The Real Heiress Is Coming Back (Hannah Carter) novel Chapter 84

Chapter 84

Chapter 84

The competition kicked off at two o’clock.

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The auditorium was packed with students ready for the drama, and the six teacher-judges took their seats in the front row.

Jane, who was up first, was a bundle of nerves.

It was freezing in Brynlock in early November, and Jane stood center stage in a water-blue strapless gown, facing a packed crowd of students.

She couldn’t stop trembling, whether from the cold or her nerves, she wasn’t sure. The moment she opened her mouth, her voice came out shaky, the quiver impossible to hide.

That shaky start got a lot of students in the audience laughing.

Jane had been in Class 1 for two years, so her Thalvarin was decent. Her pronunciation was just so-so, and nerves got the better of her. She stumbled a few times and just barely managed to finish her speech.

The judges, probably cutting her some slack since she was the first up, gave her an overall score of 80.

Jane knew herself well, she never expected to win the Campus Queen title. Given how nervous she was, getting an 80 actually made her pretty happy.

She even thought that with such a high score right at the start, it might not be so easy for the others to get a score that high.

But then, Contestant 2 scored 83, Contestant 3 got 85, Contestant 4 hit 89, and Contestant 5 scored 85…

Backstage in the lounge, Jane watched as one contestant after another scored higher than her, her mood sinking with every new result.

Contestant 17 was Owen. He was rocking a tailored black suit, his short hair slicked back with wax, looking all sunny and handsome.

The moment he stepped onto the stage, the girls in the audience went wild, screaming their heads off.

Sure, his reputation as a top student was a bit inflated, but he’d put in the work over the years. Plus, with all his trips abroad, his Thalvarin pronunciation was crisp and spot-on.

He delivered his speech with natural confidence, pouring emotion into every word. He got straight to the point, built up his argument step by step, and hit all the key points. When he finished, the audience erupted into thunderous applause.

“Thank you, Owen, for that amazing speech! Owen’s overall score is 95!” the host announced.

The audience erupted into another round of thunderous applause, shouting, “Campus King! Campus King! Campus King!”

That was the highest score so far.

Backstage, Jasper heard Owen’s score and his confidence soared. ‘Sure, Owen’s grades are better than mine,’ he thought, ‘but when it comes to Thalvarin, I’ve got him beat!’

Next up was Claudia. Before stepping onto the stage, she deliberately glanced down the hallway, Hannah was still nowhere to be seen. ‘Guess she really isn’t going to make it, Claudia thought.

Claudia wore a beige feathered gown, the stage lights making her skin look porcelain-pale. She moved gracefully to her spot, waiting to go on, looking every bit like a beautiful swan.

Just then, she caught sight of Owen coming off stage. With a shy smile and cheeks tinged pink, she greeted him, “Owen,

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congrats on snagging the highest score so far.”

“Hannah still hasn’t shown up? Only two contestants left…” Owen muttered, already pulling out his phone to call her, barely sparing Claudia a glance as he hurried past.

A flash of embarrassment flickered across Claudia’s face, but she quickly steadied herself with a deep breath. If I score a 95 too, the crown’s mine,’ she thought, determination burning in her eyes.

As soon as Claudia stepped onto the stage, the guys in the crowd couldn’t help but whistle and cheer.

Claudia was top of Class 1 of Grade 11, and her Thalvarin was every bit as sharp as Owen’s. She spoke with poise, and her speech was genuinely impressive.

In the end, she scored a 95, claiming the top spot for the girls.

“Campus Queen! Campus Queen! Campus Queen!” the crowd went wild, chanting her new title.

Claudia flashed a confident smile, she knew she had this year’s Campus Queen title in the bag!

Back in the lounge, Jane watched the whole thing unfold and realized she’d ended up with the lowest score. Her cheeks burned with humiliation.

‘Wait, no, I’m not at the bottom, Hannah is!’ she thought, grasping for any comfort.

