Chapter 23
#23 “You are A Fraud!”
With the decision made, Sophia retrieves her Stradivari’s from the backstage area where it was stored
for the auction. She adjusts the tuning pegs until the G, D, A, and E notes are wless. Taking a deep
breath, Sophia walks out onto the center stage.
The orchestra has been cleared, and just a chair is magnified by a spotlight. The audience begins to
quiet as they notice someone has finally taken the seat, but as Sophia settles in to y, several people
let out disbelieving noises.
However, once Sophia begins to y, the audience is captivated. Her fingers, nimble and precise,
dance effortlessly across the strings, producing a melody that seems to float like silk in the air.
As Sophia closes her eyes, fully immersed in the music, her body sways in harmony with the emotional
peaks and valleys of the concerto. Her bow glides smoothly over the strings, drawing out a velvety
sound that seemed to caress the very soul of the listeners.
Enraptured by her skill and artistry, the audience holds their breath in awe of the exquisite performance
unfolding before them. The concerto bes a story, woven delicately by her every stroke, conveying
emotions transcending words.
Sophia’s style of ying the piece is different from her friend’s way of ying the music. While he
yed with a polished, refined, sharp edge, Sophia yed more gracefully and fluidly. However, most
of the audience could not tell any difference in performance.
As the piece ends and Sophia sighs, the audience is momentarily silent before erupting into vigorous
apuse. The thunderous sound fills the concert hall.
Alexander is particrly impressed and surprised by the revtion of Sophia’s musical talent. She had
never disclosed her ability to y the violin before. Furthermore, his research yielded no information
about her connections with renowned musicians. Being both awyer and a violinist, how many more
secrets lie behind this woman?
As Sophia returns to the table, both the hosts and guests quickly stand to greet her.
“Ms. Johnson. I must say, bravo!” Daniel exims, offering rapturous apuse. “I knew you were a
powerful and talented businesswoman, but I could never have guessed that you are also an expert
concert violinist.”
“Yes, I must admit that was amazing,” Barbara chimes in, her voice full of genuine admiration. “Thank
you so much for this unexpected performance!
Sophia smiles warmly as she looks around the table. The smiles she receives are genuine, except for
Emily, whose jealousy is bing evident through a slight frown and tight grip on her champagne
ss. Emily tries to force a smile, but her envy is difficult to conceal.
“Thank you, everyone,” Sophia says graciously, attempting to ease the tension. “I’m d I could step in
and help make this evening memorable for all of you and pay tribute to Maestro Paus.”
“How dare you say that would be something Maestro Paus would be proud of?” someone shouts from
the audience, their voice filled with disdain.
“That was a disgrace to Maestro Paus and the piece,” the anonymous voice continues to shout. “You
are a fraud! That was aplete distortion and, frankly, disrespectful!”
Sophia remains calm and unaffected by the harsh words, as she has not surprised to realize that the
person causing such disruption earlier with boos is the same individual now berating her performance.
Other voices from the crowd chime in with questions, creating a wave of uncertainty and doubt in the
room. Who was that?” and “How could she possibly have known that piece?” echo through the
ballroom, intensifying the tension.
Emily quickly rushes to Sophia’s side, urging her to address the audience and provide an exnation
to quell the misunderstandings.
“You have to say something. Give them some exnation so you can quickly put an end to this,” Emily
insists. In her head, however, Emily is relishing in the spectacle. “She is going to be humiliated. They
are going to eat her alive,” she thinks.
Sophia takes a deep breath, She casts a nce at the person feigning kind insistence, “I do not owe
them anything,” she exins.
Emily raises an eyebrow. “I think you do. Just exin how you know that piece so well,” she retorts,
hoping for an exnation that she’s sure Sophia cannot provide..
Looking at Emily firmly, Sophia stands her ground. “Emily, you always seem to be looking for a way to
embarrass me. And frankly, I am getting tired of it.”
N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content.
Astonishment covers Emily’s face, but Sophia doesn’t back down. “And I’m sure I’ve said this to you
before, but let me repeat it. You are extremely nosy, and I would very much like you to stay out of my
personal business,” she deres.
Before Emily can reply, the missing musician, Sophia’s friend, enters the ballroom. Surprised by his
timely arrival as Sophia sees him rushing towards her, ready to express his gratitude for stepping in to
perform. If he were a minutete, she will have revealed her identity herself.
However, before he can utter a word, the crowd’s usations directed at Sophia catch his attention,
causing him to hesitate. Hearing themotion, the musician walks away from Sophia and heads to
the center stage. He takes hold of the empty microphone, addressing the upset audience.
“Excuse me,” he begins rather softly but then repeats it louder to gain the audience’s attention. “My
name is Oliver Campbell, and I must apologize for missing my scheduled performance.
With this announcement, the audience instantly quiets, realizing that the mystery performer they had
been waiting for had finally arrived.
“I am, however,” Oliver continues, his voice growing more assertive, “sure that the performance by Ms.
Johnson was far superior to anything I could have ever hoped to deliver.”
The audience members exchange puzzled nces, their anger starting to subside as they listen to
Oliver’s words.
Oliver continues, “As I am sure you are all aware, Ms. Johnson is a student of Maestro Paus, and, in
fact, she helped him withposing the piece. The Maestro has spoken very openly about Ms.
Johnson being such an inspiration to him.’
The audience’s attitude towards Sophia quickly shifts, and a sense of astonishment reces their
doubt. After Oliver’s heartfelt praise, no one dares to challenge her credentials or abilities.
Sophia looks at her friend on the stage, expressing a look of profound gratitude. If he hadn’t shown up
today, she could have actually handled the situation herself. However, his testimony would undoubtedly
spare her trouble.
Over her shoulder, she hears a woman whisper, “She must be the anonymous muse whom the
Maestro expressed gratitude to in his interviews.”