Filed To Story: Watch Out! She's a Mastermind Heiress (Isabella Patton) Book PDF Free
“Giana, I’m dying to hear your new track! But what happened last time? You were unstoppable in the second round, but the final… what went wrong?” someone asked from the throng.
Giana’s smile wavered, a flicker of discomfort crossing her face. The song that had dazzled everyone in the second round? That had been Isabella’s creation. But for the final, Giana had insisted on showcasing her own work. She’d toiled through the night, pouring her soul into every lyric, and even enlisted her teacher for some last-minute refinements.
Victory seemed certain—until it wasn’t. Third place was all she could muster. The memory still stung. Her final performance was seen as a misstep, a song that paled in comparison to the one Isabella had crafted.
For a professional like Giana, the realization was harsh: her self-penned melody hadn’t stood a chance against Isabella’s genius.
Giana couldn’t accept that Isabella was better than her at writing songs. Isabella’s music was certainly good, but it lacked depth. It merely incorporated some popular elements at the time. She, on the other hand, wanted to create songs that showcased her own unique style, something that came from her heart instead of what was currently in vogue. But, sadly, no one seemed to understand her vision.
“Well, I sincerely hope this time my song resonates with everyone,” Giana said with a hopeful smile.
“Everyone, let’s get to work. We need to prepare,” Eliza chimed in.
The group quickly scattered to their tasks. Giana noticed Isabella lingering at the back of the group, and for a moment, she had assumed Isabella was here for her, but in the next instant, her gaze landed on Evie nearby. Giana pursed her lips.
Meanwhile, Eliza stepped forward, saying in a sharp tone, “Oh, Isabella, how shameless can you be? Since when did you start dragging Evie along to copy everything Giana does? You’ve become quite the mimic.”
Eliza was still upset about what happened before. When she saw Isabella, her anger bubbled to the surface, and she couldn’t keep it in.
“Remember you insisted on snatching my artist’s opportunity and got scolded by the public for it?” Isabella asked with indifference.
Eliza retorted angrily, “That was then. This is different. Giana is a professional singer. And what about Evie? This is her first time in a singing competition. And not just any competition, a singer-songwriter contest. Does she even have what it takes? Everyone knows songwriting is the toughest challenge.”
“I remember Giana launched her career by entering a singer-songwriter competition, too,” Isabella remarked as she looked at Giana.
For some reason, Giana avoided meeting Isabella’s eyes. In the past, Isabella had done everything she could to help Giana get into the singer-songwriter competition. She even wrote songs with Giana, and her performance impressed everyone when she sang in public for the first time.
“Giana is talented. But what about Evie?” Eliza didn’t think highly of Evie at all. She folded her arms across her chest and let out a dismissive snort. “If you want to make fools of yourselves, I’m not going to stop you. Go ahead and see how far you get.”
With that, she walked away with Giana.
Evie was in the lounge, practicing her song while Isabella checked the judges closely. The judges all seemed qualified this time. As long as Evie gave her best performance and avoided any pitfalls, she had a good chance of ranking well.
When the competition began, the singers took the stage one by one. Giana was performing in the middle slot. Her presence energized both the judges and the audience.
“Look, Giana’s up next.”
“I’m excited to see her perform. I didn’t expect her to be in this singer-songwriter competition. With her current standing, she could be competing in more prestigious events.”
“Don’t you know? Giana became famous in a singer-songwriter competition before. She only placed third in the final back then. This time, she’s here to fulfill her dream.”
“Oh, I see. I’m excited to see if Giana can win first place this time.”
Almost everyone believed Giana would outshine the other competitors.
The moment she began singing, her mature and steady voice instantly drew everyone’s attention. It was much more impressive than the voices of the previous singers.
The audience was captivated by her beautiful song. When she finished, the crowd erupted in applause.
“Fantastic! Giana is amazing.”
“Her voice is still so captivating.”
“But I find her song quite ordinary. It relies too much on her voice. And both the lyrics and the composition fail to resonate with people.”
“I couldn’t agree more. The song she performed for the first time was quite impressive.”
