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.

boiled down to Sierra.

the last competition wrapped up, Maggie went over the feedback on Sierra. Despite a few subtle hints for improvement, it was mostly a shower of compliments. It was clear what was up.

inside and outside the venue,” the host exclaimed, peering at the latest stats with

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

eagerly awaited the host’s rundown of the votes for

Yearning for a Kiss

have to duke it out with

out, Maggie swiftly exited from the stage, only to bump into Sierra backstage, who

Maggie a cold glare, her hand clenched tightly at her side. “Don’t go thinking those votes mean you’re soine talent. You’re just riding on Nathael’s

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

Sierra fuming, feeling like she was punching cotton,

across.

moment in the spotlight while you can, Maggie. But mark my words, I’m gonna come out on top! The championship trophy is as good as mine!” Sierra’s eyes blazed with determination, her voice icy, and her demeanour oozing confidence

of the two judges up there who seemed friendly with the Pierces. Seeing Sierra’s

the Pierces and the Camerons had teamed up, hell–bent on propelling Sierra to the championship spot, hence

this dawned on Maggie, she couldn’t help but dive deeper into

if the supposedly random song selections in the competition could be rigged,

Maggie strode past Sierra, she swiftly dialed Lucas’s number.

as

the song selection for the university competition? Particularly, see if there’s anything shady going

I’ll get on it ASAP, Lucas replied, his

on the competition, Lucas wasted no time. He

yours? Not so much.

finally understanding why she

asked,

Her song was preselected. She’s got ‘Waltz in G Major,” Lucas

Maggie spoke softly, “Help her get rid of that preset program.

for her? That way, she gets to feel what it’s like without any favouritism, Lucas

278 Yearning for a Kiss

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

been on edge, now seemed confident, probably

waltz.

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

time to bring her down a