Meanwhile, Chase's lawyers kept working. They sent preservation demands, spoke to the press about supposed distortions, and argued that his charitable work had been unfairly overshadowed by a technical misunderstanding. His public relations team released clips of earlier performances in which he sounded strong, though the clips did not establish whether prerecorded vocals had been used. Supporters pointed out that he had sold millions of records and performed for years; critics answered that commercial success did not change the identity of the person who sang a recorded passage.
The quarrel became large enough that people with no interest in music argued about it at work, on buses, and in grocery store lines. Some defended every form of studio assistance; others condemned any recorded vocal as cheating. Sophia and Marcus tried to explain the more important distinction between collaboration that was credited and collaboration deliberately disguised as somebody else's exclusive accomplishment. The conversation was useful when people listened, but the loudest arguments usually skipped that distinction entirely.
Rachel Goldstein's investigative team interviewed musicians who described hidden credits and contracts that discouraged them from speaking publicly about their contributions. The journalists verified the available files against session logs, metadata, and independent accounts before deciding what to broadcast. They also gave Chase's representatives repeated opportunities to comment, because an investigation that ignored the person accused would be easier to dismiss. Chase agreed to a brief on-camera interview, then became visibly angry when Rachel asked which voice performed the C6 passage on the master recording.
"You're making a children's talent show into an accounting dispute," he said.
"I'm asking who sang on your record," Rachel answered. "That is a direct question."
He spoke about artistic direction, layered production, and the unfairness of targeting one singer for practices common across the industry. Rachel listened and asked again who supplied the high passage. The final answer contained many words but no name. Afterward, one of her producers remarked that the silence around Sophia Mitchell was becoming as revealing as any performance could be.
At school, Principal Bennett faced an unexpected administrative problem. The parent fundraiser had passed five hundred thousand dollars, enough to replace the proposed charity grant, and the district had to decide how to spend it without repeating the mistakes of organizations that promised more than they could deliver. He asked a committee of teachers, parents, and independent financial advisers to draft a budget. The plans included instrument repair, a qualified music teacher, transportation for competitions, and a small emergency reserve rather than expensive publicity events.
Ms. Johnson insisted that students who were not gifted soloists receive the same access to lessons as students who were. "Our job isn't to manufacture the next famous voice," she told the committee. "It's to make sure a child who loves music has somewhere to learn it."
The decision mattered to Zara. She had been praised so intensely since the gala that she worried the school might begin treating other children as less interesting. Naomi still loved harmonies, Micah was learning percussion at home, and several classmates played instruments far better than they sang. Zara wanted their talents to count without requiring a scandal first.