Katelyn had decided to present the damaged pieces, hoping to get an explanation from the officials. Perhaps, she thought, it might lead to some leniency later on. But now that the officials had spoken, Katelyn saw no point in pressing further and chose to accept the outcome. Katelyn gave a polite nod to Zandra.

“Thank you. Let’s leave it here.”

Zandra quietly let out a breath of relief. The voices of the crowd filled her ears. Had Katelyn pushed the issue further, it would have created tension for everyone involved. The officials might have been forced to give in, but the matter wouldn’t have been resolved easily.

With a smile, Zandra turned to Katelyn.

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Not everyone had the ability to handle things with such composure. Even Galen, who had been seated on the judging panel, found himself stealing a glance at Katelyn. There was something about Katelyn’s open heart that caught his attention. But it was just a fleeting glance, and he quickly turned his eyes elsewhere.

Zandra’s voice broke the silence.

“Let’s welcome our next contestant.” The competition on stage pressed on.

Ashlyn stayed quiet, her eyes locked on Katelyn, her expression unreadable but filled with unspoken thoughts. She slowly walked up to Katelyn and leaned in to whisper, “Miss Bailey, aren’t you angry that someone destroyed your work?”

Since the destroyed work had been shown, Ashlyn had watched Katelyn closely, and not once had she seen even a hint of anger. There were only two explanations: either Katelyn didn’t care, or she had known all along—maybe even who was behind it.

The more Ashlyn considered it, the more uneasy she became. Katelyn appeared calm and polite on the outside, but Ashlyn could sense a strong power hidden beneath her manner. Ashlyn couldn’t put her finger on it, but the sensation was overwhelming. Her palms began to sweat, her unease growing.

Without warning, Katelyn turned quickly, her gaze locking with Ashlyn’s.

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Ashlyn was taken aback, her words faltering as she addressed Katelyn, “Miss Bailey, is something wrong?” Could Katelyn have discovered something?

But Katelyn just frowned, eyeing Ashlyn carefully.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You seem a bit off—your energy feels… low. Are you not feeling well?”

If she could, Katelyn would have gladly checked on Ashlyn’s health right then and there. It seemed unlikely that Ashlyn was truly fine, given how uneasy she appeared.

Ashlyn fell silent. She wasn’t sick—she was just unsettled. However, she kept her composure, offering a calm response.

“I’m fine. I probably just didn’t eat much this morning, so I’m feeling a little dizzy from hypoglycemia.”

Katelyn gave a knowing nod. She pulled a candy from her pocket and offered it to Ashlyn.

“Here, have a candy.”

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