Chapter 284 The Eldest Son of the Hays Family
Vivienne nailed "River Flows In You." Seriously, even a top-notch violinist might struggle to outdo her.
But James? He wasn't backing down.
To everyone else, he looked like he was setting himself up for failure.
Ignoring the crowd's stares, James calmly picked up the violin, secured it, ready to play.
He took a deep breath and raised the bow to the strings.
His mom used to say, "Once you start playing, nothing else matters. You and the violin have to become one."
"Why's he even trying? He knows he can't win," Nancy muttered, pouting as she watched James standing there with the violin.
Laura just watched him, staying quiet.
Then, a beautiful violin melody filled the room.
Everyone looked confused. What was James playing?
"What's this song?"
"Yeah, I've never heard it before. Have you?"
"He's just playing haphazardly! There are only so many famous Serendara violin pieces, and this isn't one of them!" A middle-aged guy in a suit, clearly a violinist himself, couldn't help but sneer at James.
"He's just a delivery guy. What good music could he possibly play?"
"Yeah, he's probably just messing around! Does he really think he can beat Vivienne? What a joke!"
The crowd started whispering.
Laura was puzzled too. She'd never heard this piece before, but it was beautiful like it was telling a story.
Her expression turned serious as she closed her eyes, getting lost in the music.
James slowly drew the bow across the strings, and his whole vibe changed. He became more determined, and the music grew more powerful and intense.
James wasn't lying; he didn't know much about the violin and wasn't as good at it as he was with the piano.
This was the only violin piece he could play!
And it was one his mom had written for his dad!
"Why do I feel like this piece is actually pretty good?"
"Yeah, it's like it's telling a story!"
"This might be a bit niche, but it's really beautiful!"
"Can you all be quiet? I'm enjoying this!"
The crowd's attitude shifted from disdain to amazement.
As James's fingers flew over the strings, the crowd's shock grew.
Laura was deeply moved. She never expected this piece to be so captivating. She felt completely immersed in the music, her emotions rising and falling with the melody.
Vivienne just stood there, totally stunned, staring at James.
She could feel it—her "River Flows In You" didn't hold a candle to what James was playing.
Not only were the folks on the third floor hooked on James's music, but even those practicing on the first and second floors had stopped to listen.
"What's going on here today? It's so lively." A man's voice suddenly cut through the air.
The crowd looked annoyed. They thought it was rude to talk during a violin performance and worried it might throw James off.
Some hot-headed guests were ready to snap at the speaker, but when they saw who it was, they all went quiet.
A young man and a young woman had come up from downstairs, both good-looking.
They were holding hands, looking super close.
"Isn't that Jessa Greer, the owner of ArtScape Center?"
"Yeah, but who's the guy with her? Her boyfriend?"
"No way, Miss Greer is so gorgeous, and she's turned down tons of rich guys. How could she be with him?"
The audience, who had been listening to James's violin, started whispering about them.
"You better shut up. That guy is Irvin, the eldest son of the Hays Family. If Mr. Hays hears you, you'll be in big trouble!" a girl nervously warned after seeing the man.
"The eldest son of the Hays Family?"
"Irvin went abroad, didn't he? When did he come back?"
The crowd was even more shocked upon hearing the man's identity.
Dorian quickly approached Irvin, excitedly saying, "Mr. Hays, when did you get back?"
"Dorian?" Irvin smiled faintly upon seeing him and said, "I came back a few days ago."
"Mr. Hays, why didn't you let us know you were back? I would've visited you sooner!" Dorian, usually so full of himself, was suddenly very polite.
"Oh, Dorian, we're friends. No need to be so formal," Irvin said, waving his hand casually.
The Hays Family was a big deal in Willowbrook, with clout in both business and politics.
Over the years, the Hall Family had often sought help from the Hays Family. Dorian's grandpa would personally visit Irvin's grandpa during important holidays.
So, naturally, Dorian wanted to get on Irvin's good side when he saw him.
"Dorian, what's going on here?" Irvin pointed to the crowd around James, looking curious.
"Mr. Hays, that's my cousin Laura's fiancé, James. He's having a violin showdown with Vivienne!" Dorian explained.
"Laura's fiancé?" Irvin smiled faintly and said, "When did she have a fiancé? I'm quite curious about it."
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