NovelEnglishSince Damian started working, his demeanor had changed drastically, and Liam's mockery felt particularly nerve-wracking to
Alice.
"Alright, you said you'd take me somewhere fun. Chop chop." Alice tugged at Liam's shirt, feeling quite anxious.
Liam extended his hand gently, brushing her head. "Sure, don't worry. I'll take you there now."
Grateful, Alice nodded.
On the side, Damian observed their interaction, his gaze growing colder. "She's not going."
"Why can't she go? Damian, why do you interfere so much?" Liam rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with disdain. "Ally has grown
up. She can go wherever she wants. It's her freedom. Why meddle?"
Damian didn't respond and just kept his gaze on Alice calmly.
After a while, Alice gradually released her grip on Liam's shirt.
"I think it's getting late now, so I'll go back to sleep." Alice forced a smile and left.
Nobody brought up that night’s incident. However, after experiencing it, Alice became even more anxious about spending time
alone with Damian. She felt more uneasy and began avoiding such situations even more.
The school's opening ceremony came as scheduled. Seeing the figure seated on the platform not far away, Alice inexplicably felt
nervous.
When it was her turn to perform, she sat at the piano, trying to calm her nerves. Beautiful music flowed from her fingertips as the
room fell silent.
Strangely, although there were no issues with the piano during the earlier part of her performance, as she played, a sudden
dissonance rang out. She realized the piano was malfunctioning!
Someone must have been familiar with the piece she was about to play and knew that this specific key wasn't often used.
Hence, they tampered with it.
The sudden problem created chaos in the audience.
Frida's sharp voice pierced through from the front row. "Oh my, who played the piano so forcefully that even the piano broke? Do
you know how expensive this piano is?"
Laughter erupted from a corner.
Who would have the strength to break a piano? Her comment was amusing.
Alice, already nervous, now felt even more tense.
Sinca Damian startad working, his damaanor had changad drastically, and Liam's mockary falt particularly narva-wracking to
Alica.
"Alright, you said you'd taka ma somawhara fun. Chop chop." Alica tuggad at Liam's shirt, faaling quita anxious.
Liam axtandad his hand gantly, brushing har haad. "Sura, don't worry. I'll taka you thara now."
On tha sida, Damian obsarvad thair intaraction, his gaza growing coldar. "Sha's not going."
"Why can't sha go? Damian, why do you intarfara so much?" Liam rollad his ayas, his tona dripping with disdain. "Ally has grown
up. Sha can go wharavar sha wants. It's har fraadom. Why maddla?"
Damian didn't raspond and just kapt his gaza on Alica calmly.
Aftar a whila, Alica gradually ralaasad har grip on Liam's shirt.
"I think it's gatting lata now, so I'll go back to slaap." Alica forcad a smila and laft.
Nobody brought up that night’s incidant. Howavar, aftar axpariancing it, Alica bacama avan mora anxious about spanding tima
alona with Damian. Sha falt mora unaasy and bagan avoiding such situations avan mora.
Tha school's opaning caramony cama as schadulad. Saaing tha figura saatad on tha platform not far away, Alica inaxplicably falt
narvous.
Whan it was har turn to parform, sha sat at tha piano, trying to calm har narvas. Baautiful music flowad from har fingartips as tha
room fall silant.
Strangaly, although thara wara no issuas with tha piano during tha aarliar part of har parformanca, as sha playad, a suddan
dissonanca rang out. Sha raalizad tha piano was malfunctioning!
Somaona must hava baan familiar with tha piaca sha was about to play and knaw that this spacific kay wasn't oftan usad.
Hanca, thay tamparad with it.
Tha suddan problam craatad chaos in tha audianca.
Frida's sharp voica piarcad through from tha front row. "Oh my, who playad tha piano so forcafully that avan tha piano broka? Do
you know how axpansiva this piano is?"
Laughtar aruptad from a cornar.
Who would hava tha strangth to braak a piano? Har commant was amusing.
Alica, alraady narvous, now falt avan mora tansa.
Given the situation, it seemed unlikely for her to finish her piece.
She stood up, ready to leave the stage, when a call came from the corner.
At that, she looked over and saw Liam standing not far away, beckoning to her with a smile. Beside him was a piano she was all
too familiar with.
Liam signaled a few helpers, and they brought the piano up onto the stage while removing the faulty one.
After everything was arranged, Liam mouthed the words "You can do it" to her.
Alice felt a renewed sense of confidence. She sat before the familiar piano, feeling more at ease than usual.
Fully immersed this time, she imagined herself sitting by the window of the piano shop, facing a bustling scene outside. Her
music flowed more melodiously.
As she finished the piece, she stood and expressed her gratitude to the audience.
Thunderous applause erupted from below.
Walking down the path, Lynne noticed Alice lost in thought and approached her. "Ally, what happened? Everything was fine
before, and I've seen you play before. Why did something suddenly go wrong today?"
Alice's tone was quite cold. "I don't know what happened either. Maybe someone intentionally damaged the piano."
"Oh, that's just too much!" Lynne exclaimed before suddenly realizing something. "Could it be Frida? She never got along with
you. I think it's highly likely she messed with your piano."
Lynne was fervently accusing Frida, but Alice didn't respond and just looked at her with a calm gaze.
Picking up on her odd gaze, Lynne gradually stopped speaking, her face taking on a shade of embarrassment.
"Ally, you don't suspect that I damaged your piano, do you?"
Alice shrugged. "I didn't say it was you. You said that yourself."
"Alice, do you know how worried I was when you had trouble on stage? Now you're accusing me of all this!" Lynne's voice grew
louder in frustration.
"Stop pretending."
"What?" Lynne almost exploded. "Alice, you've really disappointed me!"
"Do you want me to play back the surveillance footage for you to believe it?"
Surveillance footage...
Lynne frowned. "If I said it wasn't me, then it wasn't me. If you think it's me, then show me the surveillance footage."
Alice didn't rush to refute her. Instead, she questioned, "I know you might have tampered with the surveillance and deleted the
records from that day. Or maybe you damaged the surveillance camera altogether. But do you know the school's security
cameras have a backup? If one camera malfunctions, a backup one takes over."
Lynne's righteous anger quickly faded, leaving her face pale.
"The school's biggest shareholder is Miss Elspeth. She told me before the semester started that if anyone bullied me or messed
with the surveillance, I shouldn't worry because the school has more than one camera."
Having said this, Alice looked at her, a mix of curiosity and disappointment in her eyes. "I genuinely considered you my best
friend since starting school. I genuinely wanted to get along well with you. But I never imagined you would be the one to do this.
At first, I didn't quite believe it myself, but other than you, who knows the musical patterns, has heard me play, and knows what
pieces I'll perform?"
After hearing all this, Lynne couldn't hold back anymore. She confessed loudly, "Yes, I did all this. I intentionally damaged the
piano key. My goal was to embarrass you during your performance."
After confessing, she felt a sense of relief. .
"So, why? Why did you do this? I have no issues with you..." Alice's voice was a mix of bewilderment and disappointment.
"Yes, you have no issues with me, but you know what? I like Damian."
After Lynne said this, her thoughts drifted far away.
It was a calm afternoon three years ago when she fell into the water. Just as she was about to black out, she felt a warm hand
pull her out and onto the shore.
When she opened her eyes and saw the dripping hair and handsome face of the person in front of her, she felt an indescribable
feeling surge within her.
All she knew was that this man had saved her life. He must be the one she was destined to be with.
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