Abandoned by All I Took It All Back novel Chapter 185

Janina's calm but firm voice echoed from the microphone, sending a ripple of shock through the audience. Even the host beside her was stunned.

No one had anticipated something like this. Down at the judges' table, every member was frowning.

Only Professor Merrick looked on with a sense of pride. His student was truly one of a kind. He, too, had just learned that the winner had been switched at the last minute.

Julius shot up from his seat, his eyes locked on Janina's stomach. His expression shifted from shock to realization, then to anger, and finally to disbelief.

A thousand questions flooded his mind.

Janina was pregnant? She was actually pregnant! And the child was... his!

Julius had no doubt about it. Judging by the size of her belly, she must have conceived around the time they divorced.

And she hadn't told him!

He had no idea Janina was even in the competition. His goal had been to ensure Yvonne won; he hadn't paid any attention to the other contestants.

Julius's face was a storm cloud, his gaze fixed on the dazzling figure on stage.

Yvonne, seeing Janina, had also focused on her stomach. Her face turned pale, and a growing sense of dread filled her.

When did that bitch get pregnant?

She had asked the hospital to pull Janina's records, and there was no mention of a pregnancy!

Damn it!

Yvonne silently cursed the nurse who had failed to uncover this information.

She felt a bitter resentment. She was about to marry Julius, so why did Janina have to show up now?

When she learned Janina was also competing, she had demanded that Julius make her the winner, no matter what. He had indulged her because she told him it was her dying wish. Winning the DL design award would mean she could die without regrets.

"Miss Moore's work, aside from its expensive fabric and gaudy embellishments, shows no conceptual breakthrough. Her design simply isn't up to a champion's standard."

Any professional in the room could see the chasm between the two designs. Janina's was clearly superior.

Even the laypeople in the audience could tell the difference in quality.

It was obvious Yvonne had used her connections.

But this was how the world worked. Talent wasn't enough; you needed connections and backing. Capital could decide everything.

The two people who had hurt her were now trying to undermine her right to her face. Janina wasn't about to let that slide.

The reporters' cameras flashed wildly, all aimed at Yvonne.

Yvonne's face went from pale to flushed and back again. She was completely at a loss for words.