Let’s start all over again,shall we?

Chapter 278 Yearning for a Kiss

Once Maggie wrapped up her performance, her eyes were teary.

Not because of anything else but because tragedies tend to hit close to home.

She couldn’t shake off memories of her past life with Nathael and the lingering what–ifs of this one.

Mixing up feelings of relictance, excitement, and a dash of sweetness, it all boiled down to a sad soup.

Grace was dabbing her eyes back in the dressing room, and even Danielle seemed a bit misty–eyed.

“Maggie, you nailed it out there. I’m so moved, I could cry, Grace chimed in.

Danielle nodded along, adding, “Seriously, you aced it. You’re gonna get top marks for sure.”

“Thanks, Ms. Joyton, thanks, Grace. I’ll catch you guys in the audience seats later, Maggie murmured sofily.

“Sure thing. Once they announce the scores, you can bounce if you’ve got stuff to do,” Grace replied.

Sierra stayed quiet, her gaze fixed on Nathael’s Twitter feed, lost in her world.

Before they realised it, Maggie was next, ready to face the judges‘ feedback.

With a grin, the host piped up, “Any guesses on your score, Maggie?”

Maggie said, “Well, what do you think, Mr. Surrez?”

“If it were up to me, I’d toss you an eleven, with an extra point just to boost your ego,” the host quipped

back.

The room erupted in laughter, and Maggie couldn’t help but smile too.

The camera shifted to the judges below the stage, capturing their mixed reactions. Some showered her praise, while a couple seemed to find faults in every nook and cranny.

Maggie glanced at the two critics, recalling their lukewarm feedback from the first round, It felt like one of them had a bone to pick with the Pierces, and the other might’ve had some ties she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

all boiled down

Despite a few subtle hints for improvement, it was mostly a shower of

roof, both inside and outside the venue,” the host

it down: Maggie racked up 187,655 votes from inside and outside the venue! That’s a staggering number! Bagging the top spot in

Maggie eagerly awaited the host’s rundown of the votes for the other

Yearning for a

out with their counterparts from different groups.

Maggie swiftly exited from the stage, only to bump

her hand clenched tightly at her side. “Don’t go thinking those votes mean you’re

light. “Ah well, gotta give credit where it’s due. Thanks to

fuming, feeling like she

across.

your moment in the spotlight while you can, Maggie. But mark my words, I’m gonna come out on top! The championship trophy is

in her mind, she couldn’t shake off thoughts of the two judges up

had teamed up, hell–bent on propelling Sierra to the championship spot, hence her unwavering

on Maggie, she couldn’t help but

the competition could

she swiftly dialed Lucas’s number.

she greeted as

you do me a favour and look into any fishy business with the song selection for the university competition? Particularly, see if

get on it ASAP,

Lucas wasted no time. He accessed the

folks‘ songs are randomly picked, but is it yours? Not so much. Here’s the proof,” he explained,

down her spine, finally understanding why she got stuck with one of

she asked, her

was preselected. She’s got ‘Waltz in G

“Help her get rid of that preset program.

pick a similar piece for her? That way, she gets to feel what it’s like without any favouritism, Lucas proposed,

Yearning for a Kiss

of thought. Maggie nodded in agreement. If the competition wasn’t playing fair, they had no reason to be fair to

been on edge, now seemed confident, probably thanks to mastering the ice

waltz.

were juggling multiple pieces, Sierra had been honing in on perfecting just one, undoubtedly making her performance

to bring her down a peg