Chapter 344

After arriving in Europe, Maria Lewis went straight to the hotel where Ethan was staying. Since his competition started that very afternoon, she planned to sit in the audience and give him a little surprise. Turns out James Bennett had the same idea—his hotel room was, coincidentally, right across from hers. That afternoon, Ethan was led into the prep room by staff to get ready. Maria and James arrived at the arena separately. It was a major international competition, and the place was packed. Seeing the massive crowd made them both feel proud—Ethan, just a kid, was already standing on such a big stage. They found seats and sat down. Then the PA system came on with an update: one of the contestants wasn’t feeling well, and the order of appearance would be adjusted. Both of them tensed up immediately. Maria called the staff member responsible for Ethan, while James quickly dialed Ethan. Almost at the same time, they got confirmation—it was indeed Ethan who wasn’t feeling well. Nothing m