The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

Chapter 688

The crowd buzzed with speculation, everyone whispering their own theories and opinions.

The hotter Stella's fame burned, the more controversy swirled around her.

Not that any of it touched her. Stella remained unbothered.

Soon, the day of the finals arrived.

To prevent the strongest competitors from knocking each other out early-letting a lucky underdog slip through to second or third place the competition wasn't set up as a simple elimination. Instead, they used a points system.

The ten finalists would each face a gauntlet: solo performances, ensemble work, and a round-robin of head-to-head duels. Every match and performance earned points, and in the end, the three highest scorers would be crowned champion, runner-up, and third place.

This format demanded not only skill, but also stamina and steady nerves. For every contestant, it was a true test of endurance and mentality.

Stella had made it to the finals. Abby, Candida Fletcher, Antoney, Neville, and Marvin Connolly all showed up to support her.

hall was packed-every seat taken. Scanning the crowd, Stella even spotted quite

Walden himself had been invited

stage, most of the contestants-everyone

him on had long since crumbled, but she still respected him. His talent and achievements were unrivaled in the

the host smiled and asked, "We've heard that your most promising protégé is competing today, and she's the odds-on favorite to win. Mr. Walden, how do

legendary. He responded with a few

scene. "Bringing up Mr. Walden's student so openly before the

in this world actually fair? The fact that Mr. Walden was invited to give

lowered his voice. "I heard from some people in the industry- three of the four special guest judges at the finals are

big names. And among those qualified to judge or mentor, at least half were linked to Mr. Walden. Of not his direct students, then they'd been mentored by him, or

students of his students.

Mr. Walden's influence in the

looked worried. "Do you think they'll try to trip Stella up? Or

many eyes on them, I doubt they'd be that blatant. But... whether they'll make things difficult for Stella, that's