The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Chapter 83

The final showdown for the campus belle and beau speech competition was set for two o’clock that afternoon.

Earlier that morning, the host, Rebecca Palmer, had already posted the announcement on the school forum and on every bulletin board she could find.

All students who made it through the initial rounds were expected to report backstage in the auditorium at one.

Owen forwarded the notice to Hannah, but she never responded.

In fact, she hadn’t responded yesterday either, not even when he asked why she hadn’t come to the lab.

Worry finally pushed him to act. He scrolled through his contacts and called her number for the first time.

A prerecorded voice picked up instead. “The number you have dialed is currently switched off.”

Owen froze for a second, wondering, ‘What’s going on? Did something happen to her?’

Unable to shake the unease, he headed straight to the teachers’ office and found Megan, the homeroom teacher for Class II of Grade 11.

“She messaged me the night before last,” Megan said as she pulled up her phone. “Told me something came up and she’d need two days off.”

For the past week, Hannah had been making a brief appearance in the classroom each day before excusing herself to spend hours in the laboratory building. Megan had chosen to overlook her absences until now.

But today’s speech competition was different. Megan had no intention of letting Hannah skip it.

Yet after Megan’s frantic replies to Hannah’s leave request, there was only silence. Her texts went unanswered, and her calls went straight to voicemail.

“Ms. Lindsay, Owen, are you also unable to reach Hannah??” Zoe interrupted, overhearing their conversation as she dropped off assignments.

She heaved a stack of notebooks onto Megan’s desk before adding, “I haven’t heard from her either.”

She had wondered if Hannah was simply ignoring her messages.

“You don’t think something’s happened, do you?” Megan murmured, her concern growing.

A sudden thought made Zoe shudder. “What if she’s been kidnapped? She’s so striking. It would draw attention…”

Owen cut in calmly, “Ms. Lindsay, we should contact her parents.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Megan agreed, nodding quickly.

Amid the frantic search for Hannah, a gossip thread titled “Hannah’s Sudden Leave: Competition Dodge” exploded on the school forum and climbed to the top spot by noon.

[Bailing via sick leave? That’s a new low.]

[Wasn’t she all over Owen recently? Guess that didn’t work out?]

[Obviously not. Owen’s got standards.]

[Go Owen!]

Chapter 88

[So she begged for votes just to ditch? Unbelievable.]

[Starting to think her campaign team set her up.1

Zoe: [Whoever posted this, where’s your proof? Take it down. Hannah will be there.]

[Look who’s talking, Hannah’s personal cheerleader. Always ready to defend her.]

[Why’s the mayor’s daughter simping for some small-town girl anyway?]

[@Zoc. My source is solid. She won’t show.]

lwk

At 1 PM sharp, the shortlisted contestants gathered backstage in the auditorium, all except Hannah.

Jane had been the first to arrive, lingering near the registration desk as she mentally checked off each participant. When the final name was called without any sign of Hannah, a bitter smirk touched her lips.

Part of her felt cheated, Hannah had actually confirmed the rumors and run away.

Yet beneath the disappointment lay a thrill of vindication. She’d campaigned for Hannah precisely to witness this humiliation, though she hadn’t expected the girl to fold so completely.

‘Probably never faced a real stage before,’ Jane thought, contempt curling in her chest. “Too scared to even try.

“Everyone here? Come gather for the draw to determine your presentation order,” Rebecca announced, clapping her hands to summon the contestants.

“Ms. Palmer, we’re missing one. Hannah hasn’t arrived,” the student managing the attendance list reported.

“What’s the meaning of this? Wasn’t 1 PM clear enough?” Rebecca glanced at her watch, noting it was already ten minutes past the hour.

“Ms. Palmer, if we could just wait a bit longer. Hannah’s been delayed but should be here shortly,” Owen interjected.

His defense of Hannah immediately drew curious glances from the assembled students.

No one had expected Owen to speak up for her, particularly after the forum rumors about her unsuccessful attempts to get

his attention.

“Five more minutes, then,” Rebecca conceded reluctantly. As the dean’s son, Owen’s request carried weight she couldn’t ignore, despite her growing irritation.

“Are you still in contact with Hannah?” Jasper murmured to Owen, moving close enough to ensure their conversation remained private.

Owen responded with a noncommittal nod, his attention divided as he checked his watch again. In truth, he had no certainty about whether Hannah would appear.

Jasper felt a wave of frustration at his friend’s preoccupation. His previous cautions about Hannah seemed to have made no impression whatsoever.

He said, “Owen, I really don’t see what you find so special about…”

“Jasper, I think we’re done here,” Owen interrupted, his tone final.

Stunned, Jasper could only manage, “You can’t be serious.”

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Chapter 83

65 Pouchers

“I warned you what would happen if you spoke against Hannah again.” With that, Owen turned away, deliberately putting distance between them.

Jasper stood paralyzed, the words hitting him like a physical blow.

That Owen would discard six years of friendship over someone he’d known merely three months seemed incomprehensible.

‘What does she possibly have?’ he thought bitterly. ‘Nothing but a gilded distraction.’

Now more than ever, he found himself hoping Hannah would actually show up. Only then could Owen see her true colors and recognize how right Jasper had been all along.

He would claim the campus heartthrob title, dominate this competition completely, and make certain Owen regretted this foolish decision.

“Ms. Palmer, should we really keep waiting? The forum’s been saying since this morning that Hannah’s officially dropped out.” Jane spoke up with feigned concern.

Across the room, Claudia shot Jane a puzzled look. She remembered how aggressively Jane had campaigned for Hannah. This sudden betrayal seemed oddly timed.

“Since when was this decided?” Rebecca’s face tightened with impatience.

‘If she was going to drop out, the least she could have done was inform us earlier instead of wasting everyone’s time,’ she thought irritably.

“It’s been all over the forum since this morning,” Jane replied, feigning regret. “I really thought Hannah had turned over a new leaf, but I guess I was wrong…”

Her remarks sparked a wave of agreement among several students.

“People aren’t always what they appear, Ms. Palmer. We shouldn’t let one person disrupt the entire schedule.”

“Exactly! If we each lose five minutes waiting, that’s nearly two hours wasted, enough time to complete half the competition!”

“Let’s be honest. Even if she came, she’d likely finish last. Why sacrifice everyone’s time for one unreliable person?”

“It’s her own fault for being irresponsible.”

Rebecca checked her watch. The five-minute grace period had elapsed. Her decision was made.

“Everyone, gather for the draw. We’ll save the last slot for Hannah. If she makes it in time, she can go last. If not, she’ll be disqualified,” she declared.

It was the maximum concession she would grant and the last courtesy she’d extend out of respect for Owen.

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