Chapter 27: First Place is Shannon Everett’s?

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: First Place is Shannon Everett’s?

Sienna Everett stood barefoot on the drum’s surface. After a series of spins, she once again swung out her long, red water sleeves.

THUMP.

Another strike on the drum with her sleeve!

Spontaneous applause erupted from the audience.

Sienna Everett’s movements were so graceful and light, yet possessed such power—the perfect fusion of strength and beauty!

Onstage.

After completing a difficult move, Sienna Everett suddenly leaped into the air, executing a perfect split as her red water sleeves whipped out to either side.

THUMP.

She had managed to strike the drum with her sleeves while still mid-air!

Witnessing this stunning moment, some audience members in the back rows were so excited they couldn’t help but stand up.

The move was absolutely breathtaking, but the difficulty was also incredibly high!

Even the judges on the panel watched with wide eyes.

Eleanor Yates’s gaze was fixed on Sienna Everett, her eyes filled with unconcealable amazement.

To execute a mid-air water-sleeve drum strike required not only a profound dance foundation but also extraordinary hang time. Sienna Everett didn’t just accomplish that; she did it with breathtaking aesthetic grace.

The way her long, red sleeves had just unfurled was like a drop of red ink blooming in clear water, spreading into a wash painting so beautiful it made the heart ache.

It was no exaggeration to say she had reached the pinnacle of classical dance...

Even after Sienna Everett finished her performance and took her bow, the audience remained lost in the stunning display, unable to snap out of it for a long time.

The live stream chat was exploding.

[HOLY CRAP! HOLY CRAP! THAT WATER-SLEEVE DRUMMING! IT WAS A MID-AIR STRIKE! SIENNA EVERETT, HOW MANY MORE SURPRISES DO YOU HAVE UP YOUR SLEEVE?!]

[That was so freaking epic! Especially when her red sleeves flew out, it was as beautiful as a splash-ink painting!]

[I thought water-sleeve drumming was something you only see in movies. I never expected someone could actually do it for real...]

[Especially the mid-air strike! It’s so difficult. Hardly anyone in the entire dance world can pull that off!]

「Backstage.」

Shannon Everett was so furious she squeezed the water bottle in her hand, nearly crushing it. ’Water-sleeve drumming...’

’I can’t believe Sienna Everett was holding back a move like that. My performance just now is completely worthless compared to hers!’

Wyatt Everett watched Sienna Everett on the stage, his expression complicated.

’Even though I despise Sienna Everett,’ he thought, ’I have to admit she’s an incredible dancer. She completely outshone Shannon.’

’Is it really fair to Sienna Everett to bribe the judges just so Shannon can win first place?’

"Wyatt..."

Wyatt Everett turned at the sound of her voice. Seeing Shannon Everett’s reddened eyes and wronged expression, his heart immediately hardened. "Shannon, don’t cry. That damn girl Sienna Everett’s dancing was hideous. It can’t even compare to yours!"

Shannon Everett shook her head, tears clinging to her lashes. "Wyatt, don’t say that. I think Sienna danced wonderfully. I’m no match for her... Even if she gets first place today, I’ll be happy for her. I just... I just don’t understand why she hates me so much..."

His heart ached for her. "What right does that wretch have to hate you?! I’d say she knows she’s no match for you, so she’s just jealous! Shannon, first place in today’s finale is definitely yours. The judges are about to give their scores. You’ll be up on stage accepting the award in no time!"

Onstage, the judging panel began to score.

The four judges Wyatt Everett had bribed exchanged a few whispered words, clearly in a difficult position.

"I was planning to give Sienna Everett the lowest score, but her performance today was just too good. Giving her a low score now would look way too suspicious to the audience."

"Maybe we shouldn’t give her a low score. She really did dance incredibly well this time. I honestly don’t have the heart to score her low."

"Fletcher, don’t tell me you’re getting soft just because Sienna Everett is pretty."

"Alright, enough. Let’s just score! We took the money, so we have to do the job!"

"Exactly. We took Master Everett’s money. It’s not like we can give it back now, right?"

"Then let’s just make sure Sienna Everett’s score is lower than Shannon Everett’s. That’s all that matters."

After a moment’s discussion, the four judges raised their scorecards.

"9.2."

"9.3."

"9.1."

"9.2."

Seeing these scores, the online viewers were dumbfounded.

[??? WTF? 9.1? Are you serious?]

[Wait, what are these scores? They seem way too low. I remember Shannon Everett got a 9.9!]

[The judges must have their reasons. They’re the professionals, and we’re just the audience. They obviously know more than we do!]

[Exactly! The judges definitely know better!]

The host also stared at the scores, stunned for a few seconds, before hurriedly raising his microphone. "Next, we’ll have Ms. Yates give her score!"

Eleanor Yates, who had long since decided on her score, raised her scorecard—

A 10!

She had given Sienna Everett a perfect score once again!

The host quickly asked, "Ms. Yates, could you tell us your reasoning for giving a perfect score?"

Eleanor Yates glanced first at the other four judges, then turned to Sienna Everett on the stage. Her voice was calm and elegant. "The highest score available is a 10, so I could only give you a 10."

Her words sent the entire venue into an uproar.

Although Eleanor Yates gave Sienna Everett a perfect score, after the production team tallied the final results, Sienna Everett’s total was 46.8, Shannon Everett’s was 49.2, and Isabelle Sutton’s was 41.6. The other five contestants scored even lower.

Therefore, the contestant with the highest score for this round was Shannon Everett.

The host called all the contestants back onstage to present the first-place trophy.

Isabelle Sutton walked over to Sienna Everett’s side, fuming on her behalf. ’This is fixed! It has to be,’ she thought. ’Sienna clearly danced better than Shannon Everett, but she got such a low score. It makes no sense.’

’But the judges have already given their scores, and as a contestant, she had no right to question them.’

Shannon Everett puffed out her chest, raised her head, and shot an arrogant glance in Sienna Everett’s direction, feeling indescribably smug.

’Hmph. So what if you’re a better dancer?’ she gloated inwardly. ’First place is still mine.’