Ch. 1011..1020
Chapter 1011 Bad News Sofia accepted his help. Nicholas’ forces were a big boon to her, and she said, “Let Tessa rest for a bit.” At the same time in the hospital, Rorion told Susan what he found out. “Someone set up that stage lift to malfunction.”
Susan narrowed her eyes. Was it a trap? So someone’s out for me. No, someone’s out for the performer who’s supposed to go onstage at that slot. Her face fell. So I took the brunt of the accident for someone else? “Daddy, get me the performance agenda for the event last night.” She wanted to see whose slot it was originally.
Rorion’s men came with what Susan wanted a while later. According to the original order, Susan’s slot was supposed to be Tessa’s. So my hand broke because of her?
Susan almost screamed. She had a feeling she just had a taste of karma. This was supposed to be a trap for Tessa, but because she made Tessa allergic, she avoided that disaster, while Susan took the hit for her. “You b*tch! I won’t forget this!”
She hated Tessa’s guts, but at the same time, she wondered who else but her would try to hurt Tessa. And that’s going really far. If she had fallen from the stage, she could have lost her baby. The injury would be the least of her worries.
The moment she asked herself that question, she got her answer. Eunice. She’s the only one in the orchestra who dislikes Tessa aside from me. Goddammit, that b*tch is even crueler than I thought. I won’t forget this. I’ll make you pay for this, Eunice.
Rorion was smart enough to deduce what was going on the moment his daughter did, and he was upset. “Damn that woman. She’s a jinx.”
Obviously, Susan took the hit that was meant for Tessa, and that made him mad. “I’ll make that woman pay for this. Doubly.”
He was about to tell his men to attack Tessa, but Susan stopped him. “Don’t rush it, Dad. We have to take it slow. Don’t forget what happened the last time we tried to be rash about it.”
Rorion calmed down. The doctor came for another checkup, and the both of them shut up and worked with the doctor.
Once he was done, Rorion asked nervously, “How is she, doctor?”
“She has a fractured bone. It’ll take more than three months for possible recovery,” the doctor answered.
Susan’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean possible recovery?” That’s not what Daddy told me.
Rorion frowned as well. He thought all his daughter needed to do was rest, and her fractured bone would heal.
Oh, they’re misunderstanding something. He quickly explained, “The broken bones can be mended, but no strenuous exercise for a short while.”
“Does playing the violin count?” Susan quickly asked.
The doctor nodded. “Put the violin aside for now and focus on healing yourself.”
Susan frowned. She could accept not playing the violin for a while, but what the doctor said earlier worried her. “Can I play the violin once I’ve healed up?”
“That depends. You will still have to go through physiotherapy after you’re healed. You might or might not be able to play the violin ever again.”
“So you mean I might have to say goodbye to the violin?” Shocked and bereaved, she stared at the doctor in disbelief. It was natural for Susan to react this way.
Chapter 1012 A Woman’s Fury She had gone through hell to be reborn. Just when she could finally chase her dream and build her career up again, Tessa ruined her life once more. If she couldn’t play the violin, her position of concertmaster would be given to someone else. Just the thought of having the fruit of her labor destroyed almost led to a breakdown. “I don’t care! You’re healing my hand!” she roared. “If you can’t do it, then you can get ready to quit medicine!”
The doctor was upset, but he could understand where Susan was coming from. “Calm down, Miss Susan. It’s not like your hand can’t heal. Just work with us, and you’ll increase your chances of healing by a lot.”
He was being patient with Susan, but the fear of losing her violin career had taken over her mind. She wouldn’t listen to anything.
Rorian looked angry as well. He’s leaving an exit strategy for himself. An insurance. He warned, “You’re fixing her hand no matter what it takes. If you can’t do that, I’ll make sure you’re fired from the medical world, and I’ll ruin this hospital.”
The doctor was positively fuming, but Susan and Rorian were too powerful for him to fight. He told them he would try his best and left.
Susan was in her ward that afternoon when Hathaway called her. She had just returned from out of town and saw the news of her getting hurt, so she planned to pay her a visit. A while later, Hathaway entered the ward. She was in a blue women’s suit.
Susan was the only one there. Rorian left after he knew Hathaway was on the way. A frown furrowed Hathaway’s forehead when she realized Susan was alone. “You’re alone? Where’s your family? Where’s your caretaker?”
“Daddy’s at work, and the caretaker will only come at night.” Susan politely asked Hathaway to take a seat.
