The Ublento Opera House set the stage for the event, streamed live for an enormous online audience.
Even though her slot was at the end, Adah made sure to arrive early, bringing Leonel and Melanie along.
As fate would have it, the moment Adah stepped out of the car, she crossed paths with Rowena and her entourage.
Rowena emerged from the car, flanked by Gia, Westley, and Kimberly, who hovered protectively as if she were something precious.
As soon as Rowena spotted Adah, her gaze turned ice cold. “Adah, why are you even here?”
“Do I need your permission to show up somewhere?” Adah met her stare with a cool smirk.
Westley burst into a mocking laugh. “A country bumpkin like you in a high-class venue like this? Just because you’re a little easy on the eyes doesn’t mean you get a free pass. The Ublento Opera House isn’t open to someone like you!”
Kimberly’s face clouded with suspicion. “Adah, don’t tell me you’re here to sabotage Rowena. You’re scared she’ll take the crown and step into the spotlight, so you want to ruin her shot, don’t you?”
Westley’s face whitened with panic the instant those words were out. Rowena’s victory in this competition was the linchpin for their family’s fortune; he couldn’t risk letting Adah jeopardize that dream.
Determined to hold his ground, Westley growled, “Adah, if you dare try anything, I’ll go to war with you!”
Adah longed to send Westley flying with a swift kick, but with crowds packed around the opera house entrance, she knew she couldn’t cause a scene. As a contestant, she had to keep her composure, so she swallowed her anger.
“That’s right. I’m here to make sure Rowena doesn’t win,” Adah replied, her voice steady. “As long as I’m competing, she has no shot at taking first place.”
“You!” Rowena’s internal alarm bells went off instantly. “Adah, what exactly are you up to? Do you think you can get away with violence in broad daylight?”
: ν﹒
Adah relished the fear flickering in Rowena’s eyes. “Relax. I won’t lay a finger on you today. I’ll beat you the right way, out on the stage.”
“You’re entering the competition?” Rowena looked Adah up and down and then burst into a mocking laugh. “Do you have any clue what you’re getting into? This contest isn’t for amateurs. You grew up in a backwater town with zero formal training, and now you think you can outperform me? What do you think you are?”
Pausing, she added, “Dancing is for the refined, not for people who have never set foot in a studio. Let’s be honest, Adah, you might have a face that turns heads, but you’ve got no real talent, just brute strength. Maybe you could become entertainment for wealthy men, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you belong on this stage.”
As Rowena finished her rant, Gia jumped in, her voice sharp with scorn. “Adah, don’t think you can strut around just because Allan’s paying attention to you. Leave before you make a fool of yourself and us!”
Adah’s glare at Gia was icy and unwavering.
Startled, Gia shrank back and then spun toward Leonel, yelling, “Leonel! Did you hear me? Why aren’t you dragging your good-for-nothing daughter home this instant?”
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Message from Noa: Happy beautiful Friday, dear readers. Between yesterday and today, there are 2 novel premieres that you chose in the galn?vels WhatsApp community, and tomorrow there will be 3 premieres of completed novels. God loves you, and Noa loves you very much. ( ? )?
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