" Fine ! " Cecelia gritted her teeth . " But what if you lose ? " " If I lose , then I lose , " Kaia said with a shrug , sounding completely unfazed . 55 vouchers " So you don't have to pay any price if you lose ? You're just trying to get a free ride ! You do know how to take advantage ! " Cecelia snapped . Kaia lounged against a nearby pillar , glancing up lazily . " If you don't like it , no one's forcing you to play against me . " ' Damn it ! ' Cecelia fumed to herself . She and Bianca were so pissed that they could barely hold themselves back from jumping at Kaia . Kaia had them totally under her thumb . Meanwhile , Devin leaned over to Tobias and whispered , " Miss Kaia is pretty impressive . " You're just figuring that out now ? " Tobias replied , a hint of amusement in his voice . Devin glanced at Tobias and noticed a faint look of pride on his face . Soon , all the pianos were in place , and the showdown officially kicked off . Bianca stepped forward , her voice dripping with false modesty . " I'm not that good at the piano . I'm sure I can't compare to Kaia . Please don't judge me too harshly . " ' Bianca , what are you talking about ? You've won awards in piano competitions right here in Laverille ! If you're saying you're not good , what does that make the rest of us ? " Cecelia sneered , shooting a smug look at Kaia . The crowd around them started to join in , stirring things up . " Yeah , Bianca , come on ! Show us what you've got . We all believe in you ! " someone called out . " That's right . Everyone's waiting to hear you play ! " another person echoed . With everyone egging her on , Bianca finally gave a reluctant nod , putting on a show of hesitation . " Well ... I guess I'll give it a try , " she said , acting all modest . With that , she gathered her skirt and walked gracefully onto the stage . She sat down on the piano bench , and right before she played , she cast a glance at Tobias . She was convinced that with her talent , Tobias wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her . Just thinking about Tobias watching her made her so thrilled that she nearly burst out laughing . 1/6 12:02 am Chapter 43 65 vouchers She took a deep breath , composed herself , then placed her fingers on the keys and began to play . Meanwhile , Kaia was lazily leaning against Tobias . She grabbed a handful of hazelnuts , cracking them open and enjoying the show as she watched Bianca perform . As Bianca played , Kaia would sometimes shake her head or frown . She muttered quietly , " She missed a note there . " Not enough emotion here either . " " Not bad . She's got some real skill . " Cecelia overheard her muttering . She scoffed and thought , ' Who does she think she is , critiquing Bianca's piano playing ? The nerve ! ' Cecelia scoffed . ' Keep gloating , Kaia - your turn to embarrass yourself is coming up real soon ! ' Cecelia thought . With a crisp final note , Bianca wrapped up her performance . The audience burst into applause . " Thank you , everyone ," Bianca said as she stood and gave a graceful bow . Her eyes couldn't help but seek out Tobias again . But Tobias remained standing tall and unmoved beside Kaia , never once looking her way . She dropped her head , disappointment written all over her face as her eyes instantly lost their shine . Devin didn't miss Bianca's reaction and grinned mischievously at Tobias . ' Mr. Moreno , Miss Clayton played for a long time , and you didn't even look her way ? Doesn't matter how pretty the music is , and you've only got eyes for Miss Bennett . Man , you're totally whipped , Devin teased . Tobias looked a little stunned , caught off guard by the comment . On this side , as soon as Cecelia saw Bianca step off the stage , she wasted no time calling out to Kaia . " Your turn . What are you waiting for ? Get up there , " Cecelia snapped , Kaia tossed another hazelnut into her mouth , finished it off , then shot Cecelia a lazy glance . 2/6 12:02 am Chapter 43 E55 vouchers " Me ? I don't know any of that fancy stuff . I can only play " Twinkle , Twinkle , Little Star , " Kaia replied , looking completely unbothered . Cecelia sneered inwardly . ' She's trying to weasel out of this ? Just wait . I'll show her who's the boss ! ' Cecelia glanced around , seeing everyone's eyes glued to their showdown , and felt a surge of satisfaction . ' This is exactly the kind of attention I was hoping for ! ' Cecelia thought . She immediately raised her voice so everyone could hear , " Seriously ? You can't even play the piano ? Aren't you supposed to be the Bennett family's precious daughter ? What ? Did your mom just skip teaching you the basics when you were a kid ? " Oh right , I almost forgot - you're the Bennett family's good - for - nothing . No wonder you never got a real chance to learn anything decent . " Kaia stopped cracking hazelnuts the moment Cecelia brought up her family background . She looked up at Cecelia with a sharp , icy glare . " Enough , " Kaia said in a low , cold voice . Her eyes narrowed , and her tone was so cold that it sent a chill through the room . That simple word carried a chilling intensity , a pressure that was impossible to ignore . Cecelia had been ready to throw even more insults at Kaia , but when she met Kaia's gaze , the words died in her throat . ' Wait , what ? ' Cecelia thought , totally thrown off . ' I felt a chill running down my spine . Is Kaia intimidating me ? ' Where did this good - for - nothing from the sticks get such a strong vibe? ' ' And just now ... Kaia had yelled at me .' " What did you just say ? ' Enough " ? " Cecelia blurted out , still in disbelief . Cecelia kept talking while eyeing Kaia closely , trying to size her up and see what she was thinking . But Kaia instantly pulled herself together , slipping back into that cryptic , half - smile that made her so hard to get a read on . " I said , I've had enough hazelnuts , " Kaia replied , totally unfazed as she rubbed her face . Her eyes were clear and unreadable , making it impossible to tell what she was truly feeling . 