My Great Escape Led Me to You (Emily Blair) novel Chapter 284

About thirty seconds had passed since the video began, and the auditorium was utterly silent.

Everyone could tell: Vivian Martin was playing "Desire" in the video.

The attitude of Isabella Austin’s fans shifted sharply—from scornful and dismissive at first, to startled, their faces gradually freezing in disbelief.

Several of them pulled out their phones, hands trembling as they frantically searched for the original release date of Isabella Austin’s "Love."

If Isabella Austin wasn’t Vivian Martin herself, then there had to be plagiarism between "Desire" and "Love."

Right now, the most pressing question was which piano piece had come first—which one was the copy.

On the big screen, the date the video was recorded was clearly displayed in the top right corner.

Now, all that was left was to find the exact release date of Isabella Austin’s "Love."

“Wait, look at the stage.”

A fan’s finger hovered over the search button but stopped as the person beside him interrupted.

He looked up, eyes suddenly narrowing in surprise.

At some point, Isabella Austin had left her seat and walked onto the stage. Now, she stood off to the side, body turned, gaze fixed intently on the screen—on the woman playing in the video.

Suddenly, the video shifted to a new angle, clearer and closer. Vivian Martin lifted her head, smiling gently—not at the camera, but at someone behind it.

It dawned on the audience all at once.

No, she wasn’t smiling at the camera—she was smiling at the person filming her.

The performance hall was so quiet that, even without a microphone, Isabella Austin’s voice carried to the front rows.

And the fried chicken place Vivian adored had definitely gone out of business.

But how did Isabella Austin know that?

Isabella watched her with a gentle, almost indulgent gaze, like an older sister bemused by a younger sibling’s confusion.

“When did you meet Vivian? She never mentioned you to me.”

Emily didn’t answer, and the audience was just as lost. They had no idea what was going on between Emily Blair and Isabella Austin, and with Isabella speaking without a microphone, it was impossible to catch everything.

So everyone stayed as quiet as possible, straining to hear her words.

Isabella continued, “You probably don’t know this, but I first met Vivian seven years ago. We were just online friends then, connected by our love of piano. We shared the same dreams, clicked instantly, and talked about everything.”