My Great Escape Led Me to You novel Chapter 229

Emily Blair didn’t care about whispers behind her back or icy stares in the hallway; what she truly feared was that this whole mess might ruin her chance to compete in the Starlight Piano Competition.

Arianna George watched her for a long time, brows knit, her eyes entirely devoid of warmth.

As the silence dragged on, Emily’s nerves stretched tighter and tighter.

At last, she forced a small, tense smile and spoke in a low voice. “Ms. George, I’m not asking for anything unreasonable. I just want to wait for the police to finish their investigation—once they have, then you can make your decision.”

Arianna let out a quiet sigh. “Emily, you know as well as I do—even if I do have a soft spot for Isabella, I can’t just condemn you based on her word alone. But at the same time, you can’t expect me to dismiss all suspicion just because of what you say.”

Emily’s lashes fluttered as she lifted her head. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Finally, she said softly, “That’s all I needed to hear, Ms. George.”

Arianna reached out and gave Emily’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “Isabella’s out of danger now. You need to take care of yourself too—the semifinals are tomorrow. Don’t let your health get in the way.”

Emily nodded quietly.

“And as for all the rumors online,” Arianna continued, “don’t worry about them. I know there’s no way you could’ve cheated or pulled strings to get your results. Leave that to the organizers and me—we’ll handle it.”

Emily had too much on her plate to manage that drama anyway, so she simply nodded again.

As she watched Arianna and the other judges walk away, Emily found herself remembering something Alex White had said to her at the pool.

“Emily Blair, I really wonder—if I wanted to get you out of the way, would your sponsor still stand behind you?”

Alex White was one of the Starlight Piano Competition’s main backers. Emily had no idea just how much influence Alex wielded—or, for that matter, if Alex and Andrew Lane might join forces to interfere with the results.

If the two of them decided to step in because of this whole incident…

Emily’s expression darkened, worry settling over her eyes.

After lying in bed for nearly an hour, she couldn’t stand it anymore. She slipped on her slippers and wandered out, desperate for some fresh air.

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