3/6 12:02 am Chapter 43 Cecelia stared at Kaia for ages , but she still couldn't figure her out . For a split second , Cecelia could've sworn Kaia's eyes were piercing , almost intimidating . 55 vouchers It sent an icy chill shooting up from her feet to her spine , leaving her shivering and breaking out in a cold sweat . ' Was I just imagining that ? ' Cecelia wondered . While Cecelia was still trying to process it , Kaia tossed the hazelnuts back onto the table and stood up . " Alright , I'll play . It's just the piano , isn't it ? Anyone with hands can do it , right ? " Kaia said , sounding completely unfazed . Her gaze unwavering , Kaia climbed the steps to the piano , each stride steady and sure . Down below , Tobias's deep , intense gaze followed Kaia's every move without missing a beat . ***** Up on stage , Kaia stood tall , her back straight , her exclusive designer gown accentuating her graceful silhouette . Then , in a heartbeat , she lifted her hand , letting her delicate fingertips slowly come to rest on the black and white piano keys . But instead of playing right away , Kaia closed her eyes , taking a moment to center herself . Thoughts surged through Kaia's mind , images of wild mountains and rivers flashing before her eyes . ' Look at her just sitting there , ' Cecelia scoffed inwardly . ' She's obviously stalling . Bet she can't even play and is just dragging it out to save face . " Kaia , hurry up ! Quit wasting everyone's time . We're all dying to hear your angelic performance ! " Cecelia shouted , her words laced with biting sarcasm . She was deliberately trying to corner Kaia , making sure she had nowhere to hide and would be forced to embarrass herself . If Kaia really couldn't play , she'd be utterly humiliated in front of the whole crowd . ' She'll never live this down . Kaia is about to make a complete fool of herself ! ' Cecelia gloated inwardly , already savoring the moment . Kaia's train of thought was cut off by Cecelia's jeering . She slowly opened her eyes , lashes sweeping up like butterfly wings , then raised her hand . After a brief pause , her slender fingers hovered over the keys before she finally began to play . 4/6 12:02 am Chapter 43 " Ding- " The very first note rang out from beneath her fingertips . Then came the second note , following right after . Then the third , the fourth ... 55 vouchers Suddenly , a cascade of smooth , enchanting notes poured out , echoing through the entire hall . Her music shifted from the gentle flow of a stream to the wild rush of a waterfall , each phrase alive with emotion . Every note seemed to tug at the heart , drawing everyone deeper into her world . Before they knew it , the whole crowd was swept up by her rhythm , completely lost in the music . In an instant , the hall fell into a hushed silence , so quiet that they could hear a pin drop . Just moments ago , Tobias's brows furrowed with worry for Kaia . But as soon as her music filled the air , his face softened into a doting smile , and he listened with rapt attention . As he listened , Tobias couldn't help but lift his gaze , locking onto the dazzling girl on stage . His sharp eyes seemed to shine even brighter , completely captivated by her presence . Kaia sat quietly , eyes closed , letting the melody dance lightly beneath her fingertips . Each note leapt effortlessly from her hands , weaving a spell over the room . Though her expression remained cool and detached , there was a cold , ethereal purity about her - a kind of deadly allure that drew everyone in , unable to look away . Even Tobias , who was always so aloof and acted like nothing in the world could catch his attention , found himself completely captivated - his gaze glued to Kaia , unable to look away . After what felt like forever , the last note finally faded , but the melody still lingered in the air , echoing around the hall as if refusing to leave . Even after Kaia finished playing , everyone just stood there , mesmerized and dazed , still lost in the spell of her music , unable to snap out of it . ' No way ... Did Kaia , the hick from the sticks , just play that ? ' Cecelia thought , totally losing it . ' How is this even possible ? ' Cecelia's eyes went wide in shock , staring at Kaia on stage , totally floored and unable to move a muscle . She just couldn't believe what she was seeing . Beside her , Bianca was spaced out , jaw practically hitting the floor . She never imagined Kaia could play ... 5/6 12:02 am Chapter 43 To top it off , her performance was insanely good ! 55 vouchers The crowd , still spellbound by the music , finally started to come back to their senses , as if waking from a dream . " Oh my god , did I just hear that right ? She played like an absolute goddess ! Who would've thought she had this kind of skill ? " someone gasped , still reeling from shock . All eyes were glued to Kaia , everyone staring at her in " Damn , Kaia is something else ! Tsk , even the top piano masters would be left speechless by her performance ! " someone blurted out , shaking their head in disbelief . " Seriously , same here . I can't believe my ears ! For a second there , it felt like I was in the Wonery Concert Hall , listening to a world - class pianist live ! " another person added , voice full of admiration . " Even as someone who doesn't know much about piano , I can tell Kaia blows Bianca out of the water , " someone said , shaking their head in disbelief . " I heard Bianca took top three in Laverille's piano contest , but honestly , Kaia's on a whole other level . If she entered , she'd probably sweep the awards ! " another person added , their voice full of awe . While everyone was talking and comparing the two performances , Bianca was standing not far from them . The hall was still so quiet that she could hear every single word they were saying , loud and clear . In that instant , Bianca's hands balled into fists , and she ground her teeth so hard that it felt like they might shatter . 6/6 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!