When Amy was pregnant years ago, she suffered from debilitating morning sickness. Her career came to a screeching halt. She had planned to return to work after giving birth, but when Liam arrived prematurely, she chose to devote herself entirely to motherhood. Five years slipped by, filled with missed opportunities.

Amy shook her head, her voice soft but firm. "My mother told me that Mr. Pendleton despises favoritism. He has no patience for people trying to force connections."

"There was a brilliant violinist in my mother’s circle—one of his former students—who was expelled for exactly that."

Samantha leaned in, intrigued. "What happened?"

Amy sighed. "You know how selective Mr. Pendleton is. Being chosen by him is like catching lightning in a bottle."

"This violinist was extraordinary—far more gifted than my mother, according to her. But she came from a family of musicians, and under pressure, she introduced her cousin to him."

Samantha’s eyes widened. "And?"

"Mr. Pendleton listened to the cousin play and immediately rejected her. She wasn’t up to his standards."

Amy’s fingers tightened around her teacup. "But then the cousin started claiming she was his student, using his name to advance her own career."

"When he found out, he was furious. He expelled the original student and made a new rule—no recommendations from family or friends. If he wanted someone, he’d find them himself."

Samantha nodded slowly. "That explains why Caroline never pushed for you, even though you’re clearly talented enough."

A flicker of regret passed through Amy, but she quickly pushed it aside. "It doesn’t matter. If I’m good enough, he’ll notice me eventually."

Samantha grinned, switching topics. "Speaking of notice—our account is about to hit ten million followers. Soon, we should do a live stream. It’ll boost your visibility even more."

Lately, Samantha had been uploading clips of Amy playing, carefully keeping her face hidden. Only one video had ever shown her profile—just enough to hint at her striking beauty without revealing too much.

The mystery had only fueled fans' curiosity. They were desperate for a full reveal.

Samantha knew they couldn’t drag it out forever. A live stream was the next logical step.

In matters like this, Samantha was the expert. Amy trusted her completely.

"Alright," Amy agreed with a small smile. "I’ll leave it all to you."