Secret Admiration: Finding True Love After Prison
Chapter 622

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Chapter 622 To the Next Round

That day, Rachel found a piece of music in the orchestra that was perfect for the "love" theme. She remembered the melody, and with just a slight modification, it could be used as her entry for the competition. At that moment, Rachel felt incredibly lucky.

The piece was already quite popular, and if it was put to an online vote, Rachel believed she would at least earn a special

award.

Because not long ago, Meryl had posted the melody on Twitter, which was then shared by cellist Casey.

It was then that Rachel realized the piece she had found in the orchestra was actually composed by Meryl.

To her surprise, Meryl was so talented, and Rachel was consumed with jealousy. So, Rachel created a fake online

account, claiming to be the original composer, and conveniently attached the original manuscript as proof.

This caused a huge uproar online, and the gossip quickly spreac throughout the orchestra.

Now, Twitter and the entire orchestra were buzzing with accusations that Meryl had plagiarized. lo the Next Round

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Rachel had already heard that the orchestra management had begun investigating the plagiarism claims.

The music industry had a zero-tolerance policy for plagiarism. If Meryl was found guilty, she would be kicked out of the orchestra.

Since Rachel had the manuscript, she wasn't worried about being exposed.

She thought, "With the manuscript, I'm the original composer. No one would suspect that I found it in the orchestra.

So what if Meryl is Harvey's pupil?

Once the plagiarism scandal exploded, Mr. Herty will surely distance himself from Meryl to protect his reputation.

By then, Meryl will have no future in the music world and may even be permanently banned."

A sly smile curved on Rachel's lips.

With the submission deadline for the composition approaching, Rachel was preparing to make a few tweaks to the melody and submit it for the competition.

The melody was beautiful, and the competition required participants to compose within 48 hours. Using an existing piece was risky, but Rachel was willing to take the chance. She figured that with her minor changes, no one would be able

Chapter 622 To the Next Round

to tell. And even if they did, it wouldn't matter.

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With this in mind, Rachel quickly, transcribed the melody and began the adaptation.

Two hours later, the arrangement was finished, and she handed the sheet music to Christine.

Christine glanced at it and immediately showed a look of admiration. "Nice! This melody would sound great with both the cello and the violin! Both instruments bring something unique to it." The two of them converted the sheet music into an electronic version and submitted the work, then waited for the preliminary results.

In fact, some contestants had already submitted their entries before the 48 hours had passed.

Meryl was one of them.

She had been stuck in her room for two whole days, feeling like she couldn't stretch her limbs properly. With six months of pregnancy, she just wanted to finish quickly and return home to rest.

Lately, her belly had begun to show, though her slim figure and loose clothing hid it somewhat. But she still felt heavier and clumsier.

The judges were busy reviewing the music, and it would take

Chapter 622 To the Next Round

several hours to get the results.

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Most contestants were nervously waiting in the venue, but Meryl walked out of the hall.

She went to a nearby restaurant across from the venue and ordered two dishes, eating slowly.

After all, she had already submitted her piece, and no one said she couldn't leave.

It was just around mealtime, and there were several universities nearby. The wait for the food was a bit long.

She had been locked in that room for two days, away from the sunlight, so now, basking in the sun, she felt incredibly relaxed.

The scoring for the compositions was progressing rapidly.

The rules were simple. In the first round, the judges would score, discarding the highest and lowest scores and then calculating the average.

The top ten contestants would move on to the second round to compete for the top three spots.

In the second round, contestants would perform the full version of their piece with their chosen instrument, and the audience would vote online.

Harvey and Casey were among the judges.

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Chapter 622 To the Next Round

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After listening to fifty compositions, the judges were starting to experience some auditory fatigue.

Rachel and Christine were number 49, a relatively late number that didn't offer any advantage.

Finally, their piece was played, and Rachel was extremely nervous, carefully watching the judges' reactions.

The competition was fierce, and there had already been a few compositions that impressed the judges. Rachel noticed a pattern-if a piece didn't catch the judges' attention within the first ten seconds, it had little hope of making it to the next round. The 30-second version of their composition quickly finished, and the judges whispered among themselves, though it wasn't clear what they were discussing.

Christine also started to feel nervous. "The current tenth place is 80 points. If we can score higher than 80, we'll make it to the next round and be ready to perform!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the score for their piece appeared on the screen.

They got 85 points. Rachel and Christine had successfully advanced.

Christine let out a sigh of relief, but she knew the real challenge was still ahead. Chapter 622 To the Next Round

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She said to Rachel, "Hurry and go change into your performance dress. We're up next!" Rachel wasn't in a hurry. "You go first, I'll be there in a

moment."

The 50th contestant hadn't been announced yet, and Rachel wanted to hear their piece.

After finishing her meal, Meryl returned to the venue and sat down.

She could feel the baby moving a bit, and she gently rubbed her belly.

The judges were already listening to her composition. It had a very deep rhythm, and all contestants' pieces were kept secret, with only the first 30 seconds available for listening. Rachel noticed that as soon as the melody ended, the judges wore expressions that clearly showed they were craving more.

Rachel had a strong sense of foreboding. She thought this composition was even better than all the others!

Undoubtedly, the 50th entry had received the highest score in the judging round. Even Harvey, who was known for his harsh standards, had given it a 99!

In order to ensure fairness, the contestant numbers were kept confidential, so no one knew who the 50th contestant was, preventing any favoritism.

Chapter 622 To the Next Round Instinctively, Rachel glanced at Meryl.

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At that moment, Meryl calmly stood up and headed toward the backstage.

Most contestants who hadn't advanced sat in the audience, as they no longer had the right to perform in the second round.

But Meryl heading backstage meant one thing-she was the 50th

contestant!

Rachel's face went pale.

At that moment, the online audience, which numbered in the millions, was discussing the composition in real-time, with the speed of comments rising rapidly.

Rachel quickly checked her phone and saw that most people were commenting, "Vote for the 50th piece!"

She clenched her fist but then noticed a few comments saying, "49th was also nice," and she felt a little better.

Rachel absentmindedly made her way backstage.

Christine called her several times, but she didn't respond. Puzzled, she asked, "What's wrong with you?"

Rachel whispered, "Did you hear the 50th piece? I think the 250th contestant might win."

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Chapter 622 To the Next Round

Christine dismissed her, "What does it matter if the piece sounds good? It's still all about the performer's presentation. Otherwise, why would there be a second round?"

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While applying lipstick in the mirror, she continued, "I heard that many contestants in the past messed up in the second round. The difference between a computer-generated melody and a live performance can be huge." Indeed, Christine made a very good point.

But Rachel had heard Meryl play the cello, and she felt that Meryl's cello skills now rivaled Christine's as the principal cellist.

Rachel's eyes glinted as she looked at Christine. "I think I just saw the composer for the 50th piece was Meryl. And her score is higher than ours."

Christine's face went pale with shock. "What? Meryl?"

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