Chapter 1942

The more things went on like this, the more thrilled Amy felt inside. She almost

hoped Fiona would break under the pressure every single time.

Jackson shot Amy a cold look, shaking her hand off his arm without even glancing

at her. "So you really don't care if the Gregory family gets to stay in the States,

huh?"

Amy froze at his warning. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she didn't dare say

another word. One wrong move and the Gregory family could get dragged into

trouble-she wasn't about to take that risk.

Jackson's eyes never left the stage. Today's competition was on a whole other

level compared to the last two days-way more exciting, with each designer

showing off their own style and wild imagination. The bold, out-of-the-box designs

were impossible to look away from.

But even while he watched, his gaze occasionally drifted to the other side of the

venue, where Fiona sat. There was a hint of a smile at the edge of his mouth-so

faint you'd miss it if you blinked.

The tension on stage was electric. Every contestant had their own unique vibe,

and the energy was different from the last rounds. Instead of just pure adrenaline,

there was a kind of quiet intensity as they revealed what they could really do.

"Let's hear it for Team International Glam, scoring another point!" The host was

practically shouting, his voice cracking with excitement. Every moment on stage

felt like watching a masterpiece come together-it was impossible not to get

swept up in it.

Jane's talent was so obvious, even Fiona couldn't help but be impressed. When

she thought back to seeing Jane at school, it was clear Jane had been holding

back then. Even so, she'd still managed to take first place. Fiona found herself

expecting even bigger things from her now.

"Country M grabs a crucial point for their team!" the host announced, but his voice

wasn't nearly as loud or enthusiastic this time.

Fiona frowned for a second, but it didn't take long to figure out why. She spotted

the event organizer chatting with Jackson, all smiles and trying a little too hard to

please. It was obvious to anyone-they were sucking up.

Fiona crunched on a potato chip, suddenly amused. The organizer must've told

the host to tone it down. She'd noticed at dinner last night that the guy kept trying

to play matchmaker between her and Jackson. Now the host was clearly going

along with it, trying to keep everyone happy.

Well, it wasn't the worst thing.

Up on stage, Jane's hand never

stopped. Her brush flew across the

canvas, one design after another,

each with a totally different style.

The whole challenge was about

showing how many unique looks

you could create in the time

limit-every distinct style scored

another point for your team.

But if two contestants ended up with

the same style, the judges would

vote for the winner. Everything was

fair and square, with total

transparency.

Every single sketch was nerve-wracking. No one knew if their idea would be the

one to stand out, or if they'd get overshadowed by someone else.

Scoring a single point was harder than it looked.

Jane didn't dare waste a second. She just wished time would slow down, so she

could squeeze out a few more designs.

Her head was full of ideas, but

putting them down on paper took

forever and there was only ninety

minutes in total-thirty of which

were just for the host to announce

the results.

Faster, she told her hands. Just a little faster.

Slower, she wished time. Just a little slower.

Whether they were on stage or in the crowd, everyone was holding their breath,

clutching at the hope that their team would come out on top.