Chapter 404

Evelyn decided to practice a new composition. Unfamiliar with the piece, she played at a slow tempo, her fingers stumbling over the keys.

Outside, Victoria scoured the building with growing desperation, checking every floor in a frantic search for the pianist whose music she had heard moments earlier.

But it was the end of classes, and the halls were filled with students practicing, making it nearly impossible for Victoria to identify the one she sought.

After an exhaustive search, Victoria resorted to adding senior students on WhatsApp, planning to investigate their backgrounds later.

Determining if any of them were orphans would be simple enough.

Breathless and exhausted, Victoria paused when an unfamiliar melody drifted from a nearby classroom. Pushing the door open, she found Evelyn seated at the piano.

Victoria froze.

At the sound of the door, Evelyn turned and saw Victoria standing there, disheveled and drenched in sweat, strands of hair clinging to her forehead.

Leaning against the doorframe, Victoria caught her breath, a cold smirk curling her lips.

"Trying to sneak in some practice, are you?" she taunted. "With your current skill, even a year wouldn’t be enough. You might as well quit now."

Recognizing Evelyn, Victoria assumed she had been motivated by Anthony’s praise the day before.

But having just heard Evelyn’s clumsy performance, Victoria was certain she posed no threat.

She was confident Evelyn would humiliate herself during the recital, making it effortless for Victoria to outshine her.

Without another word, Victoria turned and strode toward another classroom, determined to find the pianist she had heard earlier.

Evelyn ignored the jab, refocusing on her practice. She knew she still had time to improve.

After searching the entire building, Victoria had collected the contact information of over a hundred students.

Sitting on the stairs to catch her breath, she quickly dialed Gregory. "Can you run background checks on these people for me?"

If Victoria was going to locate the true heiress of the Montgomery family, she needed a plan to ensure they never crossed paths.

She couldn’t risk them recognizing her.

Her jaw clenched in determination. She had worked too hard to lose everything now.

Why should some be born into privilege while she had to claw her way up?

If fate had brought the real Montgomery heiress into her path, then fate would have to be dealt with.

If the girl was smart, Victoria might offer compensation—but she would never let her reclaim her place in the family.

After hours of practice, Evelyn returned home feeling defeated. Despite her efforts, she hadn’t improved as much as she’d hoped.

Frustrated, she couldn’t understand why she was struggling so much.

Christopher noticed her downcast expression. "What’s wrong? Did something happen at school?"

Had Anthony said something to upset her?

"I practiced some new pieces today," Evelyn admitted. "But I just couldn’t get them right."

"What did you play?" Christopher asked.

When Evelyn explained, he sighed. "Those pieces aren’t suited for you. It’s not your fault—everyone has their own style. Stick to what you know."

"Then what should I focus on?"

"The songs I’ve been teaching you. Master those first."

Evelyn nodded. The pieces she knew best were the childhood melodies and the ones Christopher had recently taught her.

She had intended to practice the sheet Donovan had given her, but it seemed beyond her current ability.

Then Christopher asked quietly, "Evelyn… do you still remember the orphanage?"