The warm glow of the living room lamps cast long shadows as Sebastian and his son Oliver gathered around Amy Sinclair. Samantha Reynolds was practically vibrating with outrage.

Samantha's eyes narrowed at the coffee stain ruining Amy's dress. "That witch!" she spat. "Victoria couldn't stand being outshone, so she had to resort to this childish stunt. Pathetic."

Before Samantha could continue, Nathan Prescott's mocking voice cut through the tension like a knife.

"Oh please, outshone by a housewife? That's rich! Victoria graduated from Solmaris Conservatory - you know, the most prestigious music school in the world? But sure, let's pretend she lacks talent."

Samantha had heard Nathan boast about this a hundred times.

She rolled her eyes. "Big deal. I graduated from Solmaris too."

Solmaris Conservatory was the crown jewel of musical education, home to the Royal Academy of Music. Consistently ranked among the top five arts institutions globally, it didn't produce pop stars - it forged true artists.

Samantha had always loved music, possessing a decent ear. But compared to prodigies like Amy and Benjamin Carter, she was merely competent. Still, her academic brilliance had earned her a place at Solmaris, though she'd studied arts management rather than performance.

The conservatory was a humbling place. Many who entered as local prodigies quickly realized they were small fish in an ocean of geniuses.

If Solmaris students were exceptional, Amy was otherworldly. While others saw only her quiet demeanor, Samantha - who'd known her since their academy days - understood the brilliance beneath.

Had Amy remained in Solmaris, she'd have matched her mother Nora's legendary status by now. Even the famous Benjamin couldn't compare to Amy's raw talent.

They say genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration. For Amy, the ratio was reversed. Her natural gift was so immense that minimal effort yielded extraordinary results.

Life wasn't fair. True greatness came when extraordinary talent met relentless work ethic. Amy was that rare combination. By her first semester, she'd been inducted into Solmaris' Hall of Fame.

Nathan's derisive laughter snapped Samantha from her thoughts.

"You? A Solmaris alum? Next you'll claim you're in their Hall of Fame too." He turned to Victoria. "Have you ever seen this Samantha at Solmaris?"

Victoria shook her head. "No."

Nathan smirked triumphantly. "There you have it. Stop pretending, Ms. Know-It-All."

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Professor Brown-Nose. Just because Victoria hasn't seen me doesn't mean anything. We might not even have been there at the same time."

Victoria added meekly, "Ms. Reynolds, I'm only a year younger than Ms. Sinclair... and I've never heard of either of you at school."

The implication was clear - even with different graduation years, as fellow Solmaris natives, their paths should have crossed.