Bound Hearts: My Vows to My Disabled Spouse

Chapter 166 Intrigues

Elyse stammered for a moment before finally managing to string a cohesive sentence. "Is it true?" Darren nodded. "My uncle mentioned that Cody is here with the express intent of taking an apprentice. He just never said who he wants it to be. He was silent on the matter, even on the second round of the competition."

He cocked his head to the side and stroked his chin. "As it is, they all think that Cody is going to make his decision after the concertmaster selection."

Elyse held her face in her hands, still trying to recover from the shock of this new information. It would be a great honor if she could become Cody's apprentice.

Darren noted the eager glint in her eyes and remarked, "You're a talented participant, for sure. Despite my uncle's reservations in acknowledging your skills, the fact that he privately requested for you to withdraw is proof enough that you're the one to beat in this competition." Elyse looked up at his calm face. "Aren't you worried? What if I take first place? I heard that you're a big fan of Cody as well. if you want to attract his attention and potentially bag his mentorship, you should be asking me to give up right now.""

"Quite right," he replied slowly. "But I'd still ike to win fair and square. What kind of victory is to be had if the strongest opponent bows out of the battle? That said, I do not support my uncle's thinking."

Elyse was taken aback. While Darren seemed to be an honest man, she couldn't shake off the doubt about whether he genuinely meant what he said.

"Well, I'm heading back to practice," she said, not wanting to talk to him anymore. "You should work on your mental fortitude, by the way. < Stage fright shouldn't be an issue for a

concertmaster. It would be a shame if it affects your performance." With that, she walked past Darren and left.

Not long after she arrived at the practice room, Wanda approached her with a glum look on her face. She asked Elyse to join her outside.

Although confused and a little worried, Elyse followed her.

They made their way to the café and settled in an empty corner. The atmosphere was somber, and Elyse was getting more and more curious about what could have happened. It was odd for Wanda

to be in such low spirits, and she was fine just an hour ago.

"Did something happen, Miss Hopkins?" Elyse prompted Wanda.

Wanda sighed before saying, "I just had a little talk with Merlin Reynolds, and he said something that really upset me."

Elyse spoke without thinking. "Did he ask you to persuade me to back out of the selection?"

"How did you know?" Wanda's eyes widened in surprise, then

narrowed with suspicion in the next second. "Did Merlin he talk to you?"

Elyse nodded. "In fact, he offered to appoint me as next year's concertmaster if I agreed."

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Wanda sat back and scoffed in disdain. "I never thought he would go to such lengths for his

nephew's sake. I just found out that Cody is planning to take an apprentice. Merlin wants it to be Darren, naturally."

She slammed her fist against the table in frustration. "He should focus on improving Darren's abilities instead of wasting his time on these underhanded schemes! He is the director of the orchestra, damn it! How can he stoop so low?"

Wanda's anger warmed Elyse. All along, she had thought she could only rely on herself throughout this journey. Little did she know, Wanda had been supporting her in her own ways. Wanda huffed and looked Elyse in the eye. "What do you think? Would you like to withdraw?" Elyse shook her head. "I won't back out. I want a chance to be Cody's apprentice, too." Wanda nodded in approval. "Good. Music is one of the greatest forms of art. Those who yield it must be pure in their talent and intentions. The stage is no place for opportunists who use music as an instrument to satisfy their selfish interests."

"Don't worry, Ms. Hopkins," Elyse smiled. "I won't abandon my dreams so easily. No matter the result, I will be in the competition until the very end."

Wanda sighed in relief. "It reassures me to see your perseverance. I also heard that Merlin somehow managed to convince Gary Hank to withdraw. The poor boy apparently agreed after he was offered the position of concertmaster for next year."

"What?" Elyse let out a small laugh of disbelief. "But that's the same deal Merlin offered me?" Wanda raised an eyebrow and gave her a pointed look. "Remember, the opportunities you earn through your own hard, honest work are the only ones that are genuine. Whatever promises are offered to you can be taken back in the blink of an eye." < Elyse fell silent.

If they had all agreed to Merlin's offer, Daren would only have to compete against one or two other participants. Heck, he might just have a showdown with Vicky.

Vicky's instructor was the assistant director. He and Merlin had been openly at odds for years, so

there was no way in hell Vicky would even consider Merlin's proposal.

It turned out that there was a lot more intrigue going on beneath the surface.

Elyse finally understood why Jayden had called her foolish. It had taken her this long to discern

Merlin's intentions and uncover his schemes.

It was a good thing that she was loyal to her music. If she had succumbed to the temptation and made the same decision Garry had, what would happen to her next year?

She highly doubted any of then would actually be concertmaster.

Elyse found herself missing Jayden all of a sudden. She missed him so much that she had to press her palm against her chest to dull the ache. Without another thought, she grabbed her phone and sent him a message. She wanted to know what he was doing at that same moment.