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.

Scanning the crowd, Stella even spotted quite

Walden himself had been invited to deliver the opening

at length, his words brimming with encouragement. Up on stage, most of the contestants-everyone except Stella and Rachel-looked visibly moved, some

pedestal she'd placed him on had long since crumbled, but she still respected him. His talent and achievements were unrivaled in the field-no one could

your most promising protégé is competing today, and she's the odds-on favorite to

composure was legendary. He responded with a

Antoney frowned at the scene. "Bringing up Mr. Walden's student so openly before the competition even starts is bound to put pressure on

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

"I heard from some people in the industry- three of the four special guest judges at

the organizers were inviting special guests, they'd want big names. And among those qualified to judge or mentor, at least

students of his students.

was clear: Mr. Walden's influence in the field

trip Stella up? Or maybe give Rachel

eyes on them, I doubt they'd be that