Chapter 5 - The Grand Audition
Two weeks later, the day of the regional young musicians’ concert finally arrived.
The grand auditorium downtown was packed with hundreds of parents, teachers, music lovers, and local dignitaries. The stage was bathed in warm golden light, showcasing rows of chairs and music stands waiting for the youth orchestra to take their places.
Lily sat in the green room backstage, wearing a crisp white dress with a pale blue sash.
She wasn't holding Rosie—that violin was currently resting in a secure evidence locker downtown. Instead, she cradled a brand-new, exquisitely crafted master violin that had been personally delivered to our doorstep two days prior by a card reading: “To a brilliant musician. Never let anyone dim your light. — Arthur Sterling’s former legal team (via anonymous donor settlement).”
“Are you ready, superstar?” I asked, kneeling beside her and adjusting her collar.
“I practiced every day, Mommy,” Lily beamed, her eyes shining with absolute excitement. “Even when I was sad about Rosie, I knew Rosie would want me to play my best.”
“Rosie would be so proud of you, sweetheart,” I whispered, kissing her forehead.
As the house lights flickered and the audience settled into a hush, the stage manager signaled for the orchestra to line up. I walked out into the auditorium and took my seat in the third row center, right where the acoustics were purest.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed two familiar figures slipping into the back row of the balcony.
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It was my mother and Vanessa. They were both dressed in dark, unpretentious clothes, trying desperately to blend into the shadows, hoping no one would recognize the disgraced socialites whose family name had spent the last two weeks splashed across the front page of every local newspaper.
I didn't turn around to look at them. My focus was entirely on the stage.