Hathaway nodded and got a chair to sit beside her. Looking at the cast on Susan’s arm, she asked with concern, “What did the doctor say? How long will recovery take?”
“At least three months, and I need to go through rehab after that. I can’t play the violin in this condition.” Susan was dejected. “The orchestra is probably going to switch me out for someone else.”
She wasn’t acting sad this time. Her vendetta against Tessa aside, she truly loved the violin.
Hathaway thought it was a bit too sad to see a young girl looking so miserable. “You can join my orchestra if Sofia gives you the boot. You’re always welcome here.”
“Thank you, Miss Hathaway.” Susan didn’t refuse. Hathaway Philharmonic was a good backup plan, after all.
She seems to be in a better mood now. Hathaway said, “Stop thinking about this and take all the time you need to heal. You can still perform after you’re all better.”
Susan nodded.
They talked a little more before Hathaway left.
Rorian came back not long after Hathaway was gone. “What did your mother say?” he asked curiously.
Susan answered coolly, “Nothing. Just offered me a spot in her orchestra if Sofia’s Symphony decides to kick me out.”
Rorian thought that was a good idea, but Susan wasn’t thinking about that anymore. She had already calmed down since the accident happened and made a decision.
I will kill Tessa and make Eunice suffer. She ruined my career. If I can’t be the concertmaster, then she can’t be the director!
“Daddy, I need you to look into someone called Eunice. She’s one of the members in the orchestra and the one who did this to me.”
The next couple of days passed calmly, but it felt like the calm before a storm. Tessa stayed at home for two days, and her rashes had all healed up, though they weren’t making any headway with the investigations regarding the accidents that happened during the performance.
Chapter 1013 Evidence
Nicholas told Tessa to stay away from the orchestra, and Tessa obliged in case someone tried to sabotage her again. She would practice the violin with Gregory at home in the morning and record her album at Simon’s place in the afternoon.
On the other hand, Kellen was in a rut from making no progress on the case. The news outlets were stopped from writing anything about it, but the orchestra’s fans were keeping a close eye on the case, and he needed to give his team members closure as well.
Just when he thought he had no lead to follow up on, his assistant came in. “The makeup artist for Tessa is here, Kellen. She said she probably knows who sabotaged Tessa.”
Kellen told his assistant to take the makeup artist to him. “You know who sabotaged Tessa?” Kellen asked the moment he met the makeup artist.
The makeup artist nodded and told him the conclusion she came up with after two days. “The cops say I was the only one who came in contact with Miss Reinhart’s makeup products, but Susan came to see her on that day as well. That makes her a suspect. When I was doing Miss Reinhart’s makeup, she approached the dressing table as well.”
Kellen frowned. He didn’t think Susan would sabotage Tessa, but the makeup artist’s conjecture concerned him. He asked his assistant to bring the security footage over. Since the investigation was already underway, they got the footage without a hitch.
After hearing what the makeup artist had to say, Kellen watched the footage seriously, especially from the moment Susan came in. When she was about to leave the room, Susan raised her hand, and Kellen saw something powdering fluttering from her fingertips. He narrowed his eyes. “Rewind that by three seconds and enlarge her fingertips.”
The assistant nodded and did what Kellen said. Then they saw something like powder falling from Susan’s nails.
Kellen was infuriated. So Susan’s behind this. He told the assistant to send the makeup artist away while he went to see Sofia. “I know who tampered with Tessa’s makeup products, Sofia.”
“Who did it?” Sofia shot him a solemn look.
Grimly, Kellen said, “It’s Susan.”
Sofia was a little shocked to hear that Susan was behind it. She never suspected Susan to be the culprit, but she didn’t doubt Kellen. He wouldn’t have told her unless he had proof. And then she thought of something else. If Susan’s behind the tampering, did she sabotage the stage lift as well?
She and Kellen went to see Susan at the hospital that afternoon. Susan smiled and greeted them happily the moment she saw them, but they were in no mood to make small talk with Susan. After expressing concern over Susan’s hand, Sofia cut to the chase.
“Susan, we know you tampered with Tessa’s makeup products and caused her to have an allergic reaction. Do you have anything to say about that?”
Susan looked shocked, and her heart thumped furiously. They know? How did they find out?
She stared at the solemn Sofia and Kellen, and then she clenched her good hand, forcing herself to calm down. “This is a misunderstanding. I wouldn’t sabotage Tessa. Why should I? I have no beef with her.”