One of the judges commented, “Giana, your performance was as good as ever, and the song was well-written. However, I’d like to ask—when you participated in the singer-songwriter competition last time, did you write your first song yourself? The style seemed quite different back then.”
Giana tightened her grip on the microphone. She wondered why the judge would ask such a question.
After a brief pause, Giana smiled and replied politely, “Yes, I wrote them all.”
“I still remember your first song. It’s the most impressive one I’ve heard in years,” the judge said with a sigh.
Giana’s breathing slowed as she tried to process the judge’s words. What was he implying? Did he think her other songs weren’t good enough?
Another judge added, “It’s common for artists not to surpass their earlier achievements. But having one outstanding work is already a great accomplishment.”
Giana struggled to maintain her smile, but she managed to respond with a steady voice, “Perhaps it was because it was my first time performing in front of an audience. I had prepared for it for a long time, so I did well at that time.”
“I guess so. The songwriting was excellent too. I believe you should try to recapture the same energy you had at that time. Your performance today wasn’t bad, but you have the potential to be even better.”
Giana’s ears burned with embarrassment, but she still nodded in gratitude to the judges and made her way off the stage.
The moment she stepped down, she spotted Isabella.
Their eyes met, and Giana felt even more uncomfortable.
“I didn’t realize when the song I wrote became yours,” Isabella said softly.
Giana hadn’t expected to be caught by Isabella, leaving her deeply humiliated. As she grappled with how to explain herself, Isabella simply turned and walked away.
Giana clenched her fists so tightly that she couldn’t even feel the pain in her palms, her emotions consumed by humiliation and embarrassment. She returned to her room to rest. Eliza called her name several times, but Giana didn’t notice.
“Giana, what are you thinking about?” Eliza asked, slightly irritated.
Coming back to her senses, Giana replied, “Just pondering something. What’s up?”
“It’s nothing major. You did well this time. I think you might win the championship,” Eliza said with a bright smile.
Giana nodded. Suddenly, a melodious voice filled the air, its beautiful yet sad tones weaving a sorrowful tale. It captivated her, drawing her in to absorb every note. After the song ended, Giana snapped back to reality.
“Who… who is that?” Giana exclaimed, stunned. Eliza was just as surprised. She wasn’t well-versed in music but recognized the quality of the song.
She quickly checked the performance lineup, then nearly yelled, “Evie?” Giana was also taken aback.
She knew Evie had majored in music in college, but since she was an actress in the entertainment industry, Giana had assumed her singing would be average at best. But this voice… it seemed divinely gifted!
Giana knew herself well enough to realize that she had to work incredibly hard and needed exceptional songs just to barely reach the top. Yet, Evie’s voice far surpassed hers. Moreover, Evie’s song was truly magnificent. It enveloped listeners in the scene the song painted.
“How can Evie sing so well?” Eliza was the first to voice her anger. She absolutely did not want to be outdone by Isabella! Now, she was practically seething.
Giana clenched her fists, her face drained of color. A thought struck her, and she suddenly walked towards the door, where she could overhear the audience chatting.
“Wow, what a voice!”
“Such power! Who is she? How do I not know her?”
“Don’t you know? That’s Evie. She’s an actress.”
“She sings so well. Why is she acting? Isn’t that just wasting her talent?”
The judges were clearly impressed.
“Evie, you’re a new singer, so I didn’t expect such a polished piece from you. Your song is excellent. Did you write it yourself?”
Evie responded, “Yes, I wrote it, but it was modified by someone else.”
“Oh? You have a knack for music.”
The competition rules didn’t prevent singers from getting help with songwriting. Evie confessed, “Actually, the original piece I wrote was completely different from what it is now. It’s really the person who modified it who did something extraordinary.”
The judges, unused to such candor, chuckled. They grew even fonder of Evie—honesty was rare in the entertainment industry.
One judge smiled and said, “Really? Then you’re fortunate to have such a talented person enhance your song. I’m very pleased with your performance this time. Make sure you give your best in the final!”
With that, it was clear Evie was heading to the final. This was unprecedented—a contestant’s advancement confirmed so directly by a judge.