Chapter 1943

The ninety-minute countdown started ticking away.

Up on the stage, the host kicked off the final countdown with the crowd.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven... three, two, one."

As the last number echoed, every contestant dropped their pens and set aside their sketches. Some had only gotten halfway, forced to stop by the clock. Others had just managed the opening lines. But Jane? She finished her design right on the dot, adding the final touch to a flowing skirt-the whole look complete, down to the last detail.

Country M's contestant finished at the same instant.

Their scores were impossibly close-two rising stars, both at the top of their game.

They might be young, but their work was anything but amateur. The confidence and polish in their designs would outshine many seasoned pros.

"Today's design challenge has been a showstopper!" the host announced, his voice full of energy. "I know everyone here and watching online is dying to find out who took the win." He lifted his arm, drawing every eye to the huge screen behind him. "Let's check the results!"

The whole room held its breath. Even Amy, who'd spent half the afternoon flirting with Jackson, couldn't look away from the screen. If Country M's contestant took first place, the whole competition would basically be decided.

The scoreboard flickered and blurred, dragging out the suspense, before finally snapping into focus. Two names appeared.

Jane from International Glam.

And the contestant from Country M.

"No way! Jane from International Glam edged out Country M's contestant by a single vote! That's unbelievable!” The host's excitement was almost over the top as he pointed to the rankings. "Now, both International Glam and Country M are tied for first place. Tomorrow, either team could take the

championship! And look-Gregory Inc. has actually overtaken Woods Corporation today. Seems like

Woods Corporation's team got a bit distracted, turning in two designs with basically the same style."

"But you can't really blame them," the host went on. "They've been holding their stomachs all day. Let's get a closer look at Woods Corporation's contestant.”

The camera zoomed in on her. She looked pale, sweat beading on her forehead. You could tell she was barely holding it together.

1.n

"I'm really not feeling well," she admitted, her voice shaky. "Maybe it's just not agreeing with me here Our team, and the International Glam team too, have all been dealing with food poisoning and stomach issues for days. But we

know our own abilities. If we lost, it's fair and square. Thank you, everyone."

If it weren't for the food poisoning, nobody would've made a big deal about Woods Corporation falling behind. But seeing these

contestants push through illness just to compete-it wasn't about

It

winning or losing anymore. It felt like

they'd do whatever it took to be

number one.

"Oh, I see. There are doctors on the island-did you get checked out?" the host asked quickly, trying to clear the organizers and show they were taking things seriously.

"We've seen the doctor," she replied. "They haven't found the cause yet, but I believe the truth will come out."

As she spoke, she glanced over at Country M's contestant, her gaze lingering, full of meaning.