Chapter 88 Embarrassment (3)
[Main Hall]
Amelia heard a familiar voice calling her from nearby. She looked up and saw Ellison walking toward her.
Ellison glanced at her first, then at Michael, who was standing in front of her, taking a deep breath as if trying to steady himself.
"Mr. Bennett?" Amelia raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here? Are you looking for me?"
"A friend gave me tickets to the piano competition, so I thought I'd drop by. I also have something I want to give you."
Michael, standing beside Amelia, radiated a powerful presence, his gaze toward Ellison filled with silent scrutiny.
Ellison, however, didn't pay much attention to Michael. He kept his focus on Amelia. "Can we talk for a moment?"
"Sure," Amelia turned to Michael. "You go inside first. I'll catch up with you in a bit."
As their eyes met, Michael's cold expression softened. He nodded, "Alright."
After Michael left, Ellison pulled a small black velvet box from his pocket and handed it to Amelia. "This is for you."
"For me? What is it?" Amelia took the box and opened it, revealing an exquisitely crafted brooch.
Inside was a vibrant natural rose adorned with three rose gold tassel chains of varying lengths. The chains were decorated with small, round pearls, and at the end of the longest chain was a baroque pearl, both vintage and elegant.
Ellison watched Amelia closely, observing her reaction as she opened the box.
Amelia's eyes flickered.
It wasn't because of the brooch itself. She hadn't expected that after only meeting once, Ellison would sense something and use this brooch to test her.
This brooch was designed by Ellison for someone he once cared for deeply.
[Hide the romance within the rose, pin it close to my heart. With every heartbeat, I'll think of you.]
She had seen Ellison wear this brooch before.
"Is this a brooch?" Amelia's clear eyes brightened with genuine surprise. "It's beautiful."
It was obvious that Amelia was seeing the brooch for the first time.
Seeing her reaction, Ellison's gaze dimmed. It was as if he had been expecting a certain answer, but that hope quickly faded.
What was he thinking?
Rosie had indeed left and had been out of touch, but she wasn't dead. Besides, Rosie was thirty-three years old now, while Amelia was only seventeen. They couldn't possibly be the same person.
Ellison suddenly felt that his inexplicable intuition lacked any logical basis and was even somewhat neurotic. He took a deep breath. "Yes, it's a brooch."
"I noticed your uniform jacket was a bit plain. This brooch suits your style and will enhance your overall look, so I'm giving it to you."
"For me?" Amelia hesitated, wanting to refuse. "Thank you, Mr. Bennett, but this brooch looks quite expensive, and I..."
"Take it," Ellison's tone was firm as he looked at Amelia. "If you don't mind, I can help you pin it on now."
Amelia understood Ellison.
Once he verified she wasn't the Rosie he imagined, he wouldn't have any further thoughts about her. Wanting to pin the brooch on her was merely out of professional courtesy and consideration for her overall appearance.
So, she stood straight. "Alright then, thank you, Mr. Bennett."
Ellison pinned the rose brooch to Amelia's collar, positioning the longest chain with the pearl just below the rose on the right side.
The moment the brooch was pinned on, it instantly added a touch of understated yet mysterious elegance to Amelia's otherwise plain school uniform.
It truly suited her.
After pinning the brooch, Ellison withdrew his hand, returning to his usual indifferent demeanor. "I'll be going now. Good luck with the competition."
As Ellison turned to leave, Amelia took a deep breath.
Meanwhile, inside the venue, it was bustling with excitement.
When Osborne approached the section where Prestige High School's Class A was seated, everyone in Class A erupted in excitement.
This was Osborne, a world-class music maestro!
They had thought that having Saul secure front-row seats for them, allowing them to see Osborne's back from the audience, was already incredibly lucky.
They never expected Osborne to walk directly towards them! He wasn't just passing by; he was clearly heading straight for them!
"Am I seeing things? Is Mr. Stevens really coming towards us?"
"Yes, he is! He's definitely here to see Rachel."
"Right, Mr. Stevens really admires Rachel. He called her a genius and said he was looking forward to her performance tonight. He must be coming over to greet her before the competition."
"Mr. Stevens personally coming over to greet someone is so enviable! And Mr. Stevens looks so young. I remember him having gray hair before."
"True, he doesn't look sixty at all, more like forty or fifty."
The surrounding classmates whispered among themselves, casting envious glances at Rachel.
Rachel was elated.
Partly because she was flattered by everyone's praise, but also because she was nervous.
She hadn't expected Osborne to personally come over to greet her. He must really value her!
Osborne must truly see her as a genius to cherish her so much.
Although it might also be because of Saul.
Rachel instinctively glanced at Saul, who indeed looked confident and composed.
Rachel couldn't contain her joy. Having a powerful and doting relative was such a blessing.
What did it matter that Amelia had Kevin and Tobias doting on her? Compared to her, Amelia was nothing!
In the blink of an eye, Osborne had reached Class A's seating area.
Saul stood up first, greeting Osborne warmly. "Mr. Stevens, welcome to Celestria. We are honored that you came early just to greet Rachel!"
Rachel quickly stood up, standing beside Saul, looking shy. "Hello, Mr. Stevens. I'm Rachel. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Osborne had asked Amelia during dinner which class she was in at Prestige High School. She had said she was in Class A.
So, Osborne had asked how many students were in her class, saying he could invite her classmates to watch her performance.
After returning to the hotel that night, Osborne had arranged for the organizers to reserve fifty tickets for Amelia's entire class.
Today, upon arriving at the venue, Osborne was eager to see Amelia. Seeing a group of students in school uniforms, he naturally thought Amelia was among them and excitedly approached.
He hadn't expected not to see Amelia and instead was intercepted by Saul and an unfamiliar Rachel.
Hearing Saul say, "We are honored that you came early just to greet Rachel," Osborne looked puzzled.
He politely looked at Saul. "Thank you for the welcome, but who are you two?"