Chapter 440:

Fiona stood beside Elyse, her expression fraught with emotion. Half an hour later, the announcements for the final round qualifiers began.

"First place, Elyse Lloyd!" the host announced gently into the microphone, holding the list.

Darren beamed at Elyse. She returned a modest smile and gracefully walked to the stage.

"Second place, Vicky Aston, and third place, Darren Reynolds."

As Darren was about to step forward, he paused, turned, and looked at Vicky, who remained seated.

"You secured second place. Why aren't you coming up?" Darren asked pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" Vicky retorted coldly, her expression hardening.

"I don't understand. I'm third, and honestly, I envy you for placing second," Darren said with a shrug. He then proceeded to the stage while Vicky took several deep breaths before finally joining him.

"Eighth place, Mariana Dury; ninth place, Cassidy Lipson; and tenth place, Fiona Evans," the host continued.

"Come on, Fiona!" Elyse called excitedly from the stage.

Fiona managed a forced smile and gracefully walked onto the stage. Instead of standing beside Elyse, she positioned herself at a distance.

"Congratulations to all the qualifiers!" the host exclaimed, smiling. "The grand final will take place in three days. Two contestants will be eliminated, and the final spots for the international competition will be determined."

As the ceremony ended, the audience dispersed, and the contestants headed backstage. Elyse followed Fiona, but Fiona barely acknowledged her and strode off without a glance.

"Fiona! Hey!" Elyse called, hurrying after her.

Suddenly, Vicky bumped into Elyse forcefully. Losing her balance, Elyse stepped on her dress and stumbled.

"Watch out!" Darren intervened quickly, catching Elyse just in time.

"Stop pretending. Do you really think you're all that?" Vicky sneered, crossing her arms and glaring at Elyse.

"What's gotten into you?" Elyse asked, baffled by Vicky's attitude. "Are you upset because I won first place and you're jealous?"

"Jealous of you? Are you kidding me?" Vicky snapped. "You just got lucky this time. Next time, you're going down!"

"I'll be waiting for you to try and surpass me," Elyse retorted unflinchingly.

Vicky clenched her teeth and stormed off, visibly angry.

"That's just Vicky. She can't stand being outshined," Darren remarked with a sigh.

"Whether she can handle it or not, I'm keeping my top spot," Elyse shrugged.

"Well, you better hold onto it tight because I'm coming for it too," Darren chuckled.

"Alright, bring on your challenge," Elyse responded, laughing.

The final two lines (".noveldrama" etc.) appear to be extraneous and were removed.