Chapter 12 Is She Crazy
Amelia had known Rachel was there the whole time.
When Kevin hugged her earlier, she heard a sharp intake of breath from nearby.
So she took the chance to snuggle into Kevin's embrace, letting the guilt-ridden Kevin hold her tighter, making it seem like a close sibling bond.
Now, as she met Rachel's gaze, she blinked innocently, "Rachel, what are you doing here? Weren't you getting ready for your piano performance?"
Rachel was so mad she could practically grind her teeth to dust.
She had come specifically to find Kevin, planning to ask him to watch her performance from the front row. But instead, she arrived to see Kevin hugging Amelia again.
How could this be?
She had been with the Martinez family for so many years, and Kevin had barely hugged her a handful of times. But this Amelia had been here for less than two days, and Kevin had already hugged her twice.
And Kevin even gave her a million dollars as pocket money—something Rachel had never received.
Amelia was really sly.
She played the pitiful card to gain Kevin's sympathy, and Kevin actually fell for it.
Had he forgotten that Amelia was just a country-raised illegitimate child, born because Robert had an affair?
"Rachel?" Kevin turned to look at Rachel when he heard the commotion.
Rachel quickly regained her usual gentle and serene demeanor.
"Kevin, my piano performance is about to start. I want you to sit in the front row and watch," Rachel said, taking Kevin's hand and pouting.
"You've performed at so many concerts. When have you ever needed me to cheer you on?" Kevin patted her head.
"Of course," Rachel said sweetly, then glanced at Amelia. "Amelia, you should come to the front row too. With you and Kevin there, I'll definitely perform better."
"Alright, let's go," Kevin nodded without much thought.
The three of them walking through the venue attracted quite a few stares.
Everyone in River City's high society agreed that the Martinez family had good-looking people. Rachel had always been the center of attention at these events.
But today, all eyes were on Amelia beside her.
Noticing this, Rachel clenched her fists and forced a smile, "I'll head to the stage first. Kevin and Amelia, make sure to listen carefully."
The Williams Mansion's garden was vast, with a fountain surrounded by meticulously arranged exotic plants.
On the stage set up for outdoor events stood a grand black piano.
Guests gathered around as the host, Beck, finished his speech. Rachel gracefully lifted her dress and walked onto the stage.
"Thank you, Mr. Williams, for inviting me to perform at tonight's event. I hope you all enjoy the piece I've prepared."
Rachel smiled gently and bowed, earning a round of applause from the audience.
Jenny and the other noblewomen at the tea area watched Rachel with approving looks.
This was the Rachel she had meticulously groomed—perfect in every way, from appearance and demeanor to talent and skill.
Unlike that wretched Amelia, who had nothing but a pretty face and exuded a poor, rural aura no matter what she wore.
Jenny glanced at Amelia, who was staring at the stage, and snorted.
Rachel sat at the piano, and the lights focused on her.
She took a deep breath and placed her well-manicured hands on the keys.
The piece she was about to play was "The Sea," a classic by the piano master Gatsby.
It was a challenging piece, and Rachel had been preparing for over a week, ready to shine tonight.
As she pressed the first key, Rachel quickly got into the zone.
The smooth, flowing melody poured from her fingers, evoking the ebb and flow of the sea, the cries of seagulls, and the roar of the wind.
The music was sometimes deep, sometimes soaring, creating a vivid scene that made the audience feel as if they were by the sea, feeling the breeze and watching crabs scuttle on the beach.
Rachel had been playing the piano since she was six and was highly skilled. When she finished, the audience erupted in applause.
Kelly turned to Grace, "Rachel's piano skills seem to have improved again. She's amazing."
"I heard Aurora College is planning to give her the only special talent spot in River City," Grace said, glancing at the stage.
"But I bet it has nothing to do with her piano skills. Jenny's brother is a top professor at Aurora College."
"Connections or not, you still need real talent," Kelly said. "Looking back, I should've listened to my mom and practiced the cello and ballet. Now, my mom can't even pull strings to get me into Aurora College."
As the applause died down, Rachel stood up with a smile and bowed again.
But she glanced at Amelia with a look that seemed both challenging and expectant.
Amelia narrowed her eyes.
What was Rachel's look supposed to mean?
She soon found out.
After Beck returned to the stage, he didn't announce the start of the auction.
Instead, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I just received word that another Miss Martinez has prepared a piano performance for us tonight."
The spotlight suddenly shone on Amelia as Beck politely invited, "Ms. Martinez, please come to the stage."
What? Amelia was going to play the piano?
Kevin was stunned, while Rachel secretly smiled.
She was so clever to come up with this plan to inform Quentin.
Someone like Amelia, who grew up in the countryside, couldn't possibly have had access to such a sophisticated instrument. She probably didn't even know how many keys a piano had.
Now that Beck had announced her performance, if Amelia panicked and refused to go on stage, she'd be humiliated.
If she was forced to go up and played terribly, it would be even more embarrassing, especially after Rachel's stunning performance.
Publicly humiliated, no one in the business elite would want to look at her again, no matter how pretty she was.
Vaughn would never allow someone so unpresentable to be Quentin's fiancée and would likely cancel the engagement.
It was a masterful move.
Rachel couldn't wait to see Amelia's panicked expression.
But when she looked over, she was taken aback.
All eyes were on Amelia, waiting for her response, but Amelia showed no sign of panic.
Amelia simply smiled and nodded, "Okay."
The next moment, she lifted her dress and walked toward the stage under everyone's gaze.
Her exposed back was slender and beautiful, the crisscrossing straps adding a touch of sensuality. The large bow on her dress sparkled like stars, swaying with her steps.
Even Michael, sitting in the wheelchair in the corner, held his breath for a moment.
Rachel's eyes widened. Wait! Was Amelia really going on stage? Was she crazy?