The Mocked Miss’s Hidden Crowns novel Chapter 1609

Shirley froze when she realized all eyes were on her.

Before she could gather her thoughts, Mr. Lane’s voice filled the room.

“For the exchange student spot, we’ll move to the next highest score.”

The next highest?

Karan’s head shot up. She stared at Shirley, shock and regret written on her face. Her mouth opened, but she couldn’t get a word out.

If only she hadn’t let jealousy push her over the edge… If she hadn’t tried to expose Shirley for “cheating”… If she’d never reported anything to Apex in the first place… Mr. Lane cared about her. Even if she’d messed up, he would have protected her spot.

But she’d wrecked it all herself.

“I now announce that Shirley will be our exchange student.”

The words hit Shirley like a wave. For a second, her mind went blank. She never thought this spot would go to her. She’d only entered the competition to push her limits, never expecting to actually win.

A chance to study at Apex? That was better than any jackpot.

As soon as Mr. Lane made his announcement, applause broke out. It started with one person, then more joined in until the whole room was clapping. Shirley looked up, feeling out of place, then saw Charlotte and Andrew in the back row cheering for her.

Suddenly, her nerves faded just a little. It started to feel real.

“As for what happened today…” Mr. Lane’s words brought everyone back to the present. He gripped the microphone and turned to Karan, his tired eyes resting on her. “Since this involved me, I’ll handle it myself.”

Karan was quietly crying now. The rest of the staff and students stayed silent. No one argued. Mr. Lane had always been soft-hearted.

You couldn’t deny it—Karan really was talented. No one expected her to go this far.

“This concludes the competition. You’re dismissed,” Mr. Lane said, then told Karan, “Wait for me in my office.”

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