Chapter 1254 Understanding
Randy's premonition proved devastatingly accurate the moment Stella's phone began playing music. Every face in the room shifted from confidence to bewilderment as the haunting melody filled the air:
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now am found
Was blind, but now I see"
Randy, Charles, Tyler, and the other groomsmen exchanged confused glances. They'd expected simple questions, not a musical interlude. When the song abruptly stopped, Francis Koch—Jeremy's son and the youngest of the group—eagerly raised his hand.
"I know this one! It's 'Amazing Grace,'" he announced triumphantly, chin lifted with adolescent pride as he shot smug looks at his older companions.
Stella gave him an approving thumbs-up. "Not bad! Look at you, jumping right in."
Francis preened even more, basking in the chorus of impressed congratulations from the other men.
"Impressive! How'd you know that one?"
"That's our Francis—total classical music buff!" "That's our Francis—total classical music buff!" he boasted, soaking up their praise like a sponge.
But Randy's instincts screamed danger. Stella was cut from the same cloth as Fannie—too clever by half and twice as mischievous. This felt like the calm before the storm.
His suspicions proved correct when Stella's smile vanished like a light switch flipping off. "Wrong! Completely off-topic. That's not what I asked at all."
Francis's smugness evaporated instantly. "But—but wasn't it about the song title?"
The other men's faces fell in unison.
Stella fixed him with a withering stare. "Wait your turn. One more outburst and you're benched."
Francis's confidence crumbled entirely.
Stella tapped her phone, and a robotic voice emerged: "Question: How many artists have covered this hymn?"
Dead silence blanketed the room, followed by a symphony of sharp intakes of breath and muttered curses.
"Damn it," someone whispered, voicing what they all felt.
Tyler's face contorted with frustration. "Could you possibly ask something remotely normal?"
The question was so absurdly specific it bordered on sadistic.
Now it was Stella's turn to gloat, adding a little shimmy for emphasis. "Come on, geniuses! You're all so brilliant—surely this is child's play for minds like yours. I need the exact number and all their names. Show me that confidence!"
The men stood speechless, deflated. Declan turned hopefully to Francis. "Since you know the song, have you studied its history?"
Francis's face crumpled. "I like lots of music, but I just listen to it! Ask Rodolfo—I'm not a musicologist."
Riley's son Rodolfo nodded in confirmation, sealing their fate.
"Tick tock, gentlemen! We have a wedding schedule to keep," Stella prodded with mock urgency.
"If you're so worried about time, why ask impossible questions?" Tyler muttered under his breath.
Stella crossed her arms with satisfaction. "Because you all think you're so superior. Time for a reality check."
Though the men bristled with indignation, they were powerless to do anything but huddle together and brainstorm.
Despite the question's absurdity, their collective intelligence began yielding results. They managed to compile four names before Randy suddenly stepped forward, counting off on his fingers as he rattled off a complete list of ten artists who had covered the hymn.
When he finished, stunned silence filled the room. Everyone stared at him in disbelief.
Francis clapped his shoulder enthusiastically. "Randy! How the hell did you know all that?"
Randy's lips curved in a modest smile. "Music major, remember? I write songs too, so I keep track of these things."
But that wasn't the whole truth. Randy knew Stella well enough to anticipate her devious mind. While she'd played the song, he'd discreetly googled everything he could find about it, preparing for exactly this kind of curveball. The others simply didn't understand Stella's particular brand of chaos.
Stella gave him an impressed thumbs-up. "Leave it to Randy to crack the code! Since you've conquered round one, let's move to question two."
A chorus of groans erupted immediately.
"There's more?"
"Please tell me this one's actually answerable!"
"Stella, are you trying to sabotage this wedding?"
But Stella ignored their protests entirely, exchanging a conspiratorial glance with Fannie that made Randy's blood run cold. When those two joined forces, chaos was guaranteed. He should have interrogated Stella yesterday about her true intentions—now they were all at her mercy.
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