My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 208

The official account for the Starlight Piano Competition was quick to issue a statement: “This year’s competition was judged with complete fairness and impartiality. All results have been double-checked by the organizers, and there is absolutely no truth to the online rumors about bribery or backdoor dealings.

For those spreading malicious rumors online, our legal team has begun collecting evidence and will take action as necessary. We ask everyone to stop spreading falsehoods. If the behavior continues, we will not hesitate to use every legal means to protect the rights of the competition, the judges, and the contestants.

We urge all participants and followers to respect the law, refrain from slander and defamation, and help us maintain a healthy online environment.”

The post also included a list of the preliminary rankings for each contestant, along with the names of those advancing to the next round.

While this public clarification did manage to quell some of the more malicious speculation, it didn’t put an end to the rumors.

If anything, the situation escalated when Larry Mitchell created a new account and posted another incendiary statement. This time, his language was even harsher and more direct—accusing the organizers of saying one thing to the public and doing another behind the scenes. He cast himself as the underdog: a contestant with no connections, easy to score unfairly low, and called on everyone for support and sympathy.

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Emily Blair absentmindedly scrolled through her phone, her fingers flicking the screen without much thought.

After Larry’s second post, the controversy exploded again. Online discussions became feverish, with speculation swirling faster than ever. Related topics shot up to the trending lists, and the buzz was impossible to ignore.

Emily’s name was suddenly everywhere in the comment sections.

In contrast, Isabella Austin’s name appeared for very different reasons.

Isabella had met everyone’s expectations by taking first place in the Starlight Piano Competition. Her fans flooded the forums, jubilant and effusive, showering her with compliments at every opportunity.

At the same time, they didn’t miss a chance to be snide.

“Isabella is gorgeous and talented—congrats on first place! And congrats to that totally unknown high schooler for an amazing 64th place finish!”

“Isabella in first, Emily Blair at sixty-four... I guess there’s always hope for the future, ha ha ha ha ha.”

“Honestly, even that 64th place might be at risk. Some people just can’t keep their backdoor deals hidden forever.”

Emily read the threads and comments without much of a reaction.

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