“I had hoped it was a misunderstanding. This is going to impact our reputation, but the truth remains that you did it to Tessa.” Sofia told Kellen to show her the proof.
The moment Kellen played the footage, Susan’s face fell.
Chapter 1014 Susan’s True Colors
Susan never thought Kellen and others would zoom in on the footage. All at once, she stopped acting like a good girl as she previously had. She retorted with a sneer, “Yeah, I did it. So what? It’s not like I’ve hurt Tessa or anything; all I did was make her stay home for a couple of days over an allergic reaction.
But what about me? My arm is broken, but you two are blaming me before I could even question you guys about the stage incident! Shouldn’t my case be given priority in terms of how serious it is? And now what? Are you going to shield the culprit behind the scenes instead?”
Sofia was irked by her unapologetic reply. Instantly, she pointed at the latter and chastised angrily, “I think you’re confusing right with wrong here. It was you who maliciously set Tessa up, and besides, I now suspect you’re the one to blame for what happened on stage! You could drug Tessa, after all; is there anything you can’t do?”
The instant Kellen heard this, his face darkened immediately. Eyeing Susan with hostility, he questioned, “Are you the one who caused the stage incident?”
“Would I be so stupid as to shoot myself in the foot?” Seeing that they were going to pin the blame on her, Susan instantly got cross. “It was me who made Tessa suffer from an allergic reaction, but it wasn’t me who caused the stage incident. What makes you say without proof that I’m the one who did it?” Now that they had a complete falling-out, she no longer had to pretend to be nice.
Sofia was enraged by Susan’s cocky manners. Now she had to admit that she was wrong about this young lady.
Also feeling the same way was Kellen, who wasn’t any less angry than Sofia inwardly. After all, it was him who had pushed for Susan’s appointment as concertmaster back then.
At this moment, Sofia said with a snort, “Now you’re asking for proof, eh? Since learning that you’d set Tessa up, I’ve asked my assistant to get the person who operated the stage at the time, only to find out that the man has vanished into thin air. Isn’t this clear enough proof of it?”
Susan stood up to her fearlessly. “This alone can’t prove that I had something to do with this, no? Not to mention that the man is now missing!”
Sofia’s chest heaved up and down continuously in anger. “Fine!” she uttered between clenched teeth, “Since you’re asking for proof, I’ll grant your wish! I believe the operator will be found very soon, and I’ll see what excuses you’re gonna make by then!”
“Okay, let’s come face-to-face when you find the operator. I’d really like to see how dramatic the truth will be!” Susan replied with a sneer, knowing that the stage incident was Eunice’s doing. When the truth comes to light, I’ll see how this old hag can still speak so confidently to me upon knowing that it was her favorite apprentice who did it! The thought of such a scene filled her with anticipation. At this very moment, she suddenly hoped that Sofia would find the witness soon.
Just as she looked forward to it, she didn’t realize that her whole conversation with the two had been overheard by Eunice, who was standing outside the door. The latter had wanted to ask Kellen how the investigation into the incident was going, only to hear that he had gone to the hospital with Sofia. Instinctively, she sensed that something was wrong, so she followed them here. After all, Sofia didn’t have to be present for the purpose of consoling Susan.
At this moment, she was very glad that she’d followed them here, or else she wouldn’t have heard such a shocking piece of information. “I was worried that I’d be exposed. Who would’ve thought that Susan, that silly woman, would also lay a hand on Tessa?” she muttered to herself while casting her eyes downward. At the same time, she was a bit angry with Susan. If it weren’t for the latter’s meddling, it would’ve been Tessa who had fallen off the stage and might’ve been killed as a result.
On second thought, however, her anger subsided a little. At least this woman can take the blame for me now, she thought to herself while narrowing her eyes slightly. After pondering for a moment, she turned and disappeared from the hallway.
Some time later, Sofia and Kellen came out of the hospital with grim expressions.
Seeing Sofia’s gloomy face, Kellen became somewhat worried for her health. He advised her, saying, “Please cool down, ma’am. It’s not worth it to be angry with such a person. I won’t let her off easily once the operator is found.”
Chapter 1015 Never Underestimate Women’s Jealousy
When Sofia heard this, her expression finally softened somewhat. After getting into the car, she instructed in a grave voice, “Let’s go to Tessa’s place first. Now that things have turned out in such a way, we’ve got to tell her about it and send more people to look for the stage operator.”