‘Doesn’t matter if Hannah shows up or not, she’s still dead last!’ Jane reassured herself.

That was the only way Jane could make herself feel a little better.

Jasper was the last guy to take the stage. Having grown up competing in piano contests and performing, he had a real knack for working the stage and making the most of the lighting.

He went all out, switching into a striking red suit, slicking his hair back for a mature vibe, and applying some strategic makeup that made his features stand out under the spotlight.

In the audience, his fans went wild, their screams echoing nonstop through the hall.

As soon as Jasper started talking, his Thalvarin came out with a flawless British accent, every word was sharp and elegant. He owed it all to his piano teacher; he’d been soaking up that accent since he was little.

‘When it comes to speaking, I’ve totally got Owen beat,’ Jasper thought, brimming with confidence.

But halfway through his speech, a buzz rippled through the crowd.

Mr. Smith from the university’s linguistics department was spotted in the audience!

Mr. Smith was the top authority at Cavalor, and rumor had it he’d been on the lookout for talented students lately. ‘Did he really come at this time just to see Jasper?’ someone wondered.

Jasper was thinking the same thing. The moment he realized it, excitement surged through him and he blanked out for a split second, but he picked it right back up and kept going like nothing happened.

When he wrapped up, the audience exploded with applause.

Jasper was convinced he’d score a 99, the only thing holding him back from a perfect score was that tiny slip-up.

‘Mr. Smith actually showed up just to see me. There’s no way I’m not taking the Campus King title this year!’ Jasper thought, his confidence shooting through the roof.

“Thank you, Jasper, for that amazing speech! Jasper’s overall score is… 94!” the host announced.

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Jasper’s smile froze on his face. 94? Seriously?’ he thought, disbelief flooding his mind.

Why only 947 he wondered, his heart sinking.

“Jasper, your accent is flawless, really impressive. But your grammar wasn’t always precise, and your performance came off a little over the top. Plus, you lost focus a couple of times during your speech. Keep working at it next year!

The host saw Jasper’s puzzled look and jumped in to explain.

“This is a setup!’ Jasper almost wanted to yell.

It was Mr. Smith showing up that messed me up!’ Jasper grumbled to himself.

‘Wait, wasn’t Mr. Smith here just for me?’ Jasper frowned, second-guessing everything.

‘I’m the last one, there’s no one after me!’ he realized, feeling even more frustrated.

When Jasper took the stage, Hannah still hadn’t shown up, she’d totally missed her chance.

“Jasper, please head backstage to the lounge. And now, let’s welcome our final contestant, Contestant 20!” the host announced.

Jasper was seriously annoyed, how could he only get a 94? Still, he left the stage anyway.

As he stepped down, he didn’t spot Hannah anywhere backstage, and his mood lifted a bit.

Even if he couldn’t snag the Campus King title and make Owen regret it, at least Owen could see for himself that Hannah, that clingy pest, was nowhere to be found now.

The stage was left empty for a whole minute, still, nobody showed up.

The six judges glanced at each other, looking a bit lost, while the students in the back started whispering and murmuring.

“Number 20, Hannah, ditched the competition! No point waiting, just announce the results already!” someone called out from the crowd.

And the whole place went from whispers to a full-on uproar.

“She really bailed on the competition!” someone yelled.

“Figures, she’s just a country bumpkin, never seen anything big in her life,” another person sneered.

“Seriously? If she was too scared to compete, why even bother showing up for the auditions?” someone else scoffed.

The whole place was filled with insults and jeers.

“Lucian, did your sister really bail on the competition?” Allison Bennett asked, her arms loaded with flowers, her face puzzled as the crowd hurled insults all around.

She’d tagged along with Lucian just to catch Hannah’s big moment.

“I don’t know,” Lucian mumbled, unable to hide his embarrassment.

‘Seriously, Hannah? Why does she always drop the ball at the worst possible time?’ Lucian thought, frustration bubbling up inside him.