Chapter 481 481

Chapter 481 481
Kiera was such a horrible person. Compared to Elena... No, she didn't even deserve to be mentioned along with Elena.
Damon shot a chilly look at Caspian. "Still upset? Then next time, make sure she doesn't make bets with people." The way Damon said it, you'd think Kiera's was Caspian's responsibility.
Caspian recognized Desmond and Damon, but he was completely lost. Weren't Kiera and Damon supposed to be engaged? Why wasn't Damon standing up for her? Had he already moved on?
Before Caspian could make sense of it, Kiera bit her lip and clenched the cup so tightly her knuckles turned white. She knelt in front of Elena, looking like she was about to march to her execution. For her reputation, she had to do this. If she didn't, her championship title would be meaningless.
"Kiera!" Caspian's voice was thick with hurt as he glared at Damon and the others. He just couldn't understand why Damon was treating Kiera like this.
"Please have some tea." Kiera's arms and legs felt like they belonged to someone else. The humiliation burned inside her, but she kept it bottled up. Elena only smiled a little as she took the cup. "Thank you."
In that moment, Kiera felt like her whole world had collapsed. She had never imagined that winning the championship could feel so awful. She didn't even remember how she left the hall. She drifted out, lost in a haze. Rosie and Julian called her name, but she didn't answer. She just kept walking. Grace hurried after her, eyes full of worry, and Caspian trailed along too. They followed her all the way back to the hotel. Kiera didn't say a word, almost like she'd shut herself off from the world.
"Kiera, I'm sorry. I really let you down today. I should have protected you." Caspian watched her, his face full of guilt and frustration.
Kiera still didn't respond. Grace finally stepped in. “Mr. Hansen, let me take Kiera up to her room to rest."
Caspian handed his number to Grace. "She's really upset. If you need anything, just call me. I'm staying here too. I'll come right away."
Grace nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Hansen." She was a little surprised at how much Caspian cared—he'd even stood up to Elena in front of everyone. Not many people would do that.
Back in the hotel room, Kiera just stared at the floor, looking completely lost. Grace sat beside her and spoke softly, "Kiera, if you feel this bad, just let yourself cry. You'll feel better."
When she heard that, Kiera broke down and started to sob. The pain inside her finally spilled over. She felt like a total failure. No matter how hard she worked, Elena always seemed to crush her. She just didn't get it. Why did things have to be this way? Elena was just some girl from the countryside-how could she be so talented?
"Grace, why? Why can't I be as good as Elena?”
Grace's heart broke a little. She wrapped an arm around Kiera and said quickly, "Don't talk like that. Kiera, you're the best. Elena has nothing compared to you. She just got lucky. You're in a whole different league."
"But she's Melody Mastro. She's my mentor's mentor. She even helped me fix the music I won with. How am I supposed to compete with her?" Kiera's spirit was completely crushed.
Grace hadn't realized Elena's words would hurt Kiera so deeply. She frowned and said, "Elena did this on purpose. She hid the fact that she's Melody Mastro, just to set us up. Kiera, she's so sneaky. If you'd known who she really was, you never would've competed with her today, right?”