Kellen nodded. Then, he started the car and drove straight to Tessa’s place. In the luxurious living room, Tessa looked as black as thunder when she learned of the purpose of the two’s visit. Nicholas, in particular, had his good-looking features screwed up in a surly expression; he emanated a frosty vibe that would freeze one to the marrow.
Sofia and Kellen were both frightened, as they’d never seen him looking so menacing before. On the other hand, Tessa knitted her brows in bewilderment. “Why would Susan plot against me like this? Well, I did have a vague feeling that she seemed to be holding a grudge against me, but I don’t think there’s a reason for her to have such a vendetta against me. Why would she set me up like this?”
Taking her by the hand, Nicholas reminded her, saying, “Don’t underestimate any woman’s hostility. As long as they hate someone, they can do anything.”
Tessa thought his words made sense. A woman’s jealousy can never be underestimated. The next instant, her face hardened at the thought of what had happened on stage. “Miss Sofia, may I ask if she’s also the one behind what happened to the stage elevator?” At first, it didn’t occur to her that what had happened on stage was aimed at her. She had thought that someone was targeting the orchestra, but when she found out later that Nicholas was looking into the incident, she finally realized that the incident was more complicated than it seemed. Therefore, she took it very seriously. After all, someone was trying to harm her baby!
After listening to her words, Sofia shook her head and replied, “That’s not clear at the moment because the stage operator has gone missing. Still, she’s a strong suspect. Only she has a motive for doing this.”
Tessa’s face darkened.
Upon seeing this, Sofia promised, “Don’t worry about this. I’ll get to the bottom of this and give you an explanation.”
Tessa nodded.
…
Two days later, the stage operator was found.
After the man was caught, Sofia marched him straight to the hospital without questioning him. Accompanying her were Kellen and Eunice, who had gotten word of it.
Seeing Sofia and others in the ward, Susan sat up in her sickbed, her expression darkened. “What do you mean by doing this, Miss Sofia?”
“Weren’t you asking for proof? I’ve brought him here now. Go ahead and question him face-to-face lest you accuse us of throwing mud at you!” Sofia said before turning to fix the stage operator, who was being held by the bodyguards, with a commanding stare. She asked, “Who asked you to damage the stage? Spill it!”
The stage operator looked at her, then at the others around him—who all looked very stern—in fear and panic.
At the sight of this, Sofia spoke again. “I can consider showing you mercy as long as you point out who made you do it.”
When the stage operator heard this, his eyes flickered for a moment. Then, he pointed the finger at Susan, saying, “It’s this woman who asked me to tamper with the stage. She promised to give me a fortune and help me leave Vienna after it’s done.”
Susan gaped incredulously at the man who pointed at her. “That’s pure slander! I’ve never approached you!” Realizing what had happened, she nearly jumped out of bed in anger, glaring at the man with venomous eyes as if wanting to eat him alive. “I’m warning you—committing slander will also get you a jail sentence!”
The man felt very guilty under her stare, but he gritted his teeth and brazened it out nonetheless. “I’m not lying. It’s you who made me do it.”
Susan trembled all over with rage. “How dare you!”
At this moment, Sofia spoke as well. “Now that we’ve got witness testimony, I’m leaving this to the police.”
“I object! This is a slander and a frame-up!” Susan was mad with anger. She protested, “What witness testimony are you talking about? I think you’re getting a random guy to make me a scapegoat in order to shield one of your own!” Most importantly, I mustn’t be taken to the police station, or my identity will certainly be exposed!
Chapter 1016 The Real Culprit
At the thought of this, she said between clenched teeth, “Don’t you ever think of framing me for the incident. It wasn’t me who did it!” Seeing her agitated demeanor, Sofia grew somewhat hesitant. Could Susan have actually been wronged?
On the other hand, Eunice was alarmed when she noticed the look of hesitation on her mentor’s face. Crap, she thought to herself before immediately stepping forward to sneer at Susan. “Don’t forget that you’re also a member of our orchestra and one of our own. What gives you the right to cry foul here after doing such a shameless thing?”
Upon hearing this, Susan immediately eyed her with a gaze that was both hostile and slightly frosty. Then, in a flash of revelation, she seemed to have something figured out. Suddenly, she let out a sneer, saying, “Well, well, I never thought you were so good at keeping your cards close to your chest!”
