Chapter 25 Give It My All
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Estella never expected Chase to invite her to audition for the orchestra. Overcome with excitement, she bowed deeply. “Thank you for the opportunity, Mr. Chase. I will give it my all.
If she could secure a spot in Chase’s orchestra, her lifelong dream of a career in music would finally become reality
Watching Chase treat Estella with such warmth, especially in contrast to his earlier indifference toward her, Isabelle felt a sharp pang of jealousy.
Once Jeremy and Chase had left, Nathaniel scoffed. “You play the piano? Try not to embarrass yourself when the time comes.
Jonathan chuckled. “Mr. Hartwell, looks like you don’t know Estella as well as you think. I’ve only known her for a little over a month, and I’m aware of her talent. And yet, you had no idea. Isn’t it a little inappropriate for you to keep clinging to her so persistently?”
“You!
Nathaniel fell silent.
Only now did he realize how little he truly knew about Estella.
He didn’t even know which university she had attended or what she had majored in.
For the past three years, he had completely neglected her.
A strange sense of guilt stirred within him.
But Estella paid him no mind and left with Jonathan.
After the banquet, Jonathan drove Estella home.
In the car, Estella expressed her gratitude. “Thank you, Mr. Bennett. Meeting Mr. Chase tonight made me incredibly happy.”
Jonathan kept his eyes on the road, hands steady on the wheel. “I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t agreed to be my date, I would have had no idea who to ask.”
Estella knew that with Jonathan’s status, countless women would have jumped at the opportunity to accompany him.
He was only saying this to put her at ease.
Her gratitude for him deepened.
She resolved to make his future dinners even more elaborate, and to be more diligent about walking his dog.
In the office, two teachers had taken extended leave, and their classes had been redistributed among the staff.
When Estella checked the new schedule, she noticed that she had been assigned four additional classes, while the other teachers had only received two.
She immediately suspected Isabelle’s involvement.
After confirming with Isabelle’s assistant that she was in her office, Estella headed straight for her.
Isabelle greeted her with a composed smile. “Something wrong?”
Estella placed the schedule in front of her. “Ms. Isabelle, I have an issue with this.”
Isabelle gave it a cursory glance, then arched a brow, “What seems to be the problem?”
Estella’s voice remained steady. “Why was I given four additional classes when everyone else only received two?”
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Chapter 25 Give It My All
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Isabelle tapped a manicured nail against the paper, making no effort to disguise her intentions. “Because I think you have too much free time, Ms. Hayes. I wanted to keep you busy.”
Estella had anticipated this.
But she also knew Isabelle’s weakness.
“In that case, I’ll resign. Nathaniel offered to open an arts center for me and make me the owner. I was going to turn him down, but now that I think about it, why should I struggle here when I have the chance to enjoy life?”
With that, she turned to leave.
“Stop right there!”
Now it was Isabelle’s turn to panic.
“If you so much as think about going to Nathaniel, you’ll regret it!”
Estella halted, then glanced back at her with a knowing smirk. “So, Ms. Isabelle, are you still intent on making things difficult for me?” for
Isabelle clenched her teeth. “I’ll have my assistant adjust the schedule.”
Estella smiled. “Much appreciated, Ms. Isabelle.”
When the revised schedule was released, Estella had the same workload as the other teachers, with just two extra classes.
Everyone in the office had seen her enter Isabelle’s office, and now they were quietly impressed by her ability to turn the situation around.
Even Jocelyn, who had been waiting for a chance to mock her, wisely held her tongue.
At lunchtime, Estella dined with Selene.
Selene sighed. “Ms. Isabelle keeps targeting you. I almost feel guilty for bringing you into Serenade Music Hub.”
Estella shook her head. “There’s no need to feel bad, Selene. This has nothing to do with you. But to be honest, I have been considering leaving Serenade Music Hub.”
Selene looked intrigued. “Do you have something else in mind?”
Lowering her voice slightly, Estella asked, “Selene, have you heard that Mr. Chase’s orchestra is holding auditions soon?”
Selene’s eyes widened. “Are you planning to try out?”
Estella nodded. “I want to give it a shot.”
Selene beamed. “Estella, this is a fantastic opportunity. With your talent, staying at Serenade Music Hub is a waste. You deserve to perform on a much bigger stage.”
Estella smiled. “You won’t be upset, will you? You gave me this job, and now I’m suddenly leaving.”
“Of course not.” Selene laughed, then leaned in slightly. “To be honest, I’m planning to start my own music center in a couple of years. If you get into Mr. Chase’s orchestra, that would be amazing. And once I open my arts center, you can be my guest of honor and our best advertisement.”
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