Chapter 58
Rosie froze, her mind racing to find an answer.
“See? You can’t even come up with a single reason for me to keep you. So why are you still standing here?”
Master Sylvan’s face was tightening with irritation. He struggled to maintain his composure as he stared at her.
“And another thing,” he added, his voice low and dangerous. “If I hear one more person spreading rumors I never started, giving people the wrong idea, I won’t be so lenient next time.”
With a sharp exhalation of breath, Master Sylvan sat back down. The usually composed old man was clearly furious in front of everyone, and his expression was grim.
A collective gasp went through the room. Everyone quickly averted their eyes, not daring to meet his gaze.
“But you said you were going to take Rosie as your apprentice. What is this all about now?”
“You can’t just go back on your word.”
“Exactly. You can’t just toss her aside because her manipulative sister threatened her and made her slip up a little.”
“Master Sylvan, we all respect you. Please, just give Rosie one more chance. I promise she’ll impress you.”
Rosie was still in a daze, not even registering when her parents had stood up for her. It was only when she heard their sharp, indignant voices that she looked up, her face pale, and saw Kevin and Avery on their feet.
Their faces were stony, their expressions unreadable, but their eyes were fixed on Master Sylvan with raw fury.
Master Sylvan rose to his feet again. He squinted, his age making it hard to see clearly across the room.
After studying them for a few seconds, he asked, “You claim I said I would accept this girl. What proof do
o you have?”
“Well, when we arrived, everyone here was so respectful to us,” Avery began, her voice wavering. “And you did say you were looking for a daughter of the Sinclair family.”
Her confused gaze fell on Rosie. But instead of finding confirmation, she saw her once–confident daughter staring at the floor, nervously twisting the fabric of her dress, refusing to speak.
In that instant, Avery felt a knot of dread in her stomach.
But things had gone too far. She had to see this charade through, even if it meant forcing it.
The crowd remained silent, but Master Sylvan simply nodded.
“I see. A simple misunderstanding, then I apologize if I wasn’t clear. But the person I’m looking for is my little friend. You know very well whether your daughter knows me or not, don’t you?”
The onlookers, who had been watching in confusion, finally understood. A wave of stifled laughter and murmurs rippled through the room.
“So they don’t even know Master Sylvan. And here they were acting so high and mighty.”
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Chapter 58
“You should have seen that girl earlier. Her nose was so high in the air, she looked down on everyone. I actually thought she had some real talent, but she’s just a fraud
“What a waste of time trying to make conversation with them.”
The cutting remarks hit their mark. Kevin and Avery’s faces burned with shame. Finally grasping the situation, Mr. 5
Sinclair sat down, yanking his wife’s arm forcefully.
“Haven’t you embarrassed us enough? Get back here. We’ll deal with your ‘good daughter and her stories when we get home. I can’t believe she made me look like such a fool.”
Avery opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out.
“Someone collapsed!”
A sudden cry from the crowd drew everyone’s attention.