Eunice frowned. For some reason, she grew a little uneasy deep down. “I don’t understand what nonsense you’re talking about. I’d advise you to just plead guilty.” She suppressed her inner anxiety while looking at Susan haughtily. The instant their eyes met, it was as though there were real sparks flickering and flying between them.
Susan sneered. “Why should I plead guilty for something that I never did? Miss Eunice, do you really think I have no idea who the mastermind behind the incident was?” she said, pausing between each word toward the end of her speech. Eunice, who was already feeling somewhat unnerved, panicked even more at this moment.
However, Susan forestalled her and spoke before she could say anything. “You love Tessa’s husband, so you grew jealous of her and wanted to get rid of her to become his wife. That’s why you plotted the stage incident in an attempt to kill her along with her baby.
Since I had set her up before, you decided to simply make me a scapegoat for it. However, even if this case goes to the police, I won’t plead guilty for something that I never did.” Hearing these words, the others frowned and looked at Eunice with suspicion.
Sensing their gaze upon her, Eunice balled her fists and forced herself to remain calm. All the evidence points to her at the moment. As long as I don’t admit it, I’ll have nothing to do with it. At the thought of this, she inhaled secretly before replying with disdain, “Stop throwing mud at me here! And besides, whether you admit it or not, you’ve been caught in the act now…”
Looking at the vaguely smug woman before her, Susan curled her lips into a sneer. She mocked, “What sort of witness testimony is that? He might’ve been bribed by somebody into framing me for it.” As she spoke, she stared fixedly at Eunice with dark, sinister eyes.
The moment she saw this, Eunice felt as though she were being stared at by a venomous snake. It sent a chill down her spine, and she felt very guilty and scared, with a feeling that she’d been seen through.
Susan’s icy and determined voice reached her ears again. “I admit that I drugged Tessa, but it wasn’t me who plotted the stage incident. Don’t try to pin it on me!”
As soon as she finished her speech, there was a knock on the door to the ward. Then, a smart-looking man pushed the door open and came in in a suit and leather shoes.
At the sight of this, Kellen asked with a frown, “Who are you looking for?”
“Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Albert Potelle, Miss Susan’s attorney.” Albert gave a simple self-introduction before walking toward Susan right away.
As it turned out, Susan had signaled the nurse to inform her father when Sofia and others came over. Due to his status, Rorion couldn’t step in personally, so he hired an attorney for her instead. At any rate, he wouldn’t let his daughter suffer in the slightest.
Although Susan was unaware of these things, she sighed with relief when Albert showed up. At least I don’t have to face these people alone. In an instant, her back straightened again. Facing Sofia and others, she said coldly, “Now that my attorney is here, you guys can talk to him if you want to press charges against me.”
The instant she said that, Albert stepped forward to find out about the situation. After learning of what had happened, he defended his client with great professionalism, saying, “As my client said, it’s impossible to have her convicted with the one-sided testimony of this stage operator alone. So, if you guys want to hold her responsible for the incident, please produce substantial proof of it.”
Chapter 1017 Shifting Blame Seemingly rattled, Sofia and Kellen frowned at those words. Noticing their reaction, Eunice tensed up as she knew she mustn’t allow them to further investigate the matter. “How is there no evidence?
Aren’t those videos about how Susan had caused Tessa’s allergies to react a piece of evidence in itself? Not only that, she is envious of her as well. Wouldn’t that be her motive in all of this?”
Frowning, Albert didn’t respond to Eunice but turned his attention to Susan. As Susan was here listening to Eunice the entire time, she hated her down to her bones as she was clear that the latter was trying to shift the blame to get away with what she had done.
However, Susan wasn’t going to let her off scot-free. After a brief pondering, she gestured for Albert to come closer and whispered to him a few instructions.
Then, Albert nodded before he addressed Eunice and the others. “As for the allergy incident, my client admits that it was her doing and will apologize and compensate Miss Reinhart for it.
However, concerning the stage incident, my client denies having anything to do with it. So, if you want to accuse my client of it, you will have to provide the evidence for it,” he said in a serious tone.
“Furthermore, I’m also a victim in the matter. I’m confused. If this was truly my doing, why would I still perform on stage if I knew that something was going to happen?
You should know how important our hands are to us violinists.” Susan spoke up from the side. “I believe this glaring hole in her theory wouldn’t escape Miss Sofia’s eyes as well, right? I hope you and the orchestra as a whole will be able to provide an explanation for this.”
