There on the scoreboard was a single, striking number:
points!
The moment the score appeared, the audience erupted in shock.
"10 points?"
"Am I seeing things? Did Ms. Yates just give her 10 points?"
"A perfect score! Ms. Yates actually gave Sienna Everett a perfect score!"
It wasn’t just the audience; even the host was stunned and quickly raised the microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first 10 we’ve seen in the last two rounds of competition! It’s also the only perfect score! Congratulations to our contestant, Sienna Everett!"
Sienna Everett’s lips curved into a slight smile. Poised and graceful, she said, "Thank you, Ms. Yates."
Eleanor Yates smiled back, but from her expression, she seemed even more excited than Sienna Everett, the contestant herself.
The host continued, "Ms. Yates, could you tell us why you gave Sienna Everett such a high score of 10 points?"
Eleanor Yates raised her microphone, her gaze fixed on Sienna Everett.
"I’m sure I’m not the only one who saw it, but Sienna Everett’s performance perfectly embodied the ’Pure White’ theme. Moreover, her dance fundamentals are incredibly solid. She executed some highly difficult moves with such ease and perfection... It’s no exaggeration to say she performed them even better than I did back in my day."
The moment she finished speaking, the entire venue erupted.
Even the live comments on the stream went wild.
[Wow, Ms. Yates’s praise for Sienna Everett is so high!]
[Everyone knows Ms. Yates won first place in the National Dance Competition. She was hailed as the most talented traditional-style dancer of her generation, and no one has surpassed her since.]
[Ms. Yates only gave Shannon Everett a 9 earlier, but she gave Sienna Everett a straight 10. Looks like Ms. Yates is thoroughly impressed by Sienna Everett!]
[Ms. Yates is so much more professional than the other four judges. What were those crap scores they gave earlier?]
[OMG, I’ve already downloaded Sienna Everett’s performance. It’s on repeat!!]
After hearing Eleanor Yates’s critique, Sienna Everett gave a slight bow, her composure graceful. "Thank you for your comments."
Eleanor Yates nodded, a look of keen anticipation surfacing in her eyes as she watched Sienna Everett.
The host stood on stage facing the audience. "Now that all twenty contestants have performed, let’s welcome them all back to the stage! Based on the judges’ scores, we will now determine the first-place winner of today’s semi-final!"
The twenty contestants filed onto the stage.
Shannon Everett glanced at Sienna Everett on stage, her eyes hiding a deep-seated jealousy and resentment.
’That bitch Sienna Everett... how can she be such a good dancer...?’
The host announced, "We will now reveal the total scores for each contestant. All eyes on the main screen!"
As a tense drumroll began to play, the main screen revealed the total scores for each contestant one by one.
When it came to Shannon Everett’s turn, she stared nervously at the main screen, her hands clasped tightly together.
She waited in anxious suspense.
Finally, the main screen showed her score: 46.8 points.
The host announced, "Congratulations to Shannon Everett on her score of 46.8 points! This also makes her our current highest-scoring contestant!"
Shannon Everett let out a small smile, then immediately glanced over at Sienna Everett.
She cared more about Sienna Everett’s score than her own.
’Sienna Everett... she absolutely cannot beat me!’
Next up was Sienna Everett’s total score.
Unlike Shannon’s nervousness, Sienna Everett appeared perfectly calm and composed.
The main screen flickered.
It kept the audience in suspense.
Finally, the result was displayed: 46.9 points.
The host stared at the number, making sure his eyes weren’t deceiving him, before announcing loudly:
"Congratulations to Sienna Everett, with a score of 46.9 points! That’s the highest total score among all our contestants! Which means, congratulations to Sienna Everett on winning first place in this round!"
The audience below broke into thunderous applause.
The live stream chat flew by.
[Whoa, Sienna Everett got first place!]
[Well-deserved!!]
[Holy crap, did you guys see that? She only beat Shannon Everett by 0.1 points. This is so intense!]
[Honestly, Sienna Everett’s performance was definitely better than Shannon Everett’s. I mean, Ms. Yates gave her a perfect score!]
[Congratulations, Sienna Everett! I can’t wait to see her in the finals!]
Hearing the result, Shannon Everett could no longer maintain her gentle expression. Her face instantly turned sour.
’Damn it, that bitch Sienna Everett actually took first place!’
’And Eleanor Yates... why would she give Sienna Everett a perfect 10?’
Just moments ago, Mason and Wyatt Everett had congratulated her in advance on winning first place. Now, it felt like a slap in the face.
A wave of humiliation washed over Shannon Everett, and her nails dug deep into her palms.
’Good thing this is just the semi-final. The final is in a week. No matter what, I have to win first place and become Eleanor Yates’s final disciple.’
Backstage, Mason Everett and Wyatt Everett exchanged a look, their brows furrowing deeply.
’First place didn’t go to Shannon?’
’It went to Sienna Everett???’
’How did this happen!’
A fire of anger ignited in Wyatt Everett’s heart. ’That Sienna Everett must be doing this on purpose!’
’Whatever Shannon wants, she just has to come and snatch it away!’
Seeing Shannon Everett return backstage dejected, Wyatt Everett’s heart ached for her. "Shannon, don’t lose heart. That Sienna Everett just got lucky. It’s pure dumb luck that she stumbled into first place!"
Mason Everett added calmly, "Shannon, don’t be discouraged. I’ll make sure you get first place in the finals."
Tears welled in Shannon Everett’s eyes, her expression a mixture of sorrow and resilience. "Thank you, Mason, Wyatt. With your support, I’ll definitely work my hardest in the finals! Still... my sister won first place in the semi-final, and I’m truly happy for her. I just never imagined she could dance so well."
Wyatt Everett sighed heavily. "Shannon, you silly girl. Why are you still thinking about Sienna Everett? Didn’t she want to cut ties with the Everett Family? She’s not one of us anymore!"
"Wyatt..." Shannon Everett looked conflicted, but inwardly, a hint of smugness returned.
’Sienna Everett, so what if you won first in the semi-final?’
’You won’t get a single shred of the Everett Family’s fortune!’
Just as they were speaking, Eleanor Yates found her way backstage.
Shannon Everett’s eyes lit up. She immediately walked over excitedly. "Ms. Yates, what brings you backstage? Is there anything I can help you with?"
Eleanor Yates glanced at her and offered a polite smile. "That won’t be necessary."
Sensing Eleanor Yates’s chilly attitude, Shannon Everett couldn’t help but frown.
Eleanor Yates had come backstage looking for someone. After a fruitless search, she finally stopped a staff member to ask, "Excuse me, where is Sienna Everett?"
The staff member thought for a moment. "Sienna Everett? She went to the dressing room to change after her performance, then she took a phone call and left."
Eleanor Yates gave a resigned smile. ’That girl sure is fast. I missed her again.’
From a distance, Shannon Everett saw this unfold. She could tell Eleanor Yates was looking for someone, but she couldn’t hear the name. She furrowed her brow. ’Could Ms. Yates be looking for Sienna Everett?’
’No.’
’Impossible.’
’Sienna Everett grew up lost on the streets; she’s an ignorant nobody. How could she possibly have caught Eleanor Yates’s eye?’
「Elsewhere.」
After changing her clothes, Sienna Everett was leaving the venue when her phone rang. She answered it casually, "Hello."
A man’s deep, magnetic voice, tinged with a faint static, came through the phone. "Sienna, congratulations."