?<strong>Chapter 489:</strong>


    Freda stared at the judge, her expression one of utter disbelief. Why had he handed her the microphone? Couldn’t he handle such a straightforward issue on his own? Why was it up to her to intervene?


    With a sh of irritation, Freda grabbed the microphone and addressed Elyse directly. “Do you really believe your performance was wless? Didn’t you see any faults at all?”


    Elyse responded with a serene nod, her voice steady. “Yes, I believe my performance was wless. You won’t find any errors.”


    Gavin, observing Elyse’s unwavering confidence, felt a surge of relief. Elyse’s dedication was paying off. She was truly evolving. Determined to help her, he quietly excused himself and walked away.


    At that moment, another judge quickly intervened, realizing the need to defuse the tension. “There’s been a mix-up with the ranking table,” he announced, holding up a document. “Here’s the correct one. Elyse, you’re actually ranked seventh. Congrattions.”


    The judge’s words were meant to ease the situation for Freda, giving her a graceful out.


    Freda opened her mouth to respond, but the urgency in the judge’s voice pressed her into her seat. This was the final of the Champions Cup, after all. Any attempt by Freda to use her influence against the contestant could tarnish the event’s reputation.


    While the judge managed to restrain Freda, Elyse remained defiant, unwilling to ept the situation.


    Elyse’s expression was icy as she raised her voice to Freda. “I want the scores from each judge announced publicly. There’s no way my performance deserved seventh ce.”


    The judge, noticing Elyse’s persistence, grew angry. “You received high marks because of your talent. Don’t be ungrateful!”


    Elyse shook her head firmly. “I refuse to ept seventh ce if my performance didn’t warrant it. If there was any w in my performance, point it out. Otherwise, I reject this result.”


    “That’s right! Elyse has consistently topped the charts. Why is she suddenly in seventh this time? There’s definitely something off here. The Champions Cup isn’t ying fair!” Tracy couldn’t hold back any longer and erupted in protest.


    Following Tracy, other spectators rallied behind Elyse.


    “If Elyse didn’t perform well, exin specifically where she went wrong. Don’t just score her low without reason.”


    “We aren’t fools. We know a good performance when we see one. The judges need to provide a clear reason for Elyse’s low score, or you’ll never convince us.”


    “I’ve been following Elyse in every tournament of the Champions Cup. I don’t ept this oue!”


    The audience’s unrest grew, their dissatisfaction loud and clear.


    The situation was spiraling out of control. The head judge nced at Freda, his voice low and urgent. “What do we do now? We can’t fabricate any reasons to score Elyse poorly. Miss Jimenez, your input is needed.”


    Freda was taken aback by Elyse’s impact. Despite her limited experience inpetitions, Elyse had amassed a surprising number of supporters. Clearly, Freda had miscalcted her reach. Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge Elyse’s prowess.


    In her frustration, she snapped, “If you can’t handle such a simple task, what good are you?”


    The head judge responded firmly, “Then we must go by the actual scores. It seems Elyse has earned first ce.”


    “No way! She can’t be the winner!” Freda blurted out, thinking she could pressure Theo into reconsidering his decision.


    There had to be another way.


    Lost in her thoughts, Freda barely noticed a middle-aged man with a noticeable stature approaching the judges’ table alongside Gavin.


    “Dad? What are you doing here?” Freda eximed in surprise, her eyes darting to Gavin. Had he brought her father here?


    Ignoring Freda, the man reviewed the official score chart to verify the standings. Then, taking the microphone, he addressed thepetitors on stage. “Given the dissatisfaction with the results, why not settle this with another round?”


    .


    .


    .