After briefly going over her thoughts, Sofia noticed that there was some truth in Susan’s words. She really didn’t have anything to do with it? In the end, after they left the hospital, Sofia instructed Kellen, “Check up on the stage operator’s recent contacts and go through his bank statements as well as his family’s.”
Upon hearing their conversation, Eunice felt her heart sink. Did Miss Sofia believe Susan? With her brow wrinkled, she wanted to speak up but chose to stop herself from doing so.
Since she had already said that much back in the hospital, she would only arouse suspicion if she decided to push the matter any further here. After a moment of contemplation, she smiled faintly and asked, “Miss Sofia, Kellen, where are we heading next?”
“We’ll be visiting Tessa to update her about the situation.” Sofia spoke truthfully and told Eunice her plans.
Eunice wanted very much to tag along, but she wasn’t sure she would be able to keep her emotions in check, so she made up an excuse to take her leave, as she was afraid that the astute Nicholas would see through her instantly. Moreover, she still had other things to deal with.
Both Sofia and Kellen did not notice anything out of the ordinary from Eunice and left for Tessa’s house after going their separate ways.
Upon entering the living room, Sofia went straight to the point and told Tessa and Nicholas about what had happened back in the hospital.
“Even after we brought someone to identify her, she continued to deny her involvement and even asked the orchestra to provide an explanation to her.” Perhaps Susan’s attitude at the time was so haughty that Sofia still felt a slight anger when she spoke about it.
Listening to Sofia, both Tessa and Nicholas frowned with slight surprise. They never expected that Susan would insist on her innocence now that the situation had come this far.
“Perhaps she really wasn’t behind the incident?” Tessa murmured in confusion.
Sitting beside them, Kellen voiced his opinion as well. “Truthfully, I think there is some sense to Susan’s words. If she truly was behind the incident, she wouldn’t have caused the allergy incident since you would have to be sent to the hospital for it.
And as the concertmaster, she would have to take your place in the performance. By then, she would be the one caught in her own plans. I don’t think she is that foolish.”
Tessa agreed with Kellen, while Nicholas also shared the same feeling that someone had pinned the blame on Susan. Nevertheless, he wasn’t going to let Susan off lightly for daring to drug his wife. She must be duly punished for the incident.
Chapter 1018 Lawsuits
“Let’s put aside that matter for now. As for the drugging incident, I will have her pay for her actions,” Nicholas said while looking at Sofia with a cold, stern face to indicate to her how serious he was.
Seemingly understanding how serious Nicholas was, Sofia nodded and replied, “Susan is indeed in the wrong for that matter. Please set your worries aside, Mr. Sawyer. I will not cover for her but instead, punish her for this.”
After hearing Sofia would be fair in the matter, Nicholas was satisfied. Then, he turned toward Edward, who was on standby beside them, and said, “Contact the lawyers and have them bring a lawsuit against Susan for intentional assault.”
“Understood,” Edward replied with a nod and left. On the other hand, Tessa didn’t respond and continued to ponder on the stage incident with her pink lips pursed. No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t figure out just who would be so ruthless toward her.
Looking at his preoccupied wife, Nicholas took her hands and comforted her. “Don’t worry, I will assist Miss Sofia in investigating the matter. We will definitely find the person behind this.” No matter, I will never forgive those who went after my wife and children.
After they were done with their discussion, Sofia started asking Tessa about her album. “How is the progress with your album? Is it going well?”
“It’s going well, albeit a little slow. I’ve only managed to record two songs so far,” Tessa answered truthfully.
Sofia nodded. “Let me know when you’re done.”
Morning the next day, what greeted Susan when she woke up was her father entering her room with a sour look. Concerned, she asked, “Daddy, what happened? Why are you in such a bad mood?”
“I’ve just received word that Tessa is going to sue you!” Rorion gritted his teeth.
Susan’s mood instantly took a dive. “How dare that wretch!”
Noticing his daughter’s displeasure, Rorion reluctantly said, “I will help you deal with this matter. The important thing now is for you to properly recuperate.”
Although she still felt resentful, she nodded and asked, “Did the orchestra say anything in response?” She had thought that the orchestra would not agree to make a big deal out of the incident.
Naturally, Rorion knew what she was thinking. “The orchestra had just been keeping quiet ever since Tessa sent us that lawyer letter. Obviously, they have approved of it.”
Susan was enraged as she felt that Sofia was covering for one of her own. Although she was the one who had drugged Tessa, the latter was fine in the end. Conversely, she was the one who had her hands injured.
