completely captivated by the performance.Yale, who had been keeping an eye on the front of the house from backstage, was struck by the scene before him.He sidled up to Evangeline, gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder to catch her attention, and whispered, "Evie, aren't you up against Minnie? How come you don't look the least bit worried?"The Glacial Crown Jade bracelet was worth a fortune. It was even more valuable than the ring Cole gave.Was Evangeline really not bothered about staking such a treasure?Evangeline just gave a carefree chuckle in response. "Why should I be freaking out? It's just a bracelet, isn't it? If I lose, I lose. It's not like it's mine or anything."Yale was at a total loss for words right then. It hit him that Evangeline had not even thought about wi
The moment Evangeline's words hit the air, the birthday party crowd erupted into excited cheers. The violin was a beast of an instrument, demanding mad skills to play solo and make it sing. That was why every single one of its four strings was super important.Despite that, Evangeline boldly declared she would play a violin with a busted string! The crowd buzzed with chatter, wondering what would happen next."Can Ms. Evangeline really play even with a broken string? How else could she be so sure of herself?"One person snorted in disbelief, "Even the violinists who are famous around the world wouldn't dare to make such a bold claim in front of an audience. Is she really as good as those legends? I bet she's just showing off to us, who wouldn't know any better. She's bound to lose this match with Minnie!"Yet, someone else was not convinced."I still can't believe it. The only well-known violinist in Avalon City is her sister, Julia. Maybe Ms. Evangeline picked up a few tricks fro
Truth be told, Evangeline never cared for such theatrics. She believed in the strength of the self-reliant, and she did not need everyone's eyes on her or their empty praise. Nonetheless, Minnie had crossed a line, and Evangeline was not one to back down. She might not seek attention, but that did not mean she could not command it.However, there was something Evangeline did not realize: Walter was completely engrossed in Evangeline's performance from start to finish.He did not know anything about violins, but Evangeline's playing was so incredible that even he, a total newcomer to the music scene, was blown away by her amazing talent and the gorgeous sounds she coaxed from her instrument.'Evangeline, oh Evangeline, what other secrets do you have up your sleeve that I haven't discovered yet? I'm getting more curious about you by the minute,' thought Walter.The Foster family brothers, among the crowd watching Evangeline's show, could not stop raving about her. They were totally w
"Ms. Kast is one of my students. She's still pretty young and just got back from overseas, so she's not quite up to speed with how we do things here. Let's cut her some slack, okay?" Alex tried to smooth things over for Minnie.The crowd was not having any of it."So she doesn't know the rules? That's her excuse for getting all up in Ms. Evangeline's face? No way, she's got to pay up—she has to take off that dress today!"They were adamant, and Alex, with a worried look creasing his brow, still tried to keep his cool as he responded, "Look, Ms. Kast did lose the competition, but making a girl strip down in front of all of us? Isn't that going a bit too far? Who's going to deal with the fallout on her rep?"Alex had a point, and the room went quiet."I get it, you guys aren't trying to be harsh on her just for the sake of it. You're just ticked off because she dissed Ms. Evangeline. So here's what I propose: I'll step in as the peacekeeper."Evie, Minnie didn't get the rules and s
Evangeline could not help but smirk at the woman standing before her.Minnie was quick on her feet.Just when she was about to score some major points for her reputation, this woman swooped in with an act of feigned innocence and then cozied up to her, all in a bid to score some popularity points.Normally, Evangeline would have just nodded along, doing the easy favor without a second thought. However, since Minnie had tried to push her limits, Evangeline was far from willing.A smile hung on Evangeline's face, but she remained silent, her demeanor frosty.The room plunged into an awkward silence, and Minnie, desperate to break it, started rambling into the microphone about nothing in particular.Alex, trying to lighten the mood, cracked a joke and finally shattered the tension. "Minnie, you're reaching too far. How could you be friends with Evie? Evie should be your mentor."Minnie quickly latched onto his words. "Yes, yes, you're right. I was thinking too simply."Her words w