Chapter 30: Cover Blown

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Cover Blown

As the host finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

"Yes! That’s great! I voted for Sienna Everett, my vote was for her!"

"Me too! I didn’t hesitate for a second—I voted straight for Sienna Everett!"

"See? Now *that’s* a well-deserved first place. Her win has so much more substance than Shannon Everett’s!"

The livestream’s comment section exploded, flooding the screen.

[Congrats, Sienna Everett! First place in the finale! Absolutely well-deserved!]

[HOLY SHIT, did you guys see that? Sienna Everett got over 300 votes all by herself! That’s nearly ten times more than Shannon Everett in second place. A total landslide victory!]

[Insane. Those numbers are insane. She got more than half the votes all by herself!]

[I can’t believe some people actually voted for Shannon Everett. Are you kidding me?!]

[If you ask me, they should have disqualified Shannon Everett for cheating with Wyatt Everett.]

[Doesn’t matter if she wasn’t disqualified. Sienna Everett still completely crushed her. Sienna’s vote count left her in the dust by a mile!]

Onstage, a staff member came up to present Sienna Everett with her trophy and certificate.

Confetti and gold glitter rained down from above, filling the venue with a jubilant atmosphere.

Isabelle Sutton was so happy she reached out to catch the falling confetti, congratulating her friend from the bottom of her heart. "Congratulations, Sienna! I knew you could do it! With your talent, I was sure you’d get first place!"

A small smile touched Sienna Everett’s cherry-red lips. "Thank you."

The other contestants around them also offered their congratulations, wholeheartedly acknowledging her as the rightful winner.

Shannon Everett remained frozen in place, her eyes fixed on Sienna Everett, her expression filled with concealed venom and malice.

’Damn it. That bitch still took first place.’

’*I* should have been the one to get first place. *I* should have been the one accepted as Eleanor Yates’s final disciple.’

’But now, that bitch Sienna Everett has stolen it all!’

After the award ceremony, the host turned to Eleanor Yates. "Ms. Yates, if you please."

Eleanor Yates took the microphone. Instead of immediately bringing up the matter of taking a disciple, she looked at Sienna Everett on the stage and asked, "If you don’t mind my asking, who taught you how to dance?"

Sienna Everett answered truthfully, "I learned from my grandmother."

She had been abandoned as a child and grew up in an orphanage before being adopted by her grandparents.

Her grandmother loved to dance and was very good at it. When she saw that Sienna had a natural talent for it, she began teaching her as a child.

As her grandmother got older and could no longer teach her directly, she would show Sienna videos of her own dancing from when she was younger.

Her grandmother truly loved dancing. In order to maintain her figure year-round, she had never had children. Her grandfather unconditionally supported his wife’s decision, and the two of them lived out their lives supporting and loving one another.

Thus, it was her grandmother who had single-handedly laid Sienna’s foundation in dance and taught her from the ground up.

Eleanor Yates seemed to guess something, and she asked, unable to hide her delighted surprise, "Is your grandmother’s surname Ning?"

Sienna was surprised for a moment, but she still nodded. "Yes, it is."

Eleanor Yates smiled, her gaze filled with even more admiration for Sienna. "According to the show’s rules, the winner of the grand finale will be taken on as my final disciple, whom I will personally instruct in dance. Sienna Everett, are you willing to become my disciple now?"

Hearing this, the entire audience turned to look at Sienna Everett.

’Is that even a question? Of course she’ll say yes.’

’After all, given Eleanor Yates’s stature, what student of classical dance wouldn’t want to be her disciple?’

The host also looked over at Sienna, microphone already at his lips, ready to congratulate the two on becoming master and disciple.

Then, in the next second.

Sienna Everett shook her head apologetically. "I’m very sorry, but I cannot accept your offer to become your disciple."

As she spoke, the entire venue fell silent. Everyone stood stunned for several seconds before a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

What?

Sienna Everett actually turned down Eleanor Yates!

She didn’t want to be her disciple!

The viewers in the livestream were even more astounded, almost thinking they had misheard.

[Uh, Ms. Yates wanted to take a disciple before and was rejected multiple times. Now she wants to take Sienna and gets rejected again. Poor Ms. Yates...]

[My heart goes out to Ms. Yates for three seconds.]

[Sienna Everett, what are you doing? Why would you refuse?! Don’t be so ungrateful!!]

[Has success gone to Sienna Everett’s head? How dare she refuse even Eleanor Yates?]

Onstage, the host was so surprised he nearly bit his tongue. He quickly asked, "Sienna Everett, you’re refusing to be Ms. Yates’s disciple?"

Sienna answered with composure. "Yes."

The host swallowed nervously. ’This Sienna Everett is too arrogant,’ he thought. ’She just won first place and she’s already this ungracious.’

Hearing Sienna’s refusal, Isabelle Sutton became terribly anxious. She tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "Sienna, what if you offend Ms. Yates? What if the online viewers start flaming you... Just take it back! Say you’re willing to be her disciple!"

Sienna patted the back of her hand reassuringly and replied in an equally low voice, "I really can’t take her as my master."

Isabelle broke out in an anxious sweat when she heard that.

A short distance away, Shannon Everett was stunned for a moment when she heard Sienna refuse Eleanor Yates, but then a sneer spread across her face.

’That bitch really is a bumpkin who doesn’t know what’s good for her.’

’How dare she refuse Eleanor Yates? If she angers her, does she really think she’ll have an easy time in the dance world from now on?’

’Oh, Sienna, Sienna... you’re digging your own grave. Just wait for Eleanor Yates to crush you!’

The host turned to look at Eleanor Yates, already bracing himself for her embarrassment and anger and trying to think of a way to salvage the situation. To his surprise, however, he saw that Eleanor Yates was smiling, her eyes overflowing with affection and admiration.

He heard Eleanor Yates speak with a laugh, her tone incredibly fond. "You silly girl. You’ve rejected me again."

Hearing this, the host’s eyes widened in shock. As it slowly dawned on him, he stammered, "Ms. Yates, are you saying that..."

Eleanor Yates nodded, her eyes full of love and admiration as she looked at Sienna. "I mentioned before that I had a candidate in mind whom I was very fond of. I felt she was top-tier in every respect, but when I tried to take her as my disciple multiple times, I was refused. That person... was Sienna Everett."

The host: !!!

The audience: !!!

The livestream viewers: !!!!