Even if they were to pursue the matter, they should have waited after my treatment was done. But, this old woman is helping Tessa without even giving me an explanation. She’s obviously trying to muddle through things, Susan thought. Then, she said to her father, “Daddy, let’s escalate this. I’ll sue the orchestra as well!”
Afternoon the same day, the incident in Sofia Symphony, which had already died down in the people’s minds, had a newfound life once more as the internet was buzzed about it.
Meanwhile, they had reported news of Susan suing Sofia Symphony as well. It could be said that this particular news gained the attention of the netizens the moment it got out. “What’s this? That stage incident was an inside job?”
“Looks like it’s another shady business of the industry.” “I thought that Sofia Symphony was the most harmonious orchestra around. I never expected that they would be going at it behind the scenes.”
“I’ll be supporting that lady. No matter how tough the competition is, it’s unforgivable for them to ruin someone else’s future.” “True. Even the doctors are saying that she might not be able to play the violin anymore.”
There were even some news reporters who had caught wind of the lawsuit and came to the orchestra with the intention to interview Sofia. When she first heard of the news from her assistant, her face was twisted as she instructed her assistant to call for the head of public relations to deal with the matter.
Not long after, a competent-looking man appeared before the horde of reporters. He was none other than the head of public relations of Sofia Symphony. After gesturing for the reporters to be silent, he said, “I understand what everyone is here for today.
Now, I will properly give my answer to you all. Since this incident is an internal matter of our orchestra, it would not be convenient to disclose details of the matter, as it contains trade secrets.”
Chapter 1019 Ninety Points
“Are you not in a position to reveal it or are you afraid of causing a scandal?” “So that means that your orchestra is admitting to the scandal, and Sofia really is protecting the culprit.”
The surrounding media relentlessly fired one sharp question after another at the person in charge, who had no choice but to reply to some questions at his discretion.
“The accident occurred during Group Six’s performance on stage is indeed premeditated, and we have already requested the police to take part in the investigation. However, we don’t have any leads, and we are not trying to cover for the culprit.”
Because of his words, the incident began trending on the internet. Meanwhile, although Tessa had heard about this incident, she did not pay much attention to it as all of her focus was now on recording her composition. After warming up with the first two pieces, she was in good shape as she recorded the third piece, which turned out smoothly.
Simon complimented her with relief, “At first, I was worried that you would be affected by the net, but now it seems that I was worrying too much.”
In the evening, she finished recording the third piece and placed her violin down before walking out of the recording studio expectantly, asking, “Mr. Simon, how do you feel about this piece?”
“Not bad. This piece is perfect in terms of both the playing style and the atmosphere.” Simon praised her generously without any hesitation, and his words elicited a delighted smile to bloom on Tessa’s face.
Later, as if she thought of something, her almond eyes shone radiantly as she looked at him. “In that case, if you were to give a score, how many points would you give, Mr. Simon?”
Simon pretended to ponder over her question before he answered, “Probably ninety points.” “Ninety? But you said that it was perfect. Shouldn’t it be a hundred?” Tessa blinked, wondering if she had misheard.
He smiled smugly. “I was worried you might get arrogant if I gave you full marks, so I took ten points off.”
Tessa was both amused and wry, but she was still elated. After all, in other words, it still meant that her piece scored full marks in Simon’s heart. At that thought, she grew a little emotional. It was her first time getting full marks from him.
“Mr. Simon, just give me a hundred. Don’t worry, I’ll never be arrogant.”
She thought the score was commemorative, so she hoped he would give her a new score. However, no matter how she begged and whined, Simon simply teased her and did not change his decision.
Just as the two were laughing and fooling around, Sofia entered the room. She had finished handling the orchestra’s affairs and had taken time to check on the results of Tessa’s new piece.
“What are you talking about? You look happy.” Seeing this, Tessa immediately tattled to her. “Miss Sofia, Mr. Simon said that my piece was perfect, but he only gave me ninety points.”
At her words, Sofia raised her eyebrows and turned to look at Simon. The man in question sat calmly in his chair and said with a laugh, “Like I said, you might get arrogant if I gave you full marks. I took ten points off so that you’ll strive to do better next time.”
Tessa felt upset, while Sofia was a little surprised. After all, it showed that the piece was excellent for Simon to give it a full score. “Play the recording for me. I want to hear how it went.”
