Chapter 285
Chapter 285:
She probably couldn’t distinguish between a virtuoso and a beginner. And yet, here she was, speaking with the kind of poise that made her words seem almost credible.
Bella had once mentioned that Yelena was raised by a modest family, with no exposure to the finer arts like music.
To her, Yelena couldn’t possibly have any understanding of something as refined as classical music.
Yelena didn’t bother to argue. Her tone was calm as she said, “If you don’t believe me, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter p>
Bella, unwilling to let the matter drop, chimed in from the side. “Yelena, how can you lie so blatantly? You’ve never even touched a violin before p>
Yelena’s gaze shifted to Bella, her expression unreadable but her eyes piercing.
There was a faint smile on her lips, but it didn’t reach her eyes.
“And how would you know p>
“Yelena, honesty is always the best policy. But if you really do have experience and understand the violin, why don’t you prove it? My concert could use a guest performer. How about playing a piece for everyone?” Monica quickly seized the moment.
She wanted to expose Yelena, to strip away her confidence in front of an audience.
The idea of Yelena fumbling on stage in front of Austin felt like the perfect way to humiliate her.
Monica was quite pleased with her plan.
Amanda’s face turned pale. “Monica, this is a terrible idea. Yelena doesn’t know anything about playing the violin. If she performs as a guest, she’ll ruin the entire concert!” Monica’s suggestion wasn’t about giving Yelena a chance to shine—it was about setting her up to fail. After all, nothing highlighted talent better than a stark comparison.
If Yelena wanted to walk into a trap, Monica would be more than happy to oblige.
– 𝗟𝗲𝗚𝗜𝗧 𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧
“Amanda, don’t say that!” Monica replied with mock innocence, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Maybe Yelena is a dark horse, ready to surprise us all. You never know.” Monica’s smirk deepened as she turned to Yelena, her voice dripping with mock encouragement. “So, Yelena, what do you say p>
Her gaze was sharp, confident, convinced that Yelena wouldn’t agree.
After all, Monica thought, no one would willingly humiliate themselves in front of an audience, especially at an event as public as her concert.
For a moment, Yelena remained silent, her expression unreadable. But inside, she felt a flicker of annoyance.
Monica’s arrogance had finally crossed the line. The constant flaunting, the incessant provocations—it was tiresome. Perhaps it was time Monica learned a lesson.
Yelena straightened, her tone calm and collected as she replied, “Alright. Since you’re so graciously inviting me, it would be rude not to accept p>
“Wow! You agreed? I wasn’t expecting that,” Amanda blurted out, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Bella was the first to recover, her voice sharp with alarm. “Yelena, stop joking. You know nothing about the violin! Do you realize you’ll embarrass yourself—and the Harris family p>
Yelena must have lost her mind. Why else would she take such a reckless decision?
She was completely overstepping her bounds here.
Yelena, unfazed, didn’t bother to respond.
Monica, on the other hand, was taken aback. She had fully expected Yelena to back down, retreating into silence or offering an excuse.
However, since Yelena had accepted the challenge, it presented the perfect opportunity to put her in her place. Pulling Bella aside, Monica whispered with a smug grin, “Bella, calm down. If Yelena agreed, she must know something about playing the violin. Let’s just wait and see p>
“Alright, I’m curious to see just how talented my sister really is,” Bella said with a smirk, her tone dripping with schadenfreude.
If Yelena wanted to embarrass herself, Bella certainly wasn’t going to stop her.
“Alright, let’s not dwell on this anymore. Let’s pick out some clothes,” Amanda interjected, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.
“Okay, what about this one?” Monica said, holding up a dress as the group returned to browsing.
Meanwhile, the sales assistant hovered near Monica, attending to her every whim while blatantly ignoring Yelena, treating her as though she didn’t exist.
But then Yelena’s voice cut through the quiet. “This dress originally had a row of decorative buttons here. Why are they missing? Why is a flawed piece even on display p>
The room went silent.
Bella turned to Yelena, her face a mixture of incredulity and mockery.
“Yelena, you’re holding a brand-new design. It was just put out. How on earth would you know there were buttons there? What are you, a designer now?” Her words dripped with sarcasm, her disbelief evident.