Chapter: 1218
Frustration mingled with amusement on Nora's face. He had agreed to be friends, yet he'd swiftly deleted her.
"What's up?" Amy inquired, noticing Nora's unsettling smile and icy demeanor.
"Nothing," Nora replied tersely, keeping her experience with Sean close to her chest. She had no intention of sharing it with anyone.
“He's just a fan. It's annoying to be deleted for no reason," Nora muttered under her breath, reflecting on Sean's abrupt actions.
He was gentlemanly, good-looking, and calm. She had believed she might visit him again in the future, but now...
Days passed. Nancy didn't make it to the semifinals as expected, but Nora did.
The dynamics of who would accompany Nancy home shifted when Kayla and Matteo planned to leave, but Susanna and the others opted to stay longer to soak in the musical atmosphere.
"We want to experience the music's influence a bit more," Susanna explained when Kayla tried to persuade them to leave with Nancy.
Kayla found herself unable to argue with it. Nancy said, "Mom, how about we stay and watch the competition on site?"
Kayla wanted to shield Nancy from potential disappointment, yet staying aligned with Nancy's wishes seemed the right choice.
After all, failure was the stepping stone to success. Not giving up after a setback was the way to go. It was about accumulating experience.
Meanwhile, Sean persisted in sending friend requests to Nora, each one met with a firm rejection.
Frustrated, he finally mustered the courage to message her from a private number.
"Can we talk?"
The message was read but unanswered, leaving Sean to ponder his last message's reception.
Nora frequented the music hall daily to watch the ongoing competition, accompanied closely by Amy and her vigilant bodyguards. They shielded her from any attempts by others to approach.
Nora found Amy's protectiveness excessive at times. Except for piano practice and competition viewing, Amy allowed no interaction with others.
“My boss insists on keeping you safe. No room for errors during the competition," Amy explained, referencing the unseen figure behind her protective measures.
Despite her dissatisfaction, Nora dared not protest. After all, it stemmed from her fiancé's love for her.
The day of the semifinals arrived swiftly.
Each of the eight contestants had 25 to 30 minutes for their solo performances, featuring a piano concerto.
In the four-day semi-finals, Nora was the fourth pianist to compete.
Backstage was abuzz with activity.
Amy, visibly irate, confronted the organizers, “This is your sponsor's doing! Nora was supposed to perform fourth, yet suddenly she's third?"