As she spoke, she had already sat down in a chair nearby and gestured for Simon to play the recorded piece. He nodded and quickly put on the recording they had completed earlier. Sofia closed her eyes and listened extremely intently.
At the end of the song, she placed the headphones down, somewhat surprised, and complimented, “It’s perfect. I can’t even find a flaw in this piece. It is indeed worth a hundred points.”
Hearing this, Tessa smiled even more brightly, not forgetting to cast a smug look at Simon, who shook his head with laughter at her childishness, his face full of affection.
The three talked about the album for a while, and the topic inadvertently changed to what was happening on the internet. “I saw the news on the internet today. Has the orchestra been affected in any way? If you need help, just tell us.”
Chapter 1020 The Clue Simon looked at Sofia with concern. Sofia nodded. “It’s not necessary for the time being. And besides, the matter is still under investigation. There’s no conclusion yet, so it won’t be much trouble. What matters now is that it’s still unknown whether Susan was the mastermind behind the stage incident. That has to be made clear before everything else.”
Tessa agreed with this, but she didn’t chime in on their conversation. Simon went on asking, “How’s the investigation going at the moment, then?”
Sofia roughly explained the situation without hiding anything from him. “We found the man who operated the stage at the time. He identified Susan as the culprit, but she denied it so resolutely that it seemed like she never did it.”
Smart as he was, Simon naturally smelled something fishy after listening to her words. He shook his head and replied with a sigh, “Some people nowadays simply don’t know their place. Once their desires grow, they’ll try to do something untoward without realizing there’s no escape from the long arm of the law. They’ll be caught sooner or later.”
Tessa felt the same way, too.
Sofia also looked gloomy while feeling a little upset. There was a lot of competition within the orchestra, but she’d always thought that these competitions were fair. However, what had happened this time made her realize that the orchestra wasn’t as strife-free as she had previously thought.
Instantly, the atmosphere became rather heavy.
At the sight of this, Tessa quickly changed the subject and asked with concern, “Will the concert by Marjorie and others be affected by what happened this time?”
Sofia reassured her, saying, “No, it won’t. Even if they get asked by the media about this, they know how to respond to it.” She wasn’t worried about this at all. After all, Marjorie and others were already full-fledged musicians with enough experience in dealing with all kinds of pointed questions from the media.
Relieved, Tessa took the opportunity to chat about the concert by Marjorie and others instead.
The previously cheerful atmosphere soon returned to the home studio. Some time later, Simon’s butler came over and knocked on the door. “Sir, dinner is ready.”
Upon hearing this, Tessa finally realized that it was already getting late. Before she could take her leave, though, she heard Simon’s voice inviting her. “Tessa, since the meal is ready, why don’t you tell your husband that you’ll be joining us for dinner this evening?”
Unable to turn him down, Tessa agreed with a nod before calling Nicholas. “Mr. Simon asked me to join him for dinner today, so I’ll be home later than usual. Can you tell Greg about it?”
“I got it. Just give me a call when you come back. I’ll have someone pick you up,” Nicholas replied. After that, he hung up the phone and went on with his work.
At this moment, the scandal about Sofia Symphony was still being lively discussed on the internet. Inadvertently catching a glimpse of these news reports, he narrowed his eyes and pressed the intercom button, instructing, “Edward, come to my office now.”
A few minutes later, Edward showed up before him respectfully. “What can I do for you, President Sawyer?”
Nicholas came straight to the point, asking, “How is your investigation into Sofia Symphony’s stage fall going?”
Not daring to trifle with him, Edward immediately reported on all the information that had been collected at present. “The stage operator still insists that it was Susan who made him do it, but I’ve found a new clue from his family. A couple of days ago, they just helped him pay off a huge gambling debt.”
Nicholas frowned. “A gambling debt?”
Edward replied with a nod, “It’s understood that the stage operator is a serious gambling addict who has had a lot of debts over these years. So, it’s rather weird that he suddenly has the money to pay off his debts.”
The instant he finished his sentence, he was startled for a moment before realizing what his own words meant. “President Sawyer, this might be a clue that he’d been bought off by someone. As long as we trace the money to its source, we’ll definitely find out who was behind him, by which time we’ll know who the culprit was.”
Nicholas flashed a glance at him. “You’re not that stupid after all.” Edward smiled in embarrassment. “I’ll look into it right away, then.”
However, Nicholas stopped him just as he was about to turn and leave. “Wait a minute.” “Is there anything else I can do for you, President Sawyer?”