My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 159

Emily Blair nodded. “Alright.”

Early the next morning, Emily and Elizabeth Wilson set out.

Right before they left, Ashley Miller took them aside with a word of caution. “That judge likes her peace and quiet—don’t go barging in, and absolutely don’t disturb her. Wait until she’s free before you approach.”

“I understand. Thanks, Ashley,” Emily replied.

The judge they were seeking out was Arianna George, a renowned pianist in her early thirties. Her reputation stretched across continents, and she’d swept every major competition both at home and abroad. This year, she was the head judge for the Starlight Piano Competition, and her vote alone accounted for twenty percent of the final score.

Emily had come all this way for a single purpose: the coveted contestant spot in Arianna’s hands.

When they arrived at Arianna’s country house, it was still early, but Emily noticed the front gates were padlocked from the outside.

“She’s out,” Emily observed.

Elizabeth scratched her head, puzzled. “When did she leave?”

Emily glanced around.

The house sat at the edge of a rural village, fields stretching into the distance, dotted with the figures of farmers hard at work.

Sighing, she dropped down onto a stone by the gate and patted the spot beside her. “Let’s just wait here. No point getting anxious.”

The two of them settled in the shade of a large tree, making idle conversation while time slipped by.

Summer was just beginning, and the countryside already felt stifling. Emily lifted her hand and fanned herself, squinting down the lane that led to Arianna’s house.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number.

She answered without a second thought. “Hello, who’s this?”

“Emily, it’s me.”

Emily’s eyes narrowed. The relaxed look faded from her face, her voice turning cool. “Ms. Austin, what brings you to call me?”

Isabella Austin’s tone was gentle. “Emily, I know you’re still angry with Andrew because of what happened last time, aren’t you?”

Emily arched an indifferent eyebrow but said nothing.

Isabella pressed on. “Emily, it’s my fault too. I was the one who gave you that bowl of soup—I didn’t notice what he put in it. If I’d realized sooner, none of that would have happened.”

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