Chapter 285 Jessa's Appreciation
Inside the ArtScape Center, Irvin was taken aback to learn that the violinist was Laura's fiancé. He trailed behind Dorian into the crowd.
Since everyone knew who Irvin and Jessa were, they made way for them without hesitation.
When Irvin finally got a good look at James, he was a bit surprised. He didn't expect Laura's fiancé to be such an average-looking guy.
Irvin's girlfriend, Jessa, eyed James with interest and said, "His piece is pretty cool. Never heard it before, and it's got a unique vibe. He must be some kind of violin whiz!"
"He plays quite well indeed," Dorian replied with a hint of envy in his voice.
He couldn't believe that James, a broke delivery guy, had managed to impress Jessa.
The Greer family, which Jessa belonged to, was already a big deal. Now, with her being with Irvin, the Greer and Hays families joining forces would be unstoppable.
Just then, Madeline walked up to Jessa with a smile. "Miss Greer, Mr. Smith isn't just good at the violin; he's also amazing at the piano. The 'Ninth Symphony' he played earlier was so impressive, even Lyle felt outclassed!"
"This guy can play the piano too? Looks like he's got some serious talent!" Jessa said, even more surprised.
Irvin knew what Jessa was thinking, so he turned to Dorian and said, "Dorian, when this guy's done playing, bring him to the VIP room. My girlfriend wants to talk to him."
"Sure thing, I'll bring him over later!" Dorian nodded without hesitation.
"Jessa, let's head upstairs!" With Dorian's agreement, Irvin started walking towards the VIP room on the fourth floor.
Jessa gave James one last look before following Irvin upstairs.
A few minutes later, James finished his performance.
The beautiful violin sound abruptly stopped, but everyone remained lost in the music.
Laura, Lily, and Nancy finally understood why James dared to keep competing with Vivienne. Even though James's piece wasn't well-known, his performance was way better than Vivienne's "River Flows In You"!
Everyone already knew who had won the competition in their hearts.
James took a deep breath, slowly opened his eyes, and turned to the crowd. "So, who won?"
The judges were stunned by James's question, looking at him helplessly.
They knew James was way better, but they dared not speak of it because they didn't want to offend Vivienne.
Vivienne was also in shock, unable to accept that she had lost.
"I think we should call it a tie!" Vivienne shouted at James.
Laura was the first to stand up and said loudly, "James's piece was clearly better than yours. Everyone heard it. How can it be a tie?"
"Yeah, Vivienne, aren't you being a bit shameless?" Nancy shouted, her big, watery eyes glaring.
"If you don't agree, let Madeline announce the result!" Vivienne snapped back, turning to Madeline from the ArtScape Center. "Madeline, who do you think won today?"
The Mae family had a lot of pull in Willowbrook, more so than the Hall family, whose members were mostly elsewhere. Vivienne was sure Madeline would side with her. Even if she didn't, she'd probably call it a tie to avoid offending anyone, which was exactly what Vivienne wanted.
Madeline looked at Vivienne, hesitated for a couple of seconds, and then said slowly, "Vivienne, your 'River Flows In You' was really good, but based on today's performance alone, I think James won."
"What?" Vivienne's face darkened instantly. She never expected Madeline to side with James!
"Yes, I also think James won!"
"Indeed, James won!"
The other judges chimed in after hearing Madeline's words.
Madeline wasn't dumb. Even Jessa had shown interest in James and had asked him to go to the VIP room. If she announced that James lost or it was a tie, and James bad-mouthed her in front of Jessa, she might lose her job. So, Madeline chose to announce the result fairly.
"Vivienne, did you hear what Madeline said? Everyone thinks you lost. Do you still think it's a tie?" Nancy stepped forward, her tone dripping with pride.
Vivienne hesitated for a couple of seconds, then shouted loudly, "Fine, I get it, you're all ganging up to go against me! Just wait, I'll be back for revenge!"
With that, Vivienne turned to leave. First, her boyfriend Lyle lost to James on the piano, and now she lost to James on the violin. How could Vivienne stay here any longer?
Seeing Vivienne leave, Nancy hurried to catch up, trying to stop her.
"Nancy, let her go!" Lily called out softly.
"Why? She hasn't apologized to Laura yet!" Nancy said angrily.
"She isn't worth our time. If you really make her kneel, who knows what she'll do? There's no need to make a big scene!" Lily explained helplessly.
"That woman is so shameless!" Nancy shouted, her big eyes flashing, but she didn't continue to chase.
James stood calmly, soaking in everyone's envious and admiring gazes. This was the first time James had been recognized for something other than money, and he relished the feeling.
At that moment, Dorian's attitude towards James had noticeably improved. He walked up to James with a smile and said, "James, Miss Greer and Mr. Hays want you to go to the VIP room upstairs."
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