Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism novel Chapter 300

She was a nationally renowned opera singer!

Simon approached them with a polite smile and said, "Ms. Irene, it's great to see you here. This must be your daughter. She looks just like you. With such an outstanding mother, the daughter must be exceptional, too!"

His smile was genuine, yet perhaps a tad too polished and charming.

Irene knew how to handle such characters and quickly brushed off Simon with a few words.

While Simon was lavishing compliments on Irene, Violeta caught a faint scent of a woman's fragrance on him.

Though she did not know Simon personally, the fragrance hinted at the kind of person he might be.

And that scent was strangely similar to the one on Vivian.

Could there be a connection between the two ...

Violeta discreetly slipped her Bluetooth earbud into his pocket to test her theory when he was not looking.

Next.

The other contestants wrapped up their performances, and everyone awaited the judges' final scores.

Violeta remained backstage, calmly waiting for the results.

After leaving backstage, Simon headed to the meeting room, where the judges were deliberating and casting their votes.

First, each judge selected their top three choices after eliminating a few dance troupes with obvious flaws and errors.

Violeta made it into the top three for the three main judges.

Simon had promised to help the dance troupe Vivian brought in advance, and his partiality was apparent during the session.

Everyone there was sharp.

Although scoring was necessary, they all belonged to the same circle and had to maintain professional relationships.

Thus, it was an unspoken rule to show Simon some deference.

Moreover, the dance troupe Vivian brought was quite impressive. Their routine was creatively fresh, and the performance was solid enough to score well.

Consequently, the preliminary decision was to award Best Performance to Vivian's dance piece, Bloom Foxtrot.

Best Production and Best Choreography will be deliberated later.

A female judge adjusting her glasses commented, "I personally find Violeta's Lunar Whirl quite compelling. She is the only solo dancer in this classical dance competition."

Another judge added, "Isn't she Grace Parker's student?"

One judge joked, "The costume she's wearing is quite striking. If there was an award for best costume, she'd surely win it. Haha!"

It was understandable why Violeta would be cautious, especially since Simon carried the scent of Vivian's perfume.

At what distance can you pick up the scent of someone else's perfume?

It typically requires close proximity or spending significant time together to pick up such a scent.

If Simon and Vivian were colluding, it could lead to a major scandal at the competition.

It was not as if the Lotus Award had been scandal-free. How many such incidents had Violeta witnessed in her previous experiences?

Backstage, Violeta put in another earbud and started listening in real-time.

In the meeting room, the voices of the judges were somewhat muffled by the fabric, making them hard to hear clearly, but it was obvious they were engaged in serious discussion.

...

Meanwhile, Grace was on a phone call in the parking lot.

She chose to take the call here because she was looking for a quiet spot, and currently, the parking lot is the quietest place available.

An acquaintance from the police station had called to update her on the car accident investigation. The driver knew about his terminal liver cancer and had intentionally sought death.

After the incident, the reaction of the driver's family was unusually calm, with only his wife being actively involved. Their daughter, who was abroad, could not make it back.