Chapter 1948

"You and Jackson! Wait-don't tell me you two are back together!"

Fiona popped the last piece of bread into her mouth and took a long sip of milk.

"Nope! You've got it all wrong..."

Jane let out a relieved sigh, clutching her chest for dramatic effect. "Thank god. You scared me for a second!"

But then Fiona set her glass down and looked up.

"We never actually broke up."

Jane stared at her. "Girl, sometimes I seriously want to strangle you."

"All that drama was just for show. Jackson and I had our reasons. You're literally the only person who knows the truth, so Jane, you have to promise me you won't tell anyone."

Fiona didn't even hesitate-she knew Jane was solid.

Jane's jaw dropped. She'd never imagined Fiona could keep something this big under wraps. And after all the gossip and drama, it was all just... fake?

"So you two have been pretending this whole time? You fooled all of us."

Fiona shrugged. "Anyway, go change. We've got to meet up soon."

Clearly, she wasn't planning on sharing any more details.

Jane dragged herself out, still trying to process what she'd just heard. If these two had to keep such a big secret, it had to be serious. But she didn't dwell on it for long-she slipped into her room and shut the door.

Once Jane was gone, Fiona quickly texted the contestant she'd planned to meet today. With that done, she put her phone aside and leaned back, enjoying her coffee.

Less than a minute later, a sharp knock landed on her door.

"Mr. Connor, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Come in."

Fiona didn't even bother to stand. She just sipped her coffee and waited.

The girl pushed open the door, rushed in, and dropped to her knees in front of Fiona without warning.

Tears welled up in her eyes. "Mr. Connor, you picked me for the competition because you believed in me. I've worked so hard. Why are you taking away my spot?"

Fiona didn't spare her a glance.

She had to admit the girl had great timing. The door was half open, and with her kneeling on the floor, anyone walking by would see this little scene. All it would take was one nosy person, and rumors would explode. The girl was clearly trying to use public pressure to squeeze Fiona into letting her compete.

But Fiona wasn't easily played.

She let out a cold, dismissive laugh and said nothing.

"Mr. Connor, please, I'm begging you. Just give me one more chance," the girl pleaded, her voice shaking.

Fiona finally looked at her and asked, "Do you even know who's representing Country M today?"

That caught her off-guard.

"I... I think it's Esther," she stammered, avoiding Fiona's eyes.

"So you know it's Esther. Do you honestly think you can beat her?"

The girl's face contorted with anxiety-caught between wanting to compete and knowing she was outmatched.

"You know exactly how good Esther is. You don't really believe you can win, do you?"

"She's been champion for four years in a row. How could I possibly..."

"Compete with Esther, right?" Fiona's tone was biting.

Even if Fiona wanted to give her the chance, could she really handle it?

The real challenge hadn't even started, and the girl was already backing down.