The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance novel Chapter 697

“The medication I take affects my nervous system—it makes it hard for me to perform at my best,” Rachel admitted softly. “Honestly, it’s been a long time since I’ve played a piece that truly satisfied me.”

The host’s eyes filled with sympathy and regret as Rachel mentioned her illness. “If you don’t mind me asking, may I know what illness it is?”

Rachel offered a gentle smile. “I’d rather not say. Everyone’s here for the music—I don’t want to dampen the mood. But for now, my condition is under control, and I’ll be able to finish the competition just fine.”

Almost instinctively, the host glanced down at Rachel’s hand—and suddenly noticed the stark white bandages wrapped around her wrist.

“Ms. Pearce, your hand—is it injured?” the host blurted out in surprise.

With the host’s exclamation, the TV cameras immediately zoomed in on Rachel’s hand. She wore a long-sleeved blouse, the cuffs covering most of her wrists. If the host hadn’t been standing so close, no one would have noticed. But now, with the camera’s close-up, the bandages were unmistakable.

Rachel instinctively tugged her sleeve down, but instead of trying to play for pity, she simply smiled with poise. “It’s just a minor injury—it won’t affect my performance much.”

Not much—so it would still have some impact.

The host’s concern was obvious. “Ms. Pearce, how did you hurt your hand?”

Rachel replied, “I was careless and injured myself, but it’s nothing serious.”

The unexpected revelation sent a ripple of shock through the audience.

“My God, even with her condition, she can still play like that?”

“If she were at her peak, could she have matched Stella’s performance from earlier?”