Chapter 57
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“Is it really me? Am I the one Master Sylvan chose?”
Her nails dug into her palms, and her steps were so unsteady that she nearly fell, only to be caught by someone at her side.
She started to offer her thanks but froze when she met a pair of eyes she never wanted to see again. Rosie recoiled, her voice sharp with panic.
“Zina Sinclair! What do you think you’re doing!
“I’m telling you, don’t even think about ruining my apprenticeship!
“You’ve already left the Sinclair family, so why can’t you just disappear? Why did you come back? Can’t you see Mom and Dad can’t stand you? I’m the real Sinclair heiress, nobody cares about you, so stop trying to make a scene!”
Rosie’s eyes were bloodshot as she glared at Zina.
Her meltdown intrigued Zina, who simply raised an eyebrow. “I have no interest in you. You don’t need to give me a speech I have no intention of listening to. You should worry about yourself. Oh, and a little reminder, if you don’t get up there now, you’re going to forfeit.”
Rosie remembered her purpose and shot Zina one last hateful look before hurrying to the center of the stage.
Watching her go, Zina, who had remained backstage, shook her head and muttered to herself..
“The old man’s standards have really gone downhill.”
By the time Rosie stood before Master Sylvan, she was so nervous she could barely speak without stammering.
The Quinns on the judging panel frowned Miles, in particular, adjusted his gold–rimmed glasses, his expression openly displeased.
Minutes crawled by, and Rosie’s performance was riddled with mistakes. The room was deathly quiet, the audience holding their tongues only because of the rumors they’d heard
Just then, Rosie missed another pressure point with her needle and looked helplessly at the judges.
“Honorable judges, I….
“Step down,” Master Sylvan said, his voice flat but edged with impatience. “Your patient would be dead by now. You went too deep.”
Panic seized Rosie. She shook her head frantically, “Master Sylvan, it’s because someone was saying terrible things to me backstage, I was distracted. Please, just give me one more chance.”
“I have a sister,” she blurted out, her voice cracking. “We were switched at birth. She found out I was coming here today to become your apprentice, and she somehow got in. She just threatened me backstage, said she wouldn’t let me succeed. I was so scared, I couldn’t focus…”
Rosie looked pleadingly at the judges, but no one spoke.
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Chapter 57
Finally, Master Sylvan’s patience ran out. “A healer must have compassion and a steady hand. If you can’t manage your own emotions. you have no business treating patients. Your character is flawed, and no amount of skill can make up for that.”
Rosie stood frozen, her mind a blank roar as her world came crashing down around her. She felt completely numb.
Master Sylvan didn’t give her a moment to recover. “Get down.”
“Master Sylvan, didn’t you come here for me?” Rosie screamed as she saw attendants moving toward her. “Please, just give me one more chance!”
The entire room went dead silent.
The Quinns looked horrified, staring at Rosie with unconcealed anger.
Master Sylvan, the man at the center of it all. slowly rose to his feet. A mocking smile played on his lips as he sized her up. “Little girl,” he began, his voice dripping with condescension, “you claim I came here for you. What skills could you possibly have that would make me take you as my apprentice?”
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