Love or Die CEO’s Daily Dose of Swoon

Chapter 41

Stanton was practically buzzing with excitement as he addressed the room. “Look at that. Even this girl thinks I’ve got screws loose! What kind of shrink are you, not taking your buddy’s headcase seriously?”

Louie just stood there, silent

Knowing Cordelia’s easygoing nature, he didn’t immediately argue with Stanton. And sure enough, after a brief pause, Cordelia spoke up unhurriedly. “It’s not your head. It’s your playing that’s off.”

The room fell into a hush

As a world–renowned piano virtuoso, Stanton was not used to such criticism. It was the first time anyone had dared suggest his playing was flawless.

After a moment, Stanton asked, “What’s off?”

Cordelia shook her head. “I don’t know exactly.”

Stanton raised his eyebrows in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” he thought inwardly.

Louie’s voice, ever calm, broke the silence. “Why would you say that?”

Standing straight as an arrow, Cordelia answered like a diligent student responding to a teacher’s question. “There was a part that just didn’t sound right”

Raised in an orphanage, Cordelia had never had formal training She had taught herself everything she knew about music

Unable to articulate Stantons mistake in technical terms, she offered. Let me play it for you.”

Stanton was about to snort dismissively at the thought of a young girl identifying an error in his performance, but Louie gently pushed him aside to clear the way to the piano “Go ahead”

Cordelia sat down, her hands finding their place on the keys. She didn’t play the entire piece from start to finish but zeroed in on the segment that Stanton had botched

As she played, the smirk on Stantons face faded, replaced by an expression of deep concentration and, eventually, amazement

Stanton had played this signature piece for years, habitually glossing over a wrong note that had become ingrained in his muscle memory. The tempo was so fast, the mistake so well–embedded. It was nearly undetected

When Cordelia finished playing. Stanton stood there, dazed, his mind racing “So, that’s how it is That’s how it

He stepped forward, eager to shake her hand. “Who are you?”

This girl who could detect such a subtle error on a single listening couldn’t be a nobody could she?

Cordelia stepped back, avoiding his grasp

of introducing her to

his thought, Stanton stood up and declared emphatically, “No

Louie was puzzled.

teach her? I

the piano How

phone “Cordelia, what’s your number? Let’s swap digits?

pointers. Do you want to learn some music

Chapter

promise of learning

after they exchanged numbers, she saved

Man‘ sent her a link to join a group chat.

group’s name was

added, “Cordelia, this group’s full of aces. Louie’s in there, too I’m adding you so we can all share knowledge,

resist the allure of learning. So, she looked up inquiringly at

ruffled her hair, and said with a smile. “Join it. You’ve been too isolated.

up, and she requested to

an admin. Approve it, will

Cordelia was in the

list, introducing each one. “Lia, you know Louie, the doc. He’s also an admin. That’s the math whiz, the gamer, the actor, the fashionista, the dancer,

through the list of twenty members.

marveled at how one group chat could span so many professions. She asked, “Are they all

I am, I guess. Just

nodded, “Oh.”

man who couldn’t even nail every note certainly

solid black picture. “Lia, listen up. You can mess with anyone else

puzzled. The profile

the

name had a chill, like a frosty “keep out‘ sign.

dwell on it,

the real deal and got a short fuse. But don’t worry. He never chats. Don’t badmouth him in here, and you’ll be

Her curiosity was piqued.

his words implied the rest were indeed pseudo–big shots? No, except for

a message popped up in

asked, [Newbie?]

another message came

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