Chapter 87 No-Show

The audience was raising the roof at the venue of the Celestia Cup finals. Beams of light swept haphazardly across the venue before finally centering on the screen in the middle of the stage, upon which was a changing number. There was an empty spot among the first row of the contestants' seats. The plaque attached to the chair read, "Cressida Ashworth". Luther, who was sitting in the VIP section, unconsciously leaned forward in his seat. He glanced over at the empty seat again and again. Natasha was sitting next to him in a white dress, smoothing out the wrinkles with her head lowered. Luther frowned. There was no way Cressida wouldn't show up for such an occasion. "Good evening, dear guests, judges, and contestants!" the host, Ethan Rowland, exclaimed. "There are only five minutes left until the finals officially begin! However, one of our contestants—Ms. Cressida Ashworth—has still not arrived." His voice rang throughout the venue, amplified by the speakers. The long lenses