chapter415

"Yes, how could this even happen?"

All eleven judges started whispering among themselves, trying to make sense of it.

"Miss L, what's your take on this?" someone finally asked.

With no real evidence, they couldn't just accuse anyone of copying. It was a serious thing to say.

"Jenny's design matches her original sketch perfectly," Lydia pointed out. "But Sierra's... well, maybe we should ask her what's going on."

The head judge nodded and signaled the host. Soon, Sierra was invited back onto the stage.

"Can you explain why your finished piece doesn't match your original design? And why does it look so much like Jenny's?" one of the judges asked.

Sierra's heart was pounding, but she tried her best to keep her voice steady.

"Judges, this is what my design was meant to look like. I just didn't have enough materials, so I couldn't show every detail. If I'd had more time, I promise I could have done it perfectly."

But even with limited materials, your work looks almost identical to Jenny's," another judge said. "If you can't prove otherwise, this could count as plagiarism."

That word made Sierra's blood run cold. If they decided she was guilty of copying, her career would be over before it even started.

She hadn't expected the competition to be so strict. Two hours just wasn't enough time for her to show all the changes she'd made. Yes, her design was inspired by Jenny's, but she'd worked hard to make it her own. Still, time was against her. How was she supposed to explain that now?

She couldn't let them call her a plagiarist. She'd be finished.

"I swear I designed this myself. I didn't copy anyone," Sierra insisted. "Honestly, when first saw Jenny's I design in round one was the one who thought it looked a lot like mine."

The whole room erupted. Was she really saying Jenny copied her? Jenny was Miss L's star student. Who would believe that?

Blake just scoffed. "The problem is, your finished piece doesn't even match your own sketch."

Sierra's face turned pale. "Actually, I had this design in my portfolio when I interviewed at Greenward Power."

She was trying to hint that Greenward Power had stolen her work. But that design had never been in her portfolio, and she knew it. She was just grasping at straws.

Jenny finally couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and walked onto the stage.

"Sierra, you're lying!"

Sierra's hands were shaking. I know no one will believe me, but this design really is mine. I can swear on it, if you want."

Lydia leaned forward, clearly

amused. "Goon then. Swear a

serious oath If you copied may

choke on water, spit out your

noodles and die, drown in the.

you

bathtub, fall down the stairs, or not

even wake up from your sleep."

For a full minute, the hall was dead silent. Then people started to snicker, shoulders

shaking as they tried not to laugh out loud.

Miss L's sarcasm was legendary.

Sierra's face was stiff, her eyes locked on Lydia at the judges' table. She forced herself to speak. "Lydia, I

said didn't copy. Why do you have to push me like this?"