The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 804

Anyone who could pull off “The Gaze” on stage was already in a league far above Rachel.

He’d honestly believed he’d lost out on a rare, gifted talent.

Clearly, he’d been overthinking it.

Down in the audience, those who knew the scene shook their heads in regret.

“Her performance was flawless right up until that slip. For a moment, I thought we were witnessing a miracle—maybe Stella could actually go toe-to-toe with Harry…”

“I felt the same way. It’s such a shame, though, that it had to fall apart here.”

“Still, Stella has nothing to be ashamed of. She may have lost, but she lost with honor.”

“It’s just such a pity that this is her swan song. I’ll remember her, though.”

Despite Stella’s mistake, the show had to go on.

Everyone in the hall assumed the rest would be a disaster—surely she’d fall apart after that error.

But to everyone’s astonishment, Stella didn’t stumble. Instead, picking up right where she’d left off, she continued to play—except now, every note soared higher, the entire melody lifted up by a key.

There were no discordant notes. No faltering rhythm.

She’d shifted the entire piece up a key—and kept going.

Eyes widened all around the auditorium.

“Oh my god, what is Stella doing? She can’t possibly be planning to finish the piece like this, can she?”

“No way! No one could play the whole thing a key higher—not even Harry, and he’s a legend!”

“If she actually pulls this off, doesn’t that mean she’s even better than Harry? If that’s true, she’ll be a legend herself!”

“Don’t get ahead of yourselves. Maybe she just messed up and can’t go back now—she has no choice but to keep pushing through. Just wait till the final climax. It’s going to be a disaster.”

It crashed over the audience in waves, relentless and overwhelming.

People’s emotions surged in sync with the music; even their breathing and pounding hearts seemed to fall into rhythm with the storm of sound.

No one could look away. They were transfixed.

She’d done it. Against all odds, Stella had played “The Gaze” perfectly—up a key, no less.

Even after the final note faded, the silence lingered.

For a heartbeat, time seemed to stop. The air itself felt frozen.

Everyone stared up at the stage, awestruck, as if they were worshipping a living legend.

At that moment, Haynes O’Brien arrived at the back of the auditorium. He stopped, rooted to the spot, caught off guard by the sight before him.

He gazed at the slender figure on stage, and for a moment, the distance between them felt insurmountable—a chasm